The summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year, which is indeed something to celebrate and ponder. This year it made me reminisce about summers past in a food obsessed kind of way. My thoughts turned to bare feet, casual backyard gatherings acceptable any day of the week (which only seems possible in the summer time) and rhubarb. Yes, rhubarb. That odd vegetable (no its not a fruit) that becomes available for a short time in late spring and early summer. Rhubarb makes a terrific cobbler when paired with strawberries – that may seem like a no-brainer to the practiced cook, but for the novice it's the ultimate discovery - a summer's sweet heart duo.

There was actually a time in my life that I was obsessed with making fruit cobblers. It was in my early 30's and I had settled in with the notion that I was married to a professional cook – so I decided I better up my game in the home cooking genre. Cobblers were one of those easy casual desserts that packed a lot of "punch" for the effort. It was my first fore into utilizing fruit at the very height of the season. During that decade of culinary self-discovery, I explored the natural marriage of sweet ripe strawberries and tangy rhubarb through this cobbler recipe.

Thirteenteen Area Girls Graduate at Foxcroft's100th Commencement Ceremony

Thirteen teens Area girls graduated at Foxcroft's 100th Commencement. Foxcroft's students received 234 acceptances to 153 colleges and universities in the U.S., France, and Spain.

Raspberries also make a nice pairing with rhubarb, which is why I selected a Raspberry Merlot to augment the flavors from Fabbioli Cellars in Lucketts, just north of Leesburg. The wine, which is somewhat spicy and not overly sweet, is made from berries grown on their farm and then blended to make a lightly sweet dessert wine with strong fruity notes. It's aged in the barrel to unite the flavors and impart an oaky quality.

Since the summertime yields a ton of great berries there are plenty of substitutions that can be made for this cobbler. The technique for making the pie dough like topping is so easy and delicious and it can be used with any summer fruit. So in the 'food is love realm' – summer love that is - here is that sharable recipe in all its rewarding solstice glory. A finishing scoop of vanilla ice cream is always welcome.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Serves 6
1 pound fresh strawberries
1 pound fresh rhubarb
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour + 1tbs for rolling dough
2 Tbs sugar + 3Tbs reserved for dough
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Prepare the fruit. Hull the strawberries and slice them. Remove and discard any leaves from the rhubarb and cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the strawberries and rhubarb in a medium bowl; add 2 Tbs sugar and stir to coat the fruit. Set aside.

Make the dough. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and then rub the flour mixture and butter between your fingers to combine and crumble into pea-size pieces. Add the cream a little at a time and stir until just combined and its a rollable dough consistency using a fork. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface sized to cover your dish or using a glass or cookie cutter cut size to fit ramekins.

Bake the cobbler. Butter single serve ramekins or one large 9 inch pie pan and spoon in the fruit. Gently lay the dough on top of the fruit and brush with a little cream. Bake until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream.