Rhubarb, Blueberry and Cream Parfait

1. To make the sauce, stir together the sugar and water in a large non-reactive saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the rhubarb and stir to coat with the sugar syrup. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, cover, and cook until the fruit is quite soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Process until smooth using an immersion blender or standard blender, or mash and stir with a fork. Stir in the salt and lime juice, then taste and adjust with sugar or lime, if needed. (It will taste sweeter chilled than hot.) Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a covered container until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
2. To make the topping, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the vanilla evenly over the mixture, then scatter the butter over the mixture. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture looks like wet, clumpy sand. Scatter the almonds over the top and mix them in with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate the topping for 30 minutes.
3. While the topping chills, preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack near the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
4. Use your fingers to crumble the topping mixture onto the baking sheet. It should look like granola, with a few larger clumps. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and turning with a spatula once or twice during baking. Let cool completely before using. (It will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
5. Using a chilled bowl and beaters, whip together the cream, creme fraiche, and sugar until the mixture holds medium-firm peaks.
6. Layer the cream, rhubarb, crunch topping, and berries in four parfait glasses. As a guide–without worrying about exact quantities–divide one-third of the cream among the four glasses. Layer half of the rhubarb sauce over the cream. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the topping into each glass. Then, sprinkle one-third of the berries over the topping in the four glasses. Repeat the layers, using half of the remaining cream, all of the remaining rhubarb, and 1 tablespoon of crunch topping for each glass, and half of the remaining berries. Top the parfaits evenly with the remaining cream, and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining berries. Finally, sprinkle lightly with some crunch topping. (You will have some crunch topping remaining.)
7. Serve immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The crunch will soften but will still add great flavor and texture.

This recipe reprinted with permission from the cookbook Farmers’ Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht