I confess to being a glutton when it comes to stone fruit. There is a window of time when peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums run rampant at the market. Vibrantly hued and mottled in purples, oranges, fuscias and crimson, their flesh is a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, winey, and tart. I could eat them all day long, but then my stomach would hurt. At this time when these gifts are abundant, I tend to overshop. My kitchen counters are lined with bowls and baskets brimming with fruit. So, it's no surprise that even in our home, all of this fruit cannot be eaten at their peak of ripeness. Some start to get a little too ripe, buried at the bottom of the bowl, or even passed over for the newest batch from the market. As I said, I have indulgence issues.
This is the moment when a crumble or crisp comes in handy. It's desserts' equivalent to a homey vegetable soup. Gather up all the ripe, somewhat passed fruit (as you might with vegetables for a soup), cut and chop and pile them in a baking dish. Garnish with berries and pile on the topping. The tartness of the berries balances the sweetness of the stone fruit, and with little added sugar the result is a rich, murky, sweet - but not cloying, perfumed stew of summer fruit. It's best served warm, but not piping hot, since that will mask the flavor of the fruit. A dollop of high quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream adds a cool foil to the warm, more-ish fruit.
Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp
You can use any stone fruit for the crisp. Try a combination of plums, peaches and nectarines. The addition of raspberries and blueberries adds tartness and depth to the fruity flavor.
Serves 8
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
For the fruit:
2 pounds nectarines (or combination of nectarines, plums, peaches), halved and pitted, cut in 1" chunks
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
Prepare topping:
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well to combine. Add butter, and work in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. (Topping may be prepared one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until use.)
Prepare crisp:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Arrange nectarines in rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Arrange raspberries and blueberries over nectarines. Cover fruit evenly with topping. Bake in oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool briefly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
If you like this, you might enjoy these fruity recipes from TasteFood:
Grilled Nectarines and Apricots with Yogurt, Honey and Thyme
And more fruit recipes from other foodblogs:
Homemade Peace Ice Cream from Wasabimon
Plum Galette from Simply Recipes
Nectarine and Hazelnut Scones from Cookin' Canuck
Apricot and Almond Jam from Chocolate and Zucchini
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