As the late summer begins to wax and wane, there is a myriad of fresh fruit available that can be used for either baking or cooking. Stone fruits, including peaches, nectarines, apricot, cherries and plums are in ample supply and are at their lowest prices of the year. There are those who enjoy grilling fruits on the barbeque, but stone fruits, in particular, make delicious baked desserts, by far our favorites among the other choices of compotes and pies or other preparations, particularly because crumbles take so little time to prepare. Without expending the extra burden of peeling, peaches serve as a great flavor choice for crisps or crumbles, either on their own or combined with berries. In ten minutes, a wonderful dessert can be concocted and fill your home with a fabulous aroma.

Nina’s favorite fruit crumble combination is peaches or nectarines with blueberries. Elizabeth loves peaches as well (with blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries) and had a great time this week using up the peaches from her family’s recent peach picking expedition to Demarest Farms. But whatever fruits you choose, make sure to add a little lemon juice! Neither of us agree with sweetening the fruit itself, as the natural sweetness combined with the tartness of lemon creates a perfect balance. Believe us: this dessert is a gourmet addition to a summer meal that is as stress free to make as it is delectable.

We are sharing Nina’s recipe, but Elizabeth has also made a very similar crumble in the past with the exact ingredients, but Elizabeth’s recipe triples all the crust amounts, making slightly more than double the amount of crumble. (Also, Elizabeth notes, if you don’t have oats on hand, you will not miss them.) It’s Elizabeth’s habit to use the crust mixture on the bottom as directed in Nina’s recipe, but she then sprinkles a nice amount of the same mixture on top, to create a streusel topping. Elizabeth also recommends using Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks as the margarine component, as it is trans-fat free and tastes virtually identical to other margarine products.

Peach Berry Crumble

Ingredients:

Crust:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

dash cinnamon (optional)

Topping:

2 cups fresh berries

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup flour

2 cups sliced fresh peaches

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine flour, rolled oats and brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all and stir until crumbly. Press into bottom(s) of 8-inch square or round pan(s).

In large bowl combine topping ingredients, mix well, spread over crust and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.

Variations: Some people double the crust ingredients and use the extra to provide a streusel topping over the fruit. Either way, it’s delicious!