Summer Fruit Crumble

I wait all year for the summer fruits to come into the markets. Since they are seasonal, they are especially exciting since you have time to yearn for them, if you get me, and these kinds of fruits were sorta born to be crumbled. (Recently I had a fresh summer fruit compote that wowed both me and DH but that’s a post for another time). I love them (especially nectarines, my thing) and the abundance of the peaches, plums and nectarines (apricots if you can get them) give you a chance to both eat them “as is” as well as in a crumble. You can go with all peaches, all plums, all nectarines or combine them as you will. The big flavor comes from using fresh fruit so really, no frozen here. It a simple thing to mix this up and don’t worry, no need to peel your fruits, just wash them and slice ’em up. The peel softens as it cooks and sorta dissolves into the fruit. One more little tip, I try to use fully ripe fruit (deeper flavor) but I have had times when the peaches just weren’t softening (for example) and just slice them and cook them in the crumble and they are as soft as the other fruit, so it’s a good cheat when necessary.

So gather your ingredients

You may note that I have salt in the ingredients and you might say, hmm I’ll skip it, not necessary. Don’t. It adds so much to the taste and you’re not using much. It brings out the flavor and the contrast with the tart and sweet is important in your crumble. K.

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Slice up all your washed fruit and place in a bowl.

Sprinkle over the fruit the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Toss till completely coated.

Leave the fruits to sit while you prepare the crumble topping. The fruit will tend to give up juices, that’s normal.

In a medium bowl, partially melt in the microwave the butter or marg or till very very soft, should look like this:

This will make it very quick and easy to mix up your crumble. Add the flour, oats, salt, sugar and cinnamon and using your fingers, mix up the crumb topping.

Take a deep dish 9 inch pie pan and scoop out the marinated fruits (leaving the juices behind) into the pie pan.

Now take the crumble topping and either crumb over top of fruit or pat into a crumb crust like top.

I tend to pat it down. Remember, when you serve it, you cut/scoop it out with a spoon. This doesn’t cut like a pie so that when you serve it, even if it’s a solid looking top, it crumbles onto your plate.

Pop the crumble into the oven and bake 45-50 minutes or till golden brown on top and fruit is bubbling and slightly oozing out from cracks.

This is just wonderful the way it is but if you like to gild the lily, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or maybe a dollop of real whipped cream.

Summer Fruit Crumble

6 cups (approximately a kilo, sliced) summer fruits- combined or individual fruits -peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots cut into slices

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

1 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping:

1 cup (125 grams) flour

1/2 cup (40 grams) quick oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup (113 grams) butter/margarine, partially melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. In a bowl, combine the sliced fruit with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Toss till coated. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter till crumbly. Place fruit (leave excess juices behind in the bowl) in a  in a deep dish 9 inch pie pan and cover with crumble topping. Bake about 45 -50 minutes or until fruit is cooked and topping is golden brown. Serve warm or cold. Nice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.