Summer fruit is in full swing at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets. The intoxicating aromas of berries, peaches and nectarines fill the air. While shopping at the Farmers’ Market, sometimes your eyes can be bigger than your stomach, and it can be hard to eat all of the fruit you purchased before it goes bad. Nobody likes to waste fruit, so what is to be done with it all? Fruit salad is always a standby classic, but why not try a bumbleberry crisp for a simple, wonderful dessert? This is a great recipe to make to use up any fruit you may have on hand. Not only will it taste amazing, but your kitchen will smell amazing, too!
Bumbleberry is an old term meaning mixed berries. Blackberries, raspberries and strawberries are used here, but nearly any fruit can be used in this recipe. Blueberries, boysenberries, peaches, nectarines and plums are also delicious in this recipe. Start with flavorful fruit and keep sugar to a minimum. With summer fruit in season it might not be necessary at all to add sugar. Accompany each serving with a big dollop of heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This recipe can easily be doubled. Also, if you like extra topping, feel free to double the amount. This recipe is courtesy of Amelia Saltsman, author of the upcoming Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook, due out this summer.
Bumbleberry Crisp
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for berries (if necessary)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups each strawberries, blackberries and raspberries
1 1/2 tablespoons instant tapioca
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make the topping, stir together the flour, brown and granulated sugars, salt, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips or a fork until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand.
Hull the strawberries and quarter lengthwise. Place all the berries in a two quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the tapioca and with sugar and lemon juice to taste and stir gently. Sprinkle the topping over the berries. Bake until the berries are bubbly, about forty minutes. Increase the heat to 400 degrees and bake until the topping is a rich golden brown, about five minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
