Mixed Summer Fruit Crumble

There are all sorts of wonderful fruit desserts that are baked with some sort of topping or crust and a crumble is just one of them.  Summer fruits lend themselves well to crumbles because their high water content creates a thick, bubbly juice that bathes the fruit and infuses some of the topping or crust making three delicious layers of crisp topping, gooey-crispy fruit infused crust, and thick baked fruit.

I used peaches from today's box as well as raspberries and blueberries that I picked earlier this week at Underwood Farms in Somis.  But you can use any combination of stone fruits or berries to make this tasty dessert.  You can add a little sugar to the fruit mixture, or not, it's up to you.  And herbs like lemon verbena, or a little lemon or orange zest adds a little extra zing.  The ratio of fruit to topping is also a matter of taste, so feel free to experiment with that, too.

Prepare 4-6 C summer fruit:  Use whole berries such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and/or blackberries; and/or peel, pit, and slice peaches, nectarines and/or apricots.  Add 1/2 C sugar to the prepared fruit mixture, if desired.

4 T cold butter, cut into small cubes, plus butter to grease the baking dish
2/3 C flour
1/3 C white sugar\
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C rolled oats, toasted
1/3 C toasted almonds, chopped
pinch salt

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Generously butter an 8x8 (or similarly sized) baking dish.  Spoon the prepared fruit in the buttered dish.  Set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or a fork, until combined but still crumbly.

4.  Sprinkle the topping mixture over the fruit in the prepare baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the topping has browned.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Chantenay carrots, 8 ball squash, strawberries, green garlic, spring candy onions, and bull's blood beets;

From JR Organics:  Red butter lettuce, strawberries, basil, and cucumbers;

From Jaime Farms:  Radishes, chard, yellow peppers, dill, and cilantro;

From Sweet Tree Farms:  Apricots and peaches.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Spicy Salad Greens with Pomelo and Blueberries

Pomelo is among the largest citrus fruits. Its thick, pithy rind covers a juicy center that resembles a grapefruit. The membranes of the pomelo tend to be quite tough, so slicing the sections into supremes is a great way to enjoy this sweet and aromatic fruit.

Making supremes is easy with a fruit as large as the pomelo. Peel off the rind and as much of the pith as possible. Then slice each section just inside of the membranes on both sides. The beautifully trimmed sections, free of tough membranes, will come right out. You can cut supremes from any citrus fruit, but the bugger the fruit, the easier it is, so have fun practicing with the pomelo.



Today's recipe is a refreshing salad of spicy greens, such as arugula and mizuna, with pomelo supremes and blueberries. I like to squeeze the juice remaining in the membranes after I cut out the supremes and use it to flavor the vinaigrette for the salad.

I added some greens from my own garden to the arugula from today's CSA box. You can use whatever mix of flavorful greens you prefer. You can even add some parsley if you'd like. Just be sure to wash the greens thoroughly and dry them well.

For 2 generous servings:

3-4 C loosely packed washed and dried greens
1 pomelo, cut into supremes
1 C blueberries, washed and dried
1 T thinly sliced red onion
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T juice squeezed from pomelo membranes, optional
1-2 T rice or cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
crushed, toasted nuts, such as almonds or pistachios for garnish, optional

1. In a large bowl, toss the greens, pomelo supremes, blueberries, and red onion.

2. In a small bowl or a cup, combine the olive oil, juice, and vinegar and whisk with a fork or small whisk until combined.

3. Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad. Toss to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again to distribute. Taste and add a little more dressing if desired.

Avocado slices would be a lovely addition to this salad, as would grilled shrimp.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Green cabbage, round carrots, arugula, romaine, bok choy, mizuna, rainbow chard, green kale, pomelo, and blueberries;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rutabagas and Nantes carrots;

From Jaime Farms: Celery, hot house zucchini, brown onions, cauliflower, Italian parsley, baby dill, free range eggs, and hot house tomatoes; and

From Rancho Santa Celicia: Satsuma mandarins and navel oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I'll bet that most of the first blueberries of the season will be eaten fresh, right out of their carton. But here's a delicious alternative: lemon blueberry muffins. You can make and serve them warm for breakfast tomorrow morning, or whip them up tonight and serve them warm, split open, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle for a homey dessert.

For 6 regular sized muffins:

1/2 stick butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the muffin tin

1/2 C sugar + 1 T for sprinkling on top

1 large egg

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 t baking powder

1/8 t salt

1 generous C fresh blueberries, very slightly mashed

1/4 t grated lemon zest, divided

1 C flour

1/4 c milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 6-muffin tin, including the top of the tin. Set aside.

2. Beat butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the slightly mashed blueberries and about half the lemon zest.

3. Fold in half the flour, then half the milk, then repeat with the remaining flour and the remaining milk. Fold until just combined, don't stir vigorously.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup equally.

5. In a little prep bowl, stir together the remaining 1 T sugar and the remaining lemon zest. Sprinkle a little of this mixture on the top of each muffin.

6. Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm.

This week's harvest included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Texas sweet onions, green leaf lettuce, kohlrabi, purple carrots, Easter radishes, French radishes, blueberries, rainbow chard, and arugula.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Candy spring onions, red fire lettuce, baby leeks, yellow carrots, Russian kale, broccoli leaves, and green garlic.

Thai guavas from Rancho Santa Cecilia; and mustard, radish, and arugula microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley