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

Maple Brown Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts.  It's creamy and toothy all at once, and brown rice pudding is the toothiest of all.  Brown rice is full of fiber which makes is more chewy than white rice.  Its more substantial nature makes it a great choice for rice salads and other dishes where you want the rice to stand out.

This rice pudding recipe takes a little time, but it's simple to make and has just a few ingredients.  It's best warm and can be garnished with chopped nuts or a little strawberry or cherry preserves.

Start by mixing 1 C brown rice in 2 C water with 1/4 t salt.  Don't rinse the rice, as you want the starch in this recipe.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.  You should have 2 C cooked brown rice for the recipe below.

2 C cooked brown rice
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/3-1/2 C maple syrup
1/4 t cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 t nutmeg, or to taste
1/2 C raisins (optional)

1.  In the same pot that you cooked the rice, add the evaporated milk, maple syrup, spices and raisins to the cooked rice.

2.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer, stirring frequently.  Be careful that it doesn't burn.

3.  Cook until the pudding is very thick and creamy, 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm.

You can re-heat any leftovers in the microwave or in a pot over low heat.  I like to eat leftover brown rice pudding for breakfast instead of oatmeal.

Feel free to play with the spices.  You can make a delicious chai-flavored version with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a little black pepper.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Red Russian kale, strawberries, garlic, cipolloni spring onions, 8-ball squash, chantenay heirloom carrots, and chioggia beets;

From JR Organics:  Red leaf lettuce, strawberries, and pickling cucumbers;

From Jaime Farms:  Basil, hot house red peppers, and hot house green peppers;

From Massa Organics:  Brown rice;

 From Sweet Tree Farms:  White nectarines and flavorosa pluots;

And from Silver Lake Farms:  Ginger.

Enjoy!

Shelley