Backyard Bounty : Humble Crumble

Living on the West Coast has many perks. Beautiful mountain views and temperate weather are great, but I have to say one of my favourite aspects of living in Victoria is the bountiful harvest of summer and early fall. Our new place is blessed with blackberry bushes and plum trees that produce a seemingly endless supply of deep purple deliciousness.

Last weekend Ryan and I added to our bounty by collecting apples from his cousin's heavy-hung apple trees. We brought home a box-full and every time I walk out onto the porch I get an intoxicating whiff of fall fruit.

So, what to do with all of this freshness? Near the end of summer, I made lemon-blackberry tarts and plum chutney.  But, with last of the plums hanging about and some apples thrown into the mix, what else could I make but crumble?

Ah, the humble crumble. The lazy-man's pie. Crumble is great because it is simple, delicious and even some-what healthy.  

So here's my version of the crispy dish:

Topping
3/4 cp flour (I used whole wheat)
3/4 cp rolled oats
3/4 cp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cp cold butter (Earth Balance vegan butter works great too!)
handful of walnut pieces (optional)







Filling

1/2 lb Plums (about 10-12 small prune plums)
1 cp blackberries (fresh or frozen)
3 or 4 apples
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp corn starch



Preheat oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Combine dry ingredients for topping. Cube cold butter into small pieces and sprinkle over dry ingredients. Using a pastry mixer or two forks, work into dry mix until mostly crumbly. Set aside in the fridge (the butter needs to stay cold!) until the filling is ready.

First step for the filling is to pit the plums. This can be time-consuming and messy, but think of it as a zen exercise.  Cut the plums length-wise all the way around and twist open. Remove the pit. The riper the plum, the easier the pit will come out.

Next, core and slice your apples into thin-ish slices. No need to peel unless this is your preference - but the peel contains most of the nutrients and fiber. Besides, why make more work? This recipe is for the lazy, remember?

Mix pitted plums, apple slices and blackberries and the remainder of your filling ingredients in your baking dish (roughly 9 x 9 should do), ensuring your fruit is evenly coated.

Sprinkle filling with crumble topping.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until topping is golden and crisp.

And what would be crumble without an ice cream accompaniment? Like cocoa without the mini marshmallows. I'm not great with dairy, so I had mine with So Delicious Coconut ice cream and it was delightful. But, any way you serve it, this humble crumble is sure to please your autumn fruit-tooth.