I often make variations on my standard recipes that don’t deserve a full column here, but seem worth noting; thus I’m going to periodically post as “recently made” blurb in the hopes of encouraging others to experiment. I rarely deem a recipe so perfect that I never mess with it again, and I frequently find myself with serious cravings but ingredients on hand that don’t quite match my recipes.
This week, I was coming to the end of the blueberries in the fridge. As usual, I’d overbought (a common problem for me at the farmers’ market). I also had peaches that I’d bought intending to make jam, but I plain ran out of time.
That time problem also meant no pie; pie really is easy, but just not quick enough for the first full week of school and after-school activities. Instead, I used my recipe for Apple Crisp, with these changes:
* I first filled the pan with peeled peach slices. To peel a peach, bring a pot of water to a boil, gently drop in several peaches at a time and boil for 20 to 30 seconds (or up to 1 minute, depending on the ripeness of your peaches). Transfer them to a bowl of ice water until cool enough to handle. The skins should slip right off.
* I gently tossed the peaches in about 2 tablespoons of flour, just to keep to the pan from getting too juicy.
* I covered the peaches with a layer of blueberries, and sprinkled it all with about 2 tablespoons of sugar. (You’ll have to judge this amount based on how sweet your fruit is.)
* I used the crisp topping as is, except I cut down slightly on the cinnamon and stirred in a large handful of coconut.
Photos of the crisp don’t do it justice, but it looks pretty (if rustic) with the yellow and blue together. We’ve been eating it, gently heated, for breakfast, with just a tiny bit of cream or half-and-half poured over the top. Serious comfort before another day of middle school!
