I’ve been craving blueberries every day for the blueberry-stud-muffin they are when it comes to being a powerhouse of nutrition.
I use both fresh and frozen blueberries. Having a bag of organic “frozen” berries on hand is the ideal way to keep them readily available. When I add frozen berries to yogurt or pour soy or almond milk over a small bowl of them, the crunchy, icy texture it adds is appealing.
I typically add blueberries to smoothies, oatmeal, cold cereal and yogurt, to name a few. But my thoughts have turned to a dreamy cobbler or crisp for a summertime barbecue.
While I favor blueberries, my husband desires cherries. So, the mixture of the two made for a red, white, and blue inspired dessert.
I was also inspired by a recent recipe I saw made by actress Jennifer Garner and her lovely mother. It was a blackberry cobbler with similar ingredients so perhaps you’ll try blackberries, or a combination of blackberries and fresh peach slices.
This recipe is nostalgic, as my own mom often made it with canned peaches when I was growing up. The good news is they are all spectacular!
Enjoy food made fresh!
All-American Fruit Crisp
1½ cups fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed blueberries 1½ cups fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed pitted cherries 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 6 tablespoons butter, melted Ice cream or whipped cream to serve – optional Preheat oven to 375º F. Add fruit to a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar.
In a mixing bowl, toss together flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the beaten egg, stirring until evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture. Knead by hand, creating clumps until the loose flour is incorporated. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the fruit. Drizzle melted butter over the top of crumbles and bake for 40 to 45 minutes in preheated oven or until lightly browned and bubbly.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipping cream if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.
