Peach and blackberry crumble

A delicious treat, no matter where you call home.

Our pastor is requiring us to write promises to each other for the wedding, and read them aloud. It’s just part of his program, it’s not an option, and I do agree with the reason that it personalizes the ceremony. I enjoy writing personal things, but the thought of speaking in front of 138 people, a paragraph that will relay my commitment, gratitude and humbleness towards marrying a man I am wholeheartedly crazy about, is a bit daunting.I’ve been brainstorming, and am taking note of every emotion that passes in these next few weeks.

We just found a place to live recently, Hugh is moving in next Tuesday, and there is a warmness I feel in anticipation of having a home with him. It will be our place – a place we get to wake up, drink coffee, read books, work together, tell secrets, enjoy friends, stay up late watching movies and all else that fills our days. Sure, we don’t exactly own any furniture at this moment, but I’m actually excited to eat canned soup on the floor while we don’t have a table, a stocked kitchen, or unwrapped pots and pans. Isn’t that all part of the endearing cliche of being a newlywed? My point is that just as a school is a place where you learn a home is a place where you love and I CAN’T wait. We won’t be in this place forever, but the intangible parts of building a ‘home’ begin now.

So cheers to home; the occasion calls for a treat like this. The perfect combination of ingredients as we transition from the end of summer towards the beginning of fall. It’s something perfect to share, and regardless of where you live, a crumble tastes just as wonderful on the floor of a new apartment as it would on a pretty kitchen table.

Peach and blackberry crumble

Makes 6 small ramekins, 4 large, or 8×8-inch pan

You could use more or less honey depending on the sweetness of your fruit. I got the tail end of these summer fruits, so I found this measurement to be a perfect compliment to their sweetness. There is flexibility in this recipe – you can use any citrus juice for the orange, your nut of choice, or another flour you have on hand. This could easily be a vegan crumble by substituting the one egg white for a bit of flaxseed meal, and topping it with a non-dairy frozen treat.

3 Peaches (about 1 lb)
2 cups blackberries
1 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey

3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup muscavado or natural cane sugar
3.6 oz./ 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, warmed to a liquid
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 egg white

Vanilla bean ice cream/gelato for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash and dry fruit. Cut peaches into 1-inch chunks and place in a bowl, add the blackberries as they are. Toss the fruit with the fresh orange juice and thyme leaves. Sprinkle the whole wheat flour and honey over the fruit, and toss gently. If the mixture looks fairly wet, depending on the ripeness of your fruit, add a bit more flour.

Fill the ramekins or pan about 80 percent full of the fruit mixture. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, muscavado/natural cane sugar, pecans, salt, cinnamon and mix. Add the coconut oil, vanilla, and egg white and combine into the dry ingredients. It should resemble a loose, crumbly dough. Distribute evenly between the ramekins, or on top of the 8×8-inch pan.

Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet, and set on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and a bit of fruit juice is bubbling up the side. I like the fruit to stay a bit firm, if you like it soft, give it another 5-10.

Sara Morris blogs at Sprouted Kitchen.

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