get your yummy back

For the past several weeks, we’ve had a friend bringing us boxes upon boxes of stone fruit from his frequent visits to California’s Central Valley. It’s such a gift! We prefer eating these juicy little gems while they are fresh. What we don’t eat fresh, we bake, grill, dehydrate or puree to make fruit leather.

This week, I made a batch of Seasonal Fruit Tartlets with Crumble Topping. As you will see, this entry into the GYYB Recipe Index is less of a recipe and more of a process guide.

I’ve always used my Mom’s recipe for pie crust. It’s a simple, straight forward, butter-based crust. No chilling required. Nothing fancy. Maybe that’s why it works. Every. Single. Time.

Once you make a pie crust and a crumble topping, the possibilities are endless.  I’ve used this process for making tartlets with plums, nectarines, blueberries, peaches, apples and combinations thereof. Grab some fruit and get going! 

Phew! I’m putting the finishing touches on a busy weekend. I did two private cooking events this weekend, a dinner for 10 on Friday night and a luncheon for 7 on Saturday. Both events were wonderful celebrations of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. The menus featured some of my favorite recipes, many of which I’ve already shared with you. On Friday night, I made Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Sauce, Cucumber Soup with Fresh Herbs and Strawberries, Grilled Rosemary-Crusted Pizzas, and Blueberry Lime Ice. Saturday’s menu included Pesto Dip with crudites, Golden Gazpacho with Croutons and Sausage, Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach, Gruyère, and Shiitakes, Sugar Snap Pea Salad, and this Basil-Blackberry Crumble.

This recipe is from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s a surprising combination – apples, blackberries, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. It’s delightful and a great way to use fresh summer berries. Blackberries are rich in Vitamin C and act as a mild diuretic and astringent. Select berries that look plump and tender. If buying them in a carton, look at the underside and avoid berries that are wet or mushy.

Blackberries, and all berries for that matter, freeze well. Simply place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until frozen, then transfer them into a rigid container for storing. You can use them straight from frozen for smoothies, muffins, coffee cakes, and fruit ice. Enjoy!