Peach and Blueberry Crumbles
This past weekend was perfect for strolling through Evergreen Brick Works Farmer’s Market. An early start meant lots of parking and first pick of the goods. It was my first successful visit; my original failed attempt was due to the psychotic parking situation which had me vowing to get there before 11 to avoid the near fistfights in the parking lot. The covered market was full of amazing local/organic produce, awesome eats, a greenhouse, and a few artisan crafts.
It’s the first farmer’s market I’ve been to where there was a variety of gluten-free options from multiple vendors. My standout GF snacks were: a vegan chocolate cupcake and sweet potato beignets from LPK Culinary Groove , JKKitchen‘s organic fries with cilantro aioli, and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and artisan corn tortilla chips by The Mad Mexican. Definitely a recommended Saturday morning excursion – thanks to StylinMommy for posting about Brickworks.
Besides the snacks, the trip also yielded a massive haul of produce including a boatload of Ontario peaches, baby eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, GF focaccia with poppyseed & onion, sweet potatoes, kale, and fancy mushrooms. The peaches were by far the best score – about 2 dozen peaches for $8 – but what do you do with that many peaches? I peeled and sliced up a few and froze them for future use and will give some away.
These crumbles were a great way to chip away at three or four of them. I feel like fruit desserts are as healthy as a dessert can be while still satisfying your sweet tooth, especially if they are homemade, vegan, and gluten-free. This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. I have a signed copy of the book – I met Ina after standing in line for about 2 hours to get her autograph at Chapters. She is as lovely and likable in person as she is on her cooking show.
The easiest way to peel a bunch of peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately dunk them in cold water. After this, the peach skin peels off very quickly and easily. I remember when my mom would can peaches and skinned bushels of peaches so we would enjoy her canned peaches throughout the winter.
The gluten-free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten-eating friends and they won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan and gluten-free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It’s both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.
PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRUMBLES
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- Four 6 ounce ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel - for $2.50 a pop they're a steal)
INGREDIENTS
Fruit
- 1 lb peaches (about 3 or 4)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest (preferably pesticide free)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries frozen)
Topping
- 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (diced into cubes)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of boiling water, dunk the peaches in for about 30 seconds. Remove and immediately dunk in a bowl of cold water and remove after 30 seconds. Peel the skin off (it should slide off in large pieces very easily). Cut into 1" wedges.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the topping and using the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until mixture resembles small peas. Using a fork, break up any large pieces. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a pastry cutter instead.
- Place the ramekins on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into the ramekins in an even layer. Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit, one table at a time, until the fruit is evenly covered. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature, scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.
