Kiwi and Berry Crumble

Berries are still in season, so I thought I would start my blog by sharing one of my all-time favorite recipes: Kiwi and Berry Crumble.

It comes from Sweet Onions and Sour Cherries: A Cookbook for Market Day by Jeannette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer.  The book devotes each chapter to a different fruit or vegetable and provides interesting information about how to choose each, its culinary history, nutritional value and then, of course, recipes.  I’ve had my copy since 1995 or so and still find it useful.

Kiwi and Berry Crumble comes from the chapter on kiwi and reads as follows:

1½ cups chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
6 kiwis, peeled and diced
4 cups berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish.

Combine 1 cup of walnuts with the flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and the brown sugar.  With your fingertips, work the butter into the mixture until it forms coarse crumbs.  In another bowl, combine the kiwi with the berries, remaining ½ cup walnuts and ¼ cup sugar, and the lemon juice.  Place the fruit in the baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture over all.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown.  Serve warm, with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

I use blueberries and basically follow the recipe as written, except

I prefer lime juice over lemon juice;

I don’t dice the kiwis.  I like bigger pieces, so I slice the kiwis lengthwise and then slice them into “half-moons”;

I use a pastry blender to work the butter into the topping;

and I eliminate the second mixing bowl and just mix the fruit directly in the baking dish.  It saves washing at least one dish and has never caused a problem with the taste or consistency.

Also, the recipe recommends whipped cream, but obviously vanilla ice cream in the summer and milk in the winter are delicious partners.

This dessert has sugary sweet, buttery rich, tangy tartness all in one.  I have served it at barbecues and dinners.  It is always a hit and feeds closer to 10 people than the suggested 6-8.

I hope that a big part of my blog will be about experimenting around the house and kitchen and garden. But usually understanding the basics empowers me to be more creative in the long run.

Sweet Onions and Sour Cherries is especially helpful because it provides equivalents for individual fruits and vegetables.  This recipe calls for 6 kiwis.  Each kiwi is about ½ cup of peeled fruit.  6 kiwis = 3 cups. But I could easily replace the kiwis for peaches or nectarines.  One pound of stone fruits usually yields 2 cups.  So I just need 1½ lbs of peaches or nectarines to make 3 cups and a whole new dessert!

Hope you give it a try yourself.