Gastropost: Just Peachy - Summer crumble

 We are super lucky this summer since peach season has started early. Thanks to our super hot & sticky summer no doubt a direct cause of global warming. At least it's good for something - yes I'm looking on the bright and sarcastic side of things. This local array of fruit makes a delightful summer crumble which is easy as pie to make... well easier cause it's crumble - pies reliable & modest cousin. One of my all time favorite desserts that really needs no measuring, just love and a scoop of ice cream doesn't hurt either.

INGREDIENTS: 

peaches - rough chopped 

blueberries - whole 

yellow plums - rough chopped

honey or sugar or maple syrup for sweetening 

cardamom - a pinch 

cinnamon - a pinch 

salt - a pinch 

butter - handful chopped

flour - a few spoonfuls 

oats - a few handfuls 

love - as much as you can part with 

PREP: Pre heat oven to 350. 

FILLING: Chop fruits adding a few spoonfuls of something sweet to the fruit mixture, 2 spoonfuls of flour, pinch cardamom. Mix well.

TOPPING: Combine chopped butter, cinnamon, spoonful of flour, handful of oats & some more something sweet (few spoonfuls of honey is nice)

BAKE: Spread topping over filling and bake for 45 mins. 

SERVE: Warm with vanilla ice cream

ENJOY!

Gastropost: Chill out treat = watermelon slushy

I don't know what it's been like in your neck of the woods, but in Toronto it's been a scorching summer. Pretty stunning actually, with a few periods of extreme heat and humidity conveniently when the AC in my building wasn't working (obviously). Torontonians are funny about the weather, maybe it's even Canadians in general but we complain no matter what. It's too hot, it's too cold, it's too dry, it's too rainy - we find fault in every season. For my second GASTROPOST I'm going to let you in on a delicious heat wave treat - The Watermelon Slushy. I recently saw a recipe like this somewhere I don't remember where but I remember the easy details... freeze watermelon & blend was the gist of it. For my version add some lime, mint, a splash of white rum if you're of the age and feeling frisky and voilà a perfect chill out beverage. 

INGREDIENTS:
seedless watermelon - cubed & frozen
1 - 2 limes juiced
mint leaves or basil - for garnish
pinch of fresh cracked pepper
1.5 oz (per 1 cup of slush) white Jamaican rum

Per 1 cup of frozen watermelon add 1 juiced lime. Blend on low until the slushy consistency is to your liking, about a minute. If you are lucky enough to have a Breville blender there is actually a "shave" setting which is perfect for this. 

End of the weekend blueberry loaf with meyer lemon glaze

I hope you all had a great weekend, mine has been very relaxing spending time with my family for my dads 56th birthday. We had dinner at his place last night and I made a few dips and a blueberry loaf that caught my eye on one of my favorite blogs Eat Yourself Skinny.  I promised a weekend post and I thought this blueberry loaf would be a wonderful treat - I made a few changes to the original recipe (Adapted from Joy of Baking) and the cake turned out splendid. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - I used 1/2 stone ground whole wheat

1 tsp. baking powder

6 Tbsp salted butter, room temperature (if using unsalted butter add 1/4 tsp of salt)

3/4 cup organic demerara sugar (cane sugar)

2 large eggs - room temp.

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cardamom 

2 meyer lemons - zested 

1/2 cup light cream

1 cup fresh blueberries

FOR GLAZE: Just whisk the two together until smooth

about 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

juice form 2 meyer lemons

PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.  Grease a 8inch square pan.  In a spouted large measuring cup combine sifted flour, baking powder, cardamom & salt. In a standing mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer combine sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla & lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while incorporating the flour and cream. You want to add 1/3 of the flour then 1/2 the cream and repeat by adding another 1/3 of the flour and the rest of the cream finishing with the flour. Then gently fold in blueberries. 

BAKE: At 350 for 35 mins until slightly golden on top. Let the cake rest for 5 mins before removing from the pan, then drizzle with lemon glaze. 

 I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much I did. Chow for now. xo j.

Blueberry white chocolate drop biscuits with concord grape coulis and vanilla ice cream

This is one seriously delicious dessert! The last time I made it I took it to a friends house and it blew everyones socks off. Well not literally. The concord grape coulis is to die for. I used it for weeks on everything from peanut butter sandwiches, to yogurt even in salad dressing and it elevated each dish to entirely new heights. Next fall I'm going to make a freezer full of the stuff to last the entire winter. 
INGREDIENTS: 
For the biscuits: 
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup chopped good quality cold white chocolate
4 oz chopped ice cold butter 
1 large egg
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp cardamom 

1 lemon zested
3/4 cup butter milk
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt


Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, salt and sugar. Then incorporate the butter by rubbing between your fingers, until the mixture resemble large crumbs. You can also pulse gently in a Cuisinart. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and then add to the flour mixture. Fold the mixture just to incorporate, handle the dough as little as possible - to not melt the butter. Coat the blueberries and chocolate in flour before adding them to the batter, then pat everything into biscuit shape and drop on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with buttermilk, egg wash or melted butter before placing in the oven. Bake for 15 - 20 mins  until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Serve biscuits warm. 

For the Concord grape coulis: 1 pint of washed concord grapes

drizzle olive oil
1-2 tbs cane sugar - depending on how sweet/ sour the grapes are
2 tbsp pectin
pinch of salt

pinch of clove 

Method: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

On a parchment lined baking sheet place grapes with a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt. Bake for 5-8 mins, until the grapes blister. Transfer grapes to a sieve over a sauce pan and  squish the liquid out of the grapes, discard the seeds and skin. Then bring the mixture to a boil with sugar, and whisk in pectin. Continue to boil for 2 mins then turn off the heat and let cool at room temp. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Serve cold for best flavor. 

Serve: Scoop of vanilla ice cream (would also work with almond or maple) in a small bowl then place the warm biscuit on top with a generous drizzle of the grape coulis. Bonne appetit! 

Orchard Crumble

The end of summer means the most amazing peaches, nectarines, pears and plums. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these delicious pitted fruits are in a crumble. It's a super simple dessert and will never disappoint! You can use any combination of nuts, brown sugar, oats maple syrup butter/ oil you want for the topping. This dessert is extremely forgiving! There is very little measuring involved so all of you fellow Tomato Snobs should be able to do your own experimenting when trying out the recipe. Oh yes you must not forget vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt when serving, it's an absolute must.  The crumble is best served warm.  
INGREDIENTS: For the filling
4 peaches - de-pitted & chopped

4 nectarines - de-pitted & chopped 
6 red plums - de-pitted & chopped
6 yellow plums - de-pitted & chopped
4 black plums - de-pitted & chopped
1/2 tsp cardamom 
1/2 lemon zested
2 tbs graham flour (or any flour) 
2 tbs or more - cane sugar or brown sugar or whatever sweetener you like
For the Topping 
2 1/2 - 3 cups or old fashioned oats 
1/2 cup chopped pistachios 
1/2 cup cold butter (chopped) or grape seed oil 
1/2 cup honey 
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
pinch of salt
PREP: Pre heat your oven to 350. You may leave the skins on the fruit or if you wish to remove it cut an x in the bottom of each fruit. Bring a big pot of water to boil, drop the fruit in the boiling water for 30 seconds or so, then transfer them into a bath of ice cold water - the skin should easily peel off. Mix all of the filling ingredients together. The topping can be made by pulsating in a cuisinart, or just mash it up between your fingers. 
BAKE: In a buttered baking dish transfer all the filling, then pour the topping in an evenly distributed layer. Bake at 350 for 45 mins or so. 
SERVE: warm with ice cream or fro yo.