DRIVING ALONG M-22 IN MID-AUGUST allows many opportunities for discovering small roadside produce stands. Their homemade signs announce the availability of fruits and veggies and my watchful eyes seek out those hand-painted signs in late summer.
This week the one I came upon spelled out P-E-A-C-H-E-S.
Hooray!
When peaches are in season that means one thing to me. It is time to make a Peach Crisp.
My toppings have changed over the years and I now settle for a rolled oat & pecan mix that begs for a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream after it has cooled from the oven. A dessert does not get much better than this seasonal fruit delight.
Bob’s Peach Crisp
Use a quart-size ramekin that will hold about 6 peeled and sliced peaches.
In a mixing bowl combine the peaches with
1 TBS of lemon juice
1/3 cup of sugar
1-2 TBS of cornstarch
¼ tsp of vanilla extract
Dash of salt
Place the processed peaches in the bottom of a buttered ramekin
In the now empty mixing bowl make the topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped pecans (any nut works!)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
½ stick of soft butter
Process with a spoon and your fingers, making a mixed crumble and sprinkle over the top of the peach slices.
Bake the crisp for about 35 minutes in a 350 F oven until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles. Remove from the oven, and let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Bob’s note
This photo was taken by me while I was waiting for a young family to complete their purchase at a stand outside of Empire. The stand is small and social distancing dictated having the whole place to yourself. I wandered into the nearby orchard while I waited my turn with my iPhone in hand and captured this shot of hanging peaches. This photo captures the farm-to-table movement that we are so thankful to be part of in northwest Michigan.