August 2012 - Beyond Sweet and Savory

In a blink of an eye, July was gone. I felt cheated. Summer is almost over. I am savoring all the fruits of summer, particularly berries. Strawberries. Raspberries. Currants.

Strawberries and raspberries are abundant in summer while currants, whether red, white, or champagne, have a short season, appearing for a brief time in July. If you get lucky, you might catch them in August.

To celebrate these wonderful berries, I am tossing together a crumble. The fragrant of berries bursting with juices permeated the kitchen.

Vu and I were in for a treat. It was our first time tasting a crumble. Our only regret was the missing ice cream. Vanilla ice cream would have been perfect. We’ll have to try the crumble with ice cream next time. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Summer Berries Crumble (adapted from Ripe by Nigel Slater)

For the filling

1 cup of currants (red, white, or champagne)

2 cup of strawberries, hulled and diced

2 cups of raspberries

½ cup sugar

For the crumble

8 tbsps unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup almond meal (ground almond)

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup turbinado sugar
3 tbsps water

1. Preheat the over to 350˚F.

2. Toss the fruits and sugar in a overproof dish.

3. With your fingers or using a food processor, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

4. Stir in the almonds, turbinado sugar, and rolled oats.

5. Shake the water over the crumble mixture.

6. Pour the crumble over the sugar fruits and bake for an hour, until the fruit juice bubbles through the crust.

7. Let it cool for 15 minutes and serve with ice cream.

Can you believe half of August is over? It’s been a bit quiet here because I’ve been working an average of 50-60 hours a week. On my days off, I try to catch up on my sleep. Even with my busy schedule, I try not to miss the farmers markets. Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite vendors from both the Hillcrest Farmers Market and Little Italy Mercato.

Every weekend, Vu and I look forward to the sea urchins and oysters at Poppa’s Fresh Fish. The sea urchins are brought in by local divers the morning of the market and couldn’t be more fresh. The oysters are sweet and refreshing.

And of course, Mark, the big boss behind Poppa’s Fresh Fish, is one of the friendliest vendors we have ever met.

Another favorite vendor of mine is Suzie’s Farm. They always have a huge selection of vegetables whether it’s romanesco, heirloom tomatoes, or Mexican sour Gherkin cucumber.