This is the perfect dessert for this time of year.   Late summer.   We are just getting to the end of the strawberries and the Blueberries and raspberries are at their best.   Let's get ready to crumble!!

 
I actually used frozen blueberries and strawberries for this.  Our blueberry bushes are not really producing this year for some reason.  We are getting only a berry or two at a time.  We need to change something obviously.  Any advice? Our strawberries are long since done, but I had frozen berries.  So what I did was I just gently mixed them with the raspberries and put them into the oven for about 10 minutes before I added the remaining ingredients. You could also add blackberries.


 
The topping has just the right amount of buttery and crispness . . .  part of it sinks down into the fruit thickening the juices.  It's just delightful.   Especially when served up with dollops of clotted cream.   All that rich cream melting down into the fruit and buttery crumble.   Oh so moreishly scrumptious.  We quite, quite love this.


80g sugar (scant half cup) 


 Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.

Butter a six cup deep casserole dish.  Gently mix the berries and pour them into the dish.  Scatter the white chocolate bits over top.

 
Measure the flour and sugar into a bowl.  Drop in the butter.  Rub it into the dry mixture with your finger tips until the mixture resembles dry bread crumbs.  Sprinkle this evenly over top of the fruit. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling up.   Serve warm with or without lashings of cream! 


We actually had ours with clotted cream.  In for a penny, in for a pound and all that!  Bon Appetit!

This recipe has been making the rounds.  I saw a video of it on Facebook, but it is a recipe I have been baking for years.  What is that they say?  There is nothing new under the sun.


It is really quite good and is one of those cakes that gets even better upon standing.  I also make another one which is more like a spice loaf.  That one has nuts in it.  You can find it here.  It makes two delicious loaves. One to keep and one to give away.


I also do a really tasty Lime and cardamom version, that is nice, cut into slices and sandwiched together with buttercream.  You can find that recipe here.


This one today is a basic lemon drizzle loaf, highly flecked with green and moist and delicious with plenty of lemon flavour . . .  both in the batter  . . .


And then with that lucious lemon drizzle glaze that you pour over the top of it . . .


It wouldn't be summer without a few zucchini loaves baking in the oven.  In fact when the courgettes/zucchini are coming in fast and furious, I like to grate them and freeze them in 1 cup size packs, ready to use all the winter through.  You know it makes sense . . .




Preheat the oven to 180*C./350*C/ gas mark 4.  Butter aa medium loaf tin really well, or line with a loaf tin liner paper. (They are like cupcake liners, except large enough to line a loaf tin.)

Whisk together the sugar, courgettes, oil, egg, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl.  Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt.  Add all at once to the courgette mixture and stir together just to combine.  Spoon into the prepared loaf tin.

Bake for 50 to 55 m inutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.

Once it is cold, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cake.  Allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.


What is your favourite way to use zucchini/courgettes?  I also like to use them in savoury casseroles.  they make great gratins!  Bon Appetit!

My little old ladies soup was more of a chowder in flavour, but rich and creamy.  This has more of a Tex Mex savour to it, but is also rich and creamy.

 

I love this time of year when we blessed enough to be enjoying an abundance of fresh local produce!  I grew my own tomatoes this year and I have to say I did a really great job of it!  (Not to brag or anything!)  I took advantage of some of them, as well as some which I bought to make up the difference, to make a delicious homemade crock-pot marinara sauce.

There is no dessert that Todd loves more than a good crumble.   Apple.  Blueberry.   Strawberry rhubarb . . . if it has crumble in the name, Todd loves it.  Well, maybe not as much as the memory of his mother's apple pies, but almost!

Back in my younger years when my children were growing up I used to make a ton of pickles every year to satisfy the family.  I used to can about 52 quarts of Dill Pickles a year alone, along with pickled beets, relishes, chows, chutneys etc.  And jams and jellies too.  It all got eaten.  It's not practical anymore for me to do any of that stuff with just the two of us in the house.  It would never ever get eaten.   i get a magazine every couple of month from the heart association and there are always some recipes in it that are quite healthy. These pickles came from the latest issue.  They are more  like small pickled vegetable salads, feeding just two people, but they're great!  There are four different versions!