When I first moved to LA thirteen years ago, one of my first jobs was manning a stall at four different farmer’s markets selling raw cheddar. It was a fairytale of a summer. On Sunday mornings, I was flanked between the fig/berry stand and the peach farmer directly across from a live bluegrass band. As we sat back and listened to some toe-tapping tunes, we snacked on fresh fruit and chatted about life.
Now my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning is jumping out of bed, lacing up my Converse and heading down the block to my neighborhood farmer’s market. I head straight to the organic white tent to see what is in season at the moment. As the days turn longer, I know that peaches, nectarines & plums will be aplenty. Leading into summer, my favorite harvest is stone fruit season.
Although eating a RAW, ripe, organic sweet nectarine is so decadent and delicious, when I bake, I love to cook fruit into my desserts. I find that fresh organic fruit is so naturally sweet that there is no need for a lot of sugar. Every single time I visit my oldest sister, she knows that I can’t leave Texas without eating her fresh-baked apple crisp. This recipe is a modification of her delicious crave-worthy crisp. I make it gluten-free, but it can also be made vegan. I’ve tried alterations using many different kinds of fruit. The more ripe the fruit is, the more sweet it will be. If experimenting with this recipe to make it your own, keep in mind that nectarines are super sweet versus plums that are less so, versus granny smith apples that are tart. I modify the amount of brown sugar used depending upon the fruit. Taste a raw slice of whatever fruit you are baking. If its more tart, use 1/2 cup of brown sugar. If it’s sweeter, use less. The fruit will release more natural sugars as it bakes.
Nectarine Crisp
Serves 10-12
Prep: 15-20 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 Nectarines (medium ripe)
- 2 & 2/3 cups Gluten Free Oats
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 10 Tbs. Butter or Margarine (room temp)
**Make sure your butter is left out on the counter so that it will be room temp by the time you mix the topping.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel nectarines. Slice the nectarine from the seed. Sometimes the flesh of the fruit sticks to the seed. Using a pairing knife, cut thick slices away from the core cutting around the seed.
Lay the nectarine slices evenly in a 9 x 13 inch pan. (You can half the recipe for an 8 x 8 pan.)
For the delicious crispy topping, you’ll need to make an oat flour. Puree 2/3 cup of the oats in a food processor or Vita Mix. Combine the remaining 2 cups of whole oats with the oat flour, brown sugar and butter. (It’s important that your butter is room temp.) With a spoon or your hands, mix the topping until all of the butter and sugar are evenly integrated. Layer the topping evenly over the nectarines.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve warm and top with your favorite organic or vegan ice cream for dessert! Or you can add a dollop of Greek yogurt for a special breakfast. Violá, my favorite stone fruit crisp!
BON APPÉTIT!
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Recipe by Sarah Prikryl & Mary Rychetsky // Words & Photography by Sarah Prikryl
Contributing photograph of Sarah by: Adrienne Rusk
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