Fruits of Our Labor

Summer, the best time to enjoy fruit.  Not only is it "in season", but it also just tastes better, looks better, and who doesn't love a watermelon with their bbq cook out? I know I do.
A great summer dessert, besides just a big bowl of your favorite fruits sprinkled with some sugar, mint and a little lemon vodka, are crisps.  Crisps are a great summer dessert because you can really use anything; well also most anything, I wouldn't use melon... the idea of cooked melon doesn't sound pleasant.  The other night, I made Georgia peach and blueberry crisps with a lavender sugar oat topping.  The one bonus of living alone is that you can make a bunch of something and freeze the extras.  Because I made my crisps in individual size, but of course you can make crisps for a crowd easily in a large ceramic dish or glass pyrex, I can now have the extras whenever I want a fruit dessert!  Besides being one of the the simplest desserts to make, crisps enhance the flavor of the fruit and a big dollop of ice cream on top never hurt anyone.
Here are a list of fruits that are great for crisps:
Peach - white or yellow
Blueberry
Raspberry
Strawberry
Blackberry
Apple - whatever apples you like to use when you make apple pie
Cranberry
Pear
Pineapple
Mango
Banana
Plum
Nectarine
Cherry
I am sure there a few more fruits but these are a good start.  For crisps, I think it's best if you choose 2 or more fruits, otherwise if it's just 1 fruit - it's like a pie minus the pastry crust and you want a CRISP!
Ok so now that you've chosen your fruit (like yellow Georgia peaches and Blueberries) you can start mixing together the other ingredients for the filling.  Depending on the fruit, please peal is necessary -either use lemon or lime juice & zest, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, all-purpose flour (the flour mixes with the fruit juices and creates a thick sauce inside the crisp) and optional - a spice like cinnamon.  Mix all these ingredients together in 1 bowl.
In a second bowl, mix together lightly pulsed oats, flour, granulated or light brown sugar, spice (in my peach & blueberry, I used a fancy lavender sugar) again like cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and butter (the butter shouldn't be refrigerator cold but not room temp either). Combine these ingredients until the butter has clumped with the flour, oats, and sugar.
Spray with Pam for Baking or butter the inside of baking ceramic bowls or a glass pyrex for a big crowd.  Place on a baking sheet for just in case purpose of over spills.  Put the fruit 3/4 up the pan and top with crumble.  Bake in a 350 - 375 degree oven until lightly brown and fruit is bubbly and hot; + / - 25 mins.
Enjoy your crisp with some old fashion vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor.  If cooking individuals and there are extras, let cook completely to room temp before wrapping with both clear plastic and aluminum foil, label, and put in the freezer.  When you want to eat it again, reheat either in the oven - take the plastic off but leave the foil on, or in the microwave (please take off both plastic & foil, you don't want a fruit bomb) and enjoy again!
Think of it this way, not only are you using up the fruit in your house and in season, but you're also eating a healthy dessert.  And if you're like me, you can't resist some sweets at the end of a meal.