Last Minute Four of July Crisp

I really did not have anything planned for the 4th of July,except making homemade quinoa mac-n-cheese for the kids. (Which they did not eat,but Mark and I ate). So I decide to go to the farmer’s market and see what I could find. There were soooo many choices it was hard to narrow things down,but I finally decided on green beans sauteed with mushrooms,onions,and garlic. Also,we decided to BBQ the flank steak we got from our Grass Fed Beef using the left over Bourbon Marinade from father’s day that I had jarred. And how could I come home without some stone fruit! I picked up 1.5 pounds of cherries (organic),1.5 pounds of yellow peaches (organic),and 7 pounds of apricots (pesticide free) all for less than $12! So I decided to make two stone fruit crisps:one for us and one for the local fire department. The 4th of July is such a hard time to be a fireman (or firewoman). I like to try to take something on all the holidays,but we never miss Christmas and the 4th of July. So I recruited the kids to help and we all took it over together! The kids (all of us) got a tour of the fire station. I think every fire house I have been in has a room full of LazyBoys facing a TV! It was a lot of fun. Then we came home and had a little fireworks of our own. Claire opted to watch and give instructions from inside,while Ross covered his ears and couldn’t wait for the next one!

Stone Fruit Crisp

Ingredients for the topping:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp Turbano sugar
• 6 oz cold butter,cubed
• 1/4-1/2 cup crystalized ginger,chopped

Ingredients for the filling:

• 4.5 pound cherries,peaches,and apricots,pitted and chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Turbano sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a food processor,combine the 1 and 1/2 cup of flour and sugar. Add the cold butter until the mixture looks like wet sand. It should still crumble. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times. Add more flour if the mixture is too pasty.
3. Take the topping mixture out of the processor and mix in the chopped crystalized ginger with your hands. Try not to over kneed the mixture,keep it light. Set aside.
4. Combine all the fruit in a bowl and mix in the sugar and flour. Let stand until gets moist.
5. Put the mixture in to two sprayed 9×9 casserole dishes.
6. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of both dishes.
7. Put in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are bubbling with thick juice.
8. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving,while still warm.

Note:Claire got a little over zealous with the topping and I think I did not have enough butter to flour ratio,so the top was not browning. After I thought they were cooked enough,I placed the oven on broil and set them on the bottom rack,just to brown the tops a little.

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!