Navajo Peach Crumble

I bought a bag of Anselma Mill’s (www.anselmamill.org) cornmeal at the Phoenixville Farmer’s Market – to be more specific, it was a 2-pound bag of stone ground dark roasted cornmeal. I will be trying some of this in a savory polenta once the weather turns cooler– but for now, I was inspired to make a summer fruit dessert.

I had some ripe peaches from Frecon Farms (www.freconfarms.com) that had journeyed to and from a daytrip to Philadelphia, uneaten but a bit worse for the wear.  I also had some local blueberries that I had frozen a month or so ago begging to be used, so I turned to a trusted recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts – the Navajo Peach Crumble. The Navajo people tend to their prized peach orchards in the high desert canyons of Arizona. Who knew peaches could grow in such a harsh climate? Cornmeal is a staple in the southwest, as are pine nuts, so they are commonly used in dishes ranging from savory to sweet.

I usually add in berries – you could try blackberries or raspberries instead of blueberries. Nectarines or apricots could stand-in nicely for the peaches. In the fall, I use apples and cranberries instead. If you are adding berries or using apples, you can leave out the pine nuts.

I doubled the amount of topping called for because my peaches were very ripe and overly juicy and the previously frozen blueberries were going to release a lot of juice as well. Double the topping if you like a higher crumble to fruit ratio or if you are using more fruit in a larger pan, say 9x13ish. If you are only using up a small amount of fruit in a smaller pan, say 8x8ish, you can leave the topping quantity alone.

This is a great way to use up those gently bruised stone fruits.

Navajo Peach Crumble 

(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts)

Topping:

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup of raw sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup of cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

Fruit:

3-4 pounds peeled and sliced ripe peaches

1 pint of blueberries, if frozen, do not thaw before using

1/4 - 1/3 cup of raw sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit

1-2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into the mixture with two knives, a pastry blender or by rubbing the mixture between your thumbs and fingers until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in the pine nuts if using, set aside.

Combine the fruit, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon and spread into baking dish. (I avoid using a metal baking dish for this recipe, so that leftovers can be kept in same dish.) Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake until the fruit/juice is bubbling and the topping is golden, about 30 minutes.  Allow to sit for a few moments before serving warm, or at room temperature or even chilled. Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.

It is really lovely served warm with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a bit of cream poured over.