Quadruple Berry Crisp

Who doesn’t love summer berries?  Whether they are eaten out of hand, or simmered into a sauce or jam, or cooked into an oozy sweet dessert, I don’t think I could choose a favorite berry. With this simple crisp, you don’t have to choose – invite them all in, and nestle them under a blanket of sweet and crumbly topping. If you would prefer to use any of the stone fruit that are in season right now – apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums – go for it.  You can also combine stone fruit and berries to great success – peaches and blueberries and nectarines and raspberries are terrific.

This crisp is best enjoyed warm from the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into it. If you don’t want the ice cream, a bit of light cream or milk drizzled over top is nice as well.

Quadruple Berry Crisp

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering the dish

1 ½ lbs of mixed berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and hulled and chopped strawberries

Zest from ½ organic lemon

¼ cup raw sugar

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour/all-purpose flour, divided

¼ cup dark brown sugar

¾ cup oats, old-fashioned or quick-cooking

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or 9-inch pie plate. (I prefer to use pyrex or ceramic rather than metal.)

Pour berries into the buttered dish and sprinkle with lemon zest, raw sugar and ¼ cup of flour. Toss lightly until combined.

Stir together oats, brown sugar and remaining flour. Cut butter into oat mixture with a pastry blender, 2 knives or even your hands until you end up with well-combined lumps. Spread topping evenly over berries.

Bake until top is golden brown and berries are bubbling with juice, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a splash of light cream or milk.