It’s July on Mercer Island, and am I ever going to get to wear a swimsuit without a fleece cover up? Most of us who are not from the Pacific Northwest do not understand that summer does not start here until after Summer Celebration weekend. We all thought at least by July Fourth we would be in sweltering heat, begging for air conditioning.
Summer Celebration on July 9 was a lot of fun. There is the best neighborhood parade, including the pug and golden retrievers on show. The clowns and the youth organizations are always great about tossing candy to the kids on the side of the street. Also, let’s not forget the fireworks show at Luther Burbank Park on the North end.
You can tell a real Pacific Northwest person because they wear sox with their keens, and flip flops with fleece. By July, I am begging for heat, sun and beach weather. I always go out to purchase khakis and white shirts or white jeans, hoping for that crisp summer look. Instead, I make a berry crisp.
One of the most beautiful things about the Pacific Northwest is the bounty of berries that grow right outside our doorsteps. I never knew that berries grew wild and you can eat them right from the picking. In July the raspberries and blueberries are in season. The blueberry crisp recipe that I like to use came from a dear friend who is from Minnesota. What I like about this recipe is that you can use any combination of berries depending on what is in season. Plus, this is incredibly easy. You can adjust the amount of sugar that you use depending on how sweet your fresh berries are. You can use frozen berries, but make sure you are able to drain the extra fluid as the berries thaw. This crisp also freezes well to save for the fall and winter months.
Blueberry Crisp
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour (white)
½ cup oatmeal (quick cooking)
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 – ½ cup butter (I like to use ½ cup)
4 pints (8 cups) blueberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, use an 8×8 Pyrex dish (glass).
1. Clean fruit.
2. Place prepared fruit on bottom of pan, sprinkle with a tad of white sugar and cinnamon.
3. Mix crisp ingredients together and sprinkle on top — lightly flatten.
4. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown on top.
5. Serve warm or cold with ice cream.
6. If you would like to freeze this crisp, cool completely, cover with foil and place in your freezer.
Berries cook down, so adding more is better than less. Some berries also have a lot of juice, and you may want to put a cookie sheet under your Pyrex dish so that the juices from the berries do not make a mess in your oven.
