Monday, July 27, 2009

blackberry season


The woods in Maine are full of wild blackberry bushes, and when I was a kid I used to pick them and sell them on the side of the road. My niece, who is not quite so entrepreneurial (but none the less practical), remarked last summer that blackberries are great, because if you are playing and you get hungry you can stop and have a snack.

Here's my favorite thing to do with blackberries (and I should point out that my measurements are never quite exact!):

Apple Blackberry Crisp

Filling:
3-5 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
a handful of blackberries
1/4 cup sugar

Topping (taken from the Quaker Oats lid):
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour

Toss the sliced apples with sugar and place in an 8-inch square baking dish. Add blackberries (do not mix them in with the apples or they will break). Combine topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the fruit. Bake at 350° for 30-35 mins, or until apples are tender.

5 comments:

greer said...

My grandmother has big bushes of blackberries right by the outdoor shower at the beach. They make a perfect post-beach nibble! Thanks for the recipe!

Inkslinger said...

Mmm . . . lovely! I'll have to try this. Sounds delicious.

Picking blackberries always reminds me of my mum whose blackberry adventures included sharing bushes with a lazy (thankfully) black bear.

home before dark said...

The blackberries with their hint of rose (brought out of the color of the cloth) are a Dutch treat for the eyes. I envy you Maine childhood. (Is there a Maine book in you?)

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

is there a wine pairing you could suggest?

Janet said...

Honestly, I think any sweet Muscat would be fabulous. One of my favorites is the Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glaciere, which is pretty widely available.

https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/