Recipe: Blueberry Spice Crumble

Blueberries!

Memorial Day and blueberries, two welcome harbingers of summer, coincided for us last weekend. We  took a drive north on the 101 past Gaviota to Santa Barbara Blueberries, where the Little One and I had our first experience of picking fresh, truly ripe blueberries. (My husband also went, but he picked blueberries as a child himself.)
Honestly, it was a revelation. I somehow had not experienced fresh blueberries until I was an adult, associating them with the shriveled, syrupy things that come in cans with muffin mix. I was surprised then at how tangy and very sweet they can be, with such a pleasing toothsome texture. Last weekend surprise rose to the next level, and I was practically dumbfounded by the food euphoria of fresh-picked, warm-from-the-sun, plinking-in-your-bucket, dripping-off-the-bush blueberry goodness. Some of the berries we picked were as big around as quarters, and we popped them in our mouths like candy. Little One couldn't stand a minute without berries in both fists.

Did everyone else already know about this, and it was just me who was oblivious?

What I know now is, this was a first but will certainly become a much-anticipated yearly tradition. At $17 for a 2.5 pound bucket it seems a bit pricey, but for these berries (plus all we ate in the field) it was well worth it. Not to mention the sunshine, the oak trees, the other children and parents ducking among the rows, and memories of the children's book Blueberries for Sal. My daughter took to it right away -- the first of many learning adventures for her about where food comes from. I could not have asked for a better opening to what is sure to be a fine summer.

So, on to the recipe. We've been snacking on fresh berries at almost every meal. I also squirreled some into some cornbread muffins. But what I've been longing for is warm blueberry crumble, and tonight I made it. The topping is one my mother has made for decades, whose origin is unknown to me, and the filling is heavily influenced by the Spiced Blueberry Pie recipe in The Sunset Cookbook. Black pepper and cloves? Yes please, all the better when I pair it with some Ethan Grenache I've been saving.

BLUEBERRY SPICE CRUMBLE 

Preheat oven to 350° and butter an 8" x 8" baking dish.

For the fruit, stir together:

• 6 c. of fresh blueberries
• 1/4 c. each flour, granulated white sugar, and light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. each salt and cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. each black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves

For the crumble topping, mix together with pastry blender until crumbly:

• 1 c. (2 cubes) softened unsalted butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• Dash of salt

Pour the fruit into the baking dish, and spread the topping evenly over it. Bake 45 minutes at 350°. (If your dish is anywhere near overflowing, you might put an old baking sheet below it in the over to catch any drips.)

To satisfy my summery craving, I served mine with candied lemon slices, which are approximately the easiest thing in the world to make.


CANDIED LEMON

Stir together one cup of sugar and one cup of water in a heavy saucepan and bring to boil. Add one or two thinly sliced lemons. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour. (Bonus: after removing the lemon, we saved the remaining syrup for some homemade soda!)

Enjoy, happy summer time to you, and thanks for reading.