Strawberry Peach Crumble

Finally. I’ve stewed over starting this blog for-EV-er. Like seriously, forever. And I think know it’s time to cut the procrastination crap and just jump in.

One of the biggest motivators in doing this is the fact that I now live in San Francisco. A MILLION miles away from most of my dearest people (ok, that’s dramatic, but it feels like it). I’m used to sharing life’s fun discoveries with my peeps on the reg and as much as I try to keep up with everyone on the phone it just isn’t the same/enough. As an obsessive blog follower myself I’ve always been curious to give it a shot…how hard can it be?! Well, I guess there is no better way to find out than to get going and see how it rolls.

A Touch of Lovely won’t come as a shocking title for anyone who knows me. And since the 5 or so people reading this (mom, sisters, mom-in-law, KBB) all know me pretty well I’d say it’s safe to say you’ve all heard me throw out my favorite word a time or two in the past. To me the word lovely is so effortless, simple, and heart warming. A lot for a little word. I don’t know, it just resonates with me. It’s funny, I find myself thinking about it with the things that make me most happy…exploring new places, cooking a meal for a friend, decorating my home and of course the relationships and interactions I have with people in my life. So, A Touch of Lovely it is.

Now, where the hell do I start?…how about with food? A shocking suggestion, I know.

I love (read: am obsessed with) food. Trying new recipes, sharing tried and true staples, hitting up the neighborhood farmers market, discovering a new restaurant with friends…all of it makes my happy list. While I usually try to keep it fresh, local, in season and healthy sometimes you just need to treat your Game of Thrones loving (read: obsessing) husband to a sweet treat during his favorite show. As I mentioned above I am an avid blog reader and Smitten Kitchen is most definitely a go to for a solid recipe. No testing required you just know it will be good. Well, yeah…this was like WHOA. So good. Jimmy proclaimed it the best dessert I’ve ever made and I have to say I might agree. Easy. Delicious. And a crowd pleaser. That’s a tried and true recipe in my book.

Strawberry and Peach Crumble, adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

I used gluten-free flour and frozen peaches (since I couldn’t find rhubarb anywhere…wtf, it’s in season, get it together Cali!) and the crumble was sticky, sweet and incredible with a scoop of sweet cream ice cream on top. Ok now I’m drooling….haha, enjoy!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

For the topping:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw)
Zest of one lemon
1/4 pound (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 quart strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch (some commenters found the flour option a little too, well, floury so this has been updated)
Pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Prepare filling: Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (I used an oval dish this time, because they fit better in the bottom of a shopping bag.)

3. Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping. Place pie plate on a (foil-lined, if you really want to think ahead) baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.