Hike 74: The Crumbling of the Season
September 12, 2011
We’ve thus far caked, cooked and rolled our way towards diabetic ecstasy, and the next logical step is, of course, to crumble.
The blackberry population seems to have peaked. Fall is just around the corner, and an inevitable, rapid decline in their physical state will soon follow. The aged berries will burst and bleed, ferment and fall, die and dry. After hiking I took to the vines and gathered what fruit I could find.
One particular branch held a dense cluster of berries, seemingly untouched by other passing hikers. I, of course, believed the other dim-witted wanderers had simply failed to see what my perceptive eyes found with no trouble at all. I greedily gathered the collections of drupelets and quickly filled my containers. I failed to notice that poison oak grew thick throughout the bush and had proved a deterrent to everyone but me. My stupidity paid off. I escaped unharmed and with buckets of berries.
I win.
The following Blackberry Crumble recipe was a quick and easy way to utilize my harvest. As always, a link to the original recipe can be found below.*
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Earth Balance
Lightly grease a mini loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl sprinkle the blackberries with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour into the pan.
Combine the remaining dry ingredients for the topping and stir well. Add roughly 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance and combine. (Hands work best.) Add until the topping resembles a coarse meal. Dump on top of the berries.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the topping is crisp and the berries are bubbling.
I topped the warm crumble with a generous scoop of Coconut Bliss. If you haven’t tried the aforementioned vegan ice cream, I suggest you do so immediately.
And so ends summer.
300 Hikes 