Peaches arrived at my farmers' market in June and they came as they always do, like a flood. One Saturday there are maybe a few crates of peaches, and the next tables overflow with stone fruits—nectarines, three kinds of plums, and juicy apricots. Many times I stand paralyzed, unable to decide what to fill my bags with for the week, but on a recent visit I had already decided on peaches destined to bake and bubble underneath a tender crumb of oats, pistachios, and sugar.
I've been drinking tea from August Uncommon Tea this season, and one of its summer releases is called Dark Iris, a rich oolong with notes of peach, lime, and pistachio. I first sipped it while interviewing these fine folks for Issue 6 of Life & Thyme. They are my favorite kind of people—passionate, welcoming, and creative. We had the best morning tasting tea and talking about boiling temperatures, flavors, and the modern tea revolution.
When I chose peaches as the theme for July's food haiku contest, I knew I wanted to create a recipe inspired by the flavors of this irresistible tea. This dessert made its way to a dinner party a couple of weeks back and I came home with nothing left but a few dried scraps of crumble around the rim of the baking dish, so I'd say it went over well.
And let's get to the contest, shall we? Congratulations are in order for Helen McLaughlin, whose powerful haiku cuts straight to the heart, and won over Eat This Poem voters!
PEACH & PISTACHIO CRUMBLE
I use this crumble topping interchangeably with stone fruit this time of year. It goes wonderfully well alongside apricots, plums, or nectarines.
Serves 6 to 8
For the peaches
4 pounds peaches
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the crumble
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pistachios (divided and chopped)
1 cup whole-grain flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Core and dice peaches into 1 to 2-inch pieces, then place them in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and lemon juice; stir to combine. Pour the filling into a large baking dish.
Pulse the oats, 1/2 cup of the pistachios, and flour in a high speed blender until finely ground; pour into a bowl. Add the sugar, salt, melted butter, and remaining 1/2 cup pistachios. Stir until moist clumps form. Scatter the topping over the plums and nudge it around with your fingers until well covered. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden. Serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
