Dead Fruit Crumble

That has got to be the best post title ever.

Yes, it should be something like "Languishing Fruit Crumble" or "Bruised Fruit Crisp" or simply "Fruit Crumbles to Its Death" which I rather like.  But no.  "Dead Fruit Crumble" will stand, although adding an 's' to the end sort of changes the entire meaning, don't you think?

OK.  The point is that when you have gathered too much fruit and it is starting (or already half on its way) to go bad and is bruised or almost too mushy, you hate to toss it. It's a waste, and we are all too pc to waste food, given all those starving Pagan Babies without pennies in those cans (see former posts on this) and so we need to find a way to make that food yummy enough to eat.  So we make a fruit crumble.  

Anything will go in a crumble.  It is sort of like a crisp, and actually it is exactly like a crisp but the word "crumble" seems more summery than "crisp" which is more autumn-like.  But I digress.  

Cut up any fruit except citrus.  I suppose even melon would work although I have never done melon in a crumble, but go ahead, do it!  Peaches, plums, nectarines, all stone fruit, berries. apples, even hard asian pears.... they all will work. If the fruit is soft, cut them in sort of larger pieces.  If they are crunchy, like those stubborn asian pears, cut them smaller.  Toss them with a little sugar if you want, but it's usually not necessary.  I grate a little fresh nutmeg on the fruit and add pinch of salt; mix up, put in a baking dish. Blend together some butter and brown sugar, maybe half cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, then add some flour and oats, perhaps a generous total of a cup together, mix (do all the mixing with your fingers) and it should be sort of clumpy.  Sprinkle the clumps on the fruit and bake for about 30-40 minutes til the clumps are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.  That's it.  The exact measurements don't matter that much.  Eat with plain yogurt, yogurt mixed with a little honey or vanilla ice cream.  

There you have it, all that bruised fruit turned into something delicious.  You don't need dinner, just eat the dessert.

Dead Fruit Dinner!