This has been a long time coming. I am so pleased to introduce to you the author of Sleeping Naked Is Green, National Post journalist, blogstress behind Green As A Thistle and my partner in eco-nutrition warrioring, the one and only Vanessa Farquharson.
The reason it took so long for us to get it together to make a video is three-fold.
1-We’re both stupidly busy and the last thing we want to do when we hang out is make a video
2- We were trying to wait for fruit trees to bloom so we could do a video about foraging
3- I wanted to do it at Vanessa’s house but she always has the oddest assortment of ingredients.
So we took it as a challenge, I would come over, dig through her cupboards and put an impromptu recipe together. Hence the Kitchen Scraps Fruit Crumble that used a disproportionate amount of coconut products in the topping. The lesson here is that if you put anything on top of a mess of fruit and honey (or agave as the case may be) bake it at 350 for 40 minutes or so, you’ll get something delicious.
The other lesson is that if you want to make a meal out of what is in your fridge, get creative and experimental. Hey- if it works in the bedroom…
If you want to know that what you have in your fridge will make a meal, then the first step is to decide what you want to make that week BEFORE you go to the store and take your list with you. Just a tip Thistle.
This recipe, or variations of this recipe, is our go-to dessert up at the cottage and it seems to work with any combo of fruit. We also like to pretend that since it really has all the ingredients that make up a good breakfast, the leftovers can be used for that purpose.
Here is my fool proof recipe for a delicious Grain-Free Fruit Crumble, followed by a very random collection of pictures of Vanessa and I over the years that she is likely going to cringe over. She doesn’t do well with a lot of attention. We’re opposites like that.
Grain Free Fruit Crumble
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert gluten-free dairy-free vegetarian low-sodium sugar-free spring summer
Ingredients (Serves 8-10)
For the Crumble
- 6 cups fruit of choice (chopped roughly the same size)
- 1/2 cup honey
For the Topping
- 2/3 cup nut/seed flour (I recommend coconut flour, almond meal, pumpkin seed flour and/or sunflower seed flour)
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together crumble ingredients and place in a glass baking dish.
Mix topping until slightly crumbly and sprinkle by hand over fruit mixture, spreading evenly.
If fruit doesn’t look completely covered, can sprinkle on addition flour, almonds or oats until surface is covered.
Bake 40-50 minutes.
Dessert for all seasons
Every single combination of fruit I have tried with this has worked out deliciously. Get experimental with whatever fruit is in season. Here are some great combinations:
- Apple Cranberry: 5 cups of thinly sliced apples, 1 cup of fresh/frozen cranberries
- Apple Berry: 3 cups of apples,3 cups of mixed berries
- Strawberry Rhubarb: 3 cups of each (strawberries havled)
- Strawberry Pear: Three cups of each
- Peach Crumble: 6 cups of sliced peaches
- Summer Berry Crumble: 2 cups each of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
Print Friendly Recipe: Grain-Free Crumble
Grade 12 Formal: I am the short one with the very poor choice in dress (made it myself!) and the up-do and Vanessa, just left of Rae, the one in white, is looking gorgeous as always… though her hair was sprayed kinda funny. And yes- we are the same group who were in Ireland together in May).
New Years eve 2003/2004, when I was clearly fresh off the plane from Africa with a head woven with braided extensions. We all make mistakes.
Summer 2004, at Rae’s wedding. (again- same group as Ireland)
Eco-nerding it out at the Schmooze fest for The Toronto International Film Festival (2007). Safety first- we obviously rode our bikes there.
New Years Eeve 2007/2008: Working the fringe
New Years eve 2008/2009 and somehow we both look about 5 years younger than the previous year.
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Oy vey!! Those photos are so embarrassing… but the video is so cute! Not sure how many people will attempt to make the same crumble, but I can vouch for its tastiness. I just had the last bit of it for breakfast with some coconut yogurt.
AWWWW… love the fringe pic. vanessa u need to get highlights again gurl!! Cute video too. But what’s wrong with marmite??
It looks like you two had a ton of fun making that video! That crumble looks good too. I just bought some nectarines. Maybe nectarines and apples?
ooo breakfast thats a good idea vanessa
You two are so cute! I want to come to Canada to hang out with you!
You two are way too cute!! I loved the plug for your retreat
Fruit crumble = delightful!!
Loved the series of photos. Eco-nerds or not, you’re a healthy-looking, cute and engaging bunch! I received a load of rhubarb in my CSA delivery this week and have been munching on crumble as well. Can’t wait for peach season.
Melissa
That was adorable.
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