Because like my new favorite summer catch phrase goes, if there’s no vanilla ice cream, it’s like, “What’s the point?“ This crisp pairs two of my favorite summer fruits: strawberries and nectarines. And it’s topped with a seriously nutty, not-too-sweet gluten-free crisp that is worthy of the dessert gods. Trust. The recipe was inspired by one found in my new favorite book, “Bread and Wine” by Shauna Niequist. Shauna grew up eating hand-picked blueberry crisp and vanilla ice cream with her family most Sunday evenings, and it’s a tradition she now carries on with her own family. That’s a pretty OK Sunday tradition, if you ask me. Perhaps we should institute that in our household, at least as long as nectarines are dirt cheap and as sweet as candy. I was shocked out how much I LOVED this flour-free version. I expected there to be a lack of cohesiveness and crumble, but that was certainly not the case. It was borderline perfection. The pecans were THEE perfect nut to help marry the flavors together, and the almond meal acted as the wholesome, hearty binder. Nectarines and strawberries became best friends in my bowl, complementing each other perfectly. And the moment the vanilla ice cream started to melt against the heat of the crisp was the moment I could’ve wept and died a happy woman. No exaggeration. Yes, I could get lost in a bowl of this crisp daily. Maybe that’s why I’ve already made it twice in a matter of 5 days. Oops. If you aren’t a big strawberry or nectarine fan, simply sub in your favorite summer fruit. As the original recipe noted, blueberries are kind of perfect here. I’d also like to try this recipe with all peaches, a mixture of nectarines and blueberries, and perhaps a triple-berry version of some kind. I might even splurge and make John’s half-joking, half-serious request of “Oops, all crisp.” Either way, you can’t go wrong. This has officially become my new go-to crisp and I hope it becomes yours, too. Cheers! *Adapted from Shauna Niequist’s Blueberry Crisp from her book”Bread and Wine.”
