Recipe: Awesome fruit crisp (blackberry, strawberry apple & pear)

Fresh, inexpensive berries are one of the joys of summer. Last grocery shop, I saw blackberries on sale and I just couldn't resist ... unfortunately, when I got them home and tasted them, they were sour. I was very disappointed. They were too sour to eat, but I didn't want to waste them. I toyed with the idea of making a blackberry vinaigrette for a salad, but after seeing that the strawberries we had were going soft, I decided to instead make a fruit crisp. I didn't have enough of any one fruit to do it, so I resolved to use up the sour blackberries, soft strawberries, a couple of apples and a tin of pears that had been sitting too long in the cupboard.

It is amazingly good. Oh my, I love it so much. Crisps are one of my favourite desserts, but the flavours of the mixed fruits are even better than my beloved apple-only crisps.

Anyway, here's the recipe, typed between mouthfuls of crunchy, fruity goodness:

Ingredients

Filling:

• 2 peeled, sliced apples
• 1 can pears (sliced)
• 1 cup blackberries (sliced in half)
• 1 cup (or so) sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour

Topping:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
  
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of powdered ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
   
2. Layer fruit in greased baking dish, apples & pears on the bottom and berries on top. Sprinkle with sugar and 2 tbsp flour
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine dry ingredients of topping. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly. Spoon the topping over the fruit in the baking dish
4. Bake 30-40 minutes