Saturday, July 31

A Peachy Coincidence on a Summer Saturday

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen posted a nectarine buckle recipe that got me out of bed this morning.
I've been spending a lot of time at my Mom's house in Lindsay since the end of June waiting for her alberta peaches to ripen.  But, I had to be in Denver on the weekend. Janet and I finally got up there to collect the dregs of the harvest -- thanks to pal Ginny Wilson, who stripped the tree and saved three flats for us! ( I am comforted by the fact that so many friends and neighbors picked peaches and raved about them.)
This morning, my last four peaches went into this recipe.  

I never had much interest in the "buckle" as a recipe - it just sounds so dry. But the coincidence of the recipe, Deb's excellent photos and the ready-to-go peaches brought it all together.
Of course, I tweaked the recipe, starting with making just a half batch in an 8 inch skillet instead of a 10 inch-er, substituting peaches for nectarines and cinnamon for allspice. I also skipped the parchment paper liner and turned the cake out without any trouble. The crumb is tender and moist, the fruit is soft but not too melty-mushy. The lemon juice keeps the sugary streusel in check.  It is delicious!