Attending any summertime events? Bring this recipe and you’re sure to make some new friends. Although, I advise you make two so you can have one at home!

In the Texas Hill Country we joke that the seasons are earmarked by hot and not-so-hot, so we look to the earth for signs of change. It’s thrilling when our fields and roadside ditches are filled with the brilliant array of wildflowers. And just about the time the wildflowers die and the summer heat sets in, we rub our hands together in anticipation, because we Texans know…it’s PEACH SEASON!

Drive down any major road in town and you’ll be hard pressed not to find a farm stand brimming with boxes of the fattest, juiciest, sweetest peaches you’ve ever tasted. So what happens when you buy more peaches than one family could possibly eat? Experiment!

And I’m here to tell you, this Bacon Berry Peach Crisp is one kitchen experiment gone right! The burst of organic berries and fresh peaches is perfectly offset by the smokey bacon and crisp topping.

Have fun and enjoy this one!

Bacon Berry Peach Crisp

Filling:

• 1 cup organic strawberries
• 1 cup organic blueberries
• 6-8 peaches 1 TBS vanilla extract 1.5 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Topping:

• ½ cup walnuts or brazil nuts
• ½ cup pecans or hazelnuts
• ¼ cup date sugar ¼ cup oatmeal
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cardamom Pinch of sea salt
• 2-4 TBS butter
• Bacon

Directions

Cook your bacon, set aside.

In a pot, combine fruit with vanilla extract. Cook on low for about 10 minutes; stirring frequently. Add arrowroot powder at the end to thicken the sauce. In the meantime, add all of the ingredients for the topping, except for bacon, into a food processor and blend until combined. Pour berries into a medium size oven-friendly dish; cover with topping. Break the bacon into small pieces and sprinkle on the topping, gently working it into the topping so it’s just not sitting on top.

Broil on low for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully; it has a tendency to cook fast and burn. Serve warm or cold. Top with coconut cream.