Last week, I left my heavy coat and boots behind, and aimed my car down the mountain to the town I’d lived in for the past 25 years. It was the first time to be there as a visitor, since we sold our home in March to move full-time to the mountains around Lake Tahoe.
It was a quick overnight trip, and I was curious how it would feel to be back as a visitor in a place that part of me still calls home. The weather was glorious, the trees well into leafing, and flowers popping up everywhere with flashes of yellow, lilac, pink, and white. I strolled through town, peering in shop windows at the new spring fashions, and wandered into the local grocery store where I’d shopped for years. Familiar faces manned the cash registers and worn counters, and I spied some fresh fava beans to bring back with me. I was in my happy place.
I was well on my way back home to Tahoe when I realized that except for the cashiers, I hadn’t run into a familiar face, a friend, an acquaintance during the visit. I could have been in any cozy little town. For all the years I spent there, I’m still not sure how connected I felt there. It’s a place where everyone is busy with someplace to go, and they’re running late. I was that person too.
Here in our small town on the shores of Lake Tahoe, we lack a number of amenities. There’s no real downtown. The restaurant life and take-out options are limited, and there’s only one movie theater, with one screen, usually showing a kid’s movie or a super-action-packed film that’s huge on special effects, and sparse in dialogue. Most of the car washes are DIY open bays where you park the car, get out to put coins in a machine, and then spray the car with a mixture of water and soap before heading over to the tall, oversized vacuums. The cultural life is mostly limited to summer options (which means July and August), which are highly anticipated by everyone, local sports means the high school, and although we have a few dress shops, I have to drive down the mountain to Reno to buy underwear.
But I also rarely go somewhere here without running into someone I know, and we stop to visit for a bit. We all entertain more in our homes, curled up on sofas with our shoes kicked off and share our lives for hours, and the outdoor activity options are nearly unlimited, which supports a healthy lifestyle. This is where you come to get away from the noise of life. We may be a little short on amenities, but we're long on essentials. I’ve found there’s a lot of life here to have. Maybe more than what I had just outside a major city. It just all depends on what you call life.
I’m not sure what this has to do with a Strawberry Blueberry Hibiscus Crumble, except that this is the kind of dessert that has been popular for over 100 years. It’s the kind of dessert your grandmother made when the family all came over for dinner. It’s the kind of dessert you visit with friends over, with your shoes kicked off and your legs curled under you. It’s all about home.
Strawberry Blueberry Hibiscus Crumble | #ProgressiveEats
Ingredients
Crumble Filling
- 2 cups halved strawberries
- ⅔ cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon ~4 tea bags hibiscus tea leaves (I use The Republic of Tea Natural Hibiscus loose leaf herbal tea)
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup spelt flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour einkorn
- ½ cup rolled oats not quick- or instant
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoons cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
Crumble Filling
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F, and get out an 8" square glass baking dish or pie plate. Combine the strawberries and blueberries in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugar and tea leaves. Cover, and simmer until the strawberries start to collapse, about 8 - 10 minutes.
- Pour into the baking dish.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, blend in the butter until you have a crumbly mixture in which the butter is as uniformly distributed as possible.
- Spread the crumble topping evenly over the top of the Crumble Filling. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream!
Jill Silverman Hough
You had me at hibiscus! Yum! And gorgeous! Sorry we've lost you to Tahoe, but glad we get to occasionally "see" each other online!
Liz
I'd love a big scoop of your blueberry crumble with some vanilla ice cream. Sounds like you're adjusting to your new home quite nicely!!!
Rita
YUMMM
ansh
This is a kind of dessert perfect for friends and neighbors dropping in unannounced- just to come say hello and stay for dinner and dessert. Looks so lovely and delicious.
Jane, The Heritage Cook
I am dying here Susan, this is stunning and having hibiscus in the crumble is sheer genius!! Beautiful and so unique, this is going on my must make list right now!! I would love to end any meal with this beauty. <3
Jenni
Shoes kicked off and feet curled under me sounds like the perfect way to enjoy this crumble. So glad you're making friends and feeling connected in your new town, Susan. xo
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
Yum! I can't wait for blueberry season! It's coming soon!
[email protected]
Wait, the tea goes right in the crumble? That fact alone would have me wishing I could taste it right now. And if I could add a scoop of ice cream on top - wow!! PS - I loved your post. Knowing what's really important (the essentials as you call them) and what we can all leave behind, is so crucial.
Jenna McLoren
I saw hibiscus in the title and thought: wow, I need to try this. Definitely going to! Great blog!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
Wonderful recipe, looks absolutely fabulous.
Baker by Nature
Wow! This is gorgeous!
Obat Perangsang Wanita
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Sage
Your writing is so so beautiful - thank you for capturing the essence of a more isolated, but perhaps more full life. I feel like the choice isn't an easy one, and goes against a lot of what we value in Western society. I'm so glad you're finding that you have all the essentials that you need 🙂 I can't wait to try this recipe!~