Normally, back-to-school would have happened weeks ago, and by now I would be posting about early autumn soups to make during the hectic fall sports season, or maybe school lunch ideas. But then again, what is normal these days?

Since everything is totally screwed up got pushed back, my daughter didn’t start “school” until this week. For the meantime it’s online, and there aren’t really any sports happening. And that’s not even the weirdest thing going on; THAT honor would go to the fact that my son is living in a college dorm and has miraculously avoided getting Covid so far (he gets tested weekly). I say this is miraculous because seems to be no lockdown or even much in the way of restrictions beyond taking cafeteria food to-go — and of course doing most classes virtually. Still, he’s gone. He doesn’t live here anymore. I could write an entire post about my feelings about that, but suffice it to say life is different – our house is quieter and our family is smaller and definitely more boring — without him. But all things considered, I think I’m holding up quite well.

I wanted to make dessert for his send-off dinner but totally forgot to look at any recipes or buy any ingredients ahead of time. So I had to wing it with what I had on hand, which in the summer usually means a fruit crisp. I love a fruit crisp because it comes together so easily and, unlike pies or cobblers, doesn’t require a rolling pin (or baking skills). I hadn’t intended to make my crisp gluten- and grain-free, but I riffed a little when I realized I didn’t have any oats (usually what makes my crisps crisp). The result was a beautiful, crunchy-topped, and relatively low-sugar dessert that made the most of a the just-starting-to-look-dodgy nectarines and berries that were lingering in my fridge. I served it with ice cream, and then the next morning we stuck forks in the leftovers while we had our coffee and our son packed up the last of his clothes and said good-bye to the dog. It was good.

If you’ve got something, anything to celebrate — or just want to make some folks happy — try this. It’s also great with apples now that it’s finally fall.

Gluten-Free Fruit Crisp
Ingredients
6 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
4 cups fruit (I used sliced nectarines, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries)
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I used dark brown)
1/2 cup almond flour (almond meal)
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a roughly 2.5 quart baking dish (I used a 6×10″ casserole) and place on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, toss the fruit with the 1-2 tbs. brown sugar and spread it out evenly in the baking dish.

In a food processor, combine the butter, remaining sugar, almond flour, and salt and pulse until it begins to clump together, about 20 seconds. Add the almonds and pecans and pulse a few times to just combine (they shouldn’t get too ground up).

Crumble the topping over the fruit and bake until golden and beginning to brown; start checking after about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.