Cooking With Jack: Son of a Peach!

 

What time is it? It's time for everyone's favorite cooking non-show "Cooking with Jack!"

 

 That's right, "Cooking with Jack!"... where the motto is "Fish Sticks Are... Fish-A-Licious!"

 

However, no fish sticks today, my friend. Today it's all about summer, and summer ain't summer without fresh peaches. Today's masterecipiece is a Navajo Peach Crumble. Little known fact about the Navajo people: they were Native Americans.

 

You know what I always say: "I will cut a peach!"

 

So cut up some fresh ripe peaches. How many? I dunno. Five or six. Seven or eight. C'mon, man... think for yourself!

 

Okay, after you get done cutting, go back and peel each slice. I probably should have told you that first, but shame on you for not reading entire recipe beforehand.

 

Be prepared to cut up some more peaches because everyone who walks through the kitchen is going to sneak pieces out of your bowl. I SAW THAT, PISA!

 

Now you need to add a third of a cup of sugar.

 

This is a problem because my measuring cups were made before the "third of a cup" measurement was invented. So I have to utilize my math skills... let's see 1/3 minus 1/4... arrrrrgggghhhh... where's that knife?!?

 

Why did the lemon disapprove of his daughter? Because she was a little tart!

 

That's the kind of clever stuff you get here at ... HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?

Get back here! Now add all the juice of half a lemon (or half the juice of all of a lemon).

 Add a third of a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Make sure you don't get mixed up and add black pepper. My daughter Pisa is still giving me a hard time about mashed potatoes I made that I dumped load of cinnamon into. THEY WERE CINNAMON MASHED POTATOES, OKAY? 

 

Set the peaches aside and get yourself a fresh clean bowl. Add half a cup of all-purpose flour. Ha! I have a half cup cup!

 

Plus one-third cup of cornmeal (mine's blue... guess it didn't hear my funny lemon joke) and sugar. GRRRR! More math!

 

Dashlet of salt.

 

Is there any food that takes being measured more seriously than butter? I don't think so! We're using 1/3 of a cup today for our crumble-making purposes.

 

Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like a big nasty mess.

 

Did I mention to preheat the oven to 375° already? Geez, I really should have mentioned that...

Now toast some pine nuts... about... oh, I don't know. There's a picture there... can't you count them yourself? The Navajo believe that pine nuts have magic powers and are very, very overpriced. Anyway, toast them for about five minutes and then mix them in with the flour and stuff.

 

Now take an oiled pie plate and wipe all the oil off of it (or start with an unoiled pie plate if that seems easier), and dump the peach mixture in there.

 

Now cover with the floury mixture. Isn't that pretty? No, I didn't think so either...

 

Cook on 375° for 30 minutes (or 1,125° for 10 minutes if you're really in a hurry).

 

Voilá! (which is Navajo for "peach crumble"). Top with vanilla ice cream and be prepared for compliments aplenty!

Next on "Cooking with Jack!": One of my Grandpa Noah's favorites...

THE DAILY SCALEY

Cute animal picture to distract you from fact that
I'm taking my wife Anita away for a long weekend
(scale NOT invited).