Any Time Fruit Crisp

You can make this with virtually any fresh fruit(s) in season or ones you've frozen at their peak from the garden or farmers market for a nice summer-like dessert in the dead of winter. I like to use berries (with rubarb) but the original recipe calls for plums. Peaches would be fabulous, too. This recipe makes Plenty of topping so I don't use it all and store the extra in the 'fridge 'til I want a quick easy dessert. It's nice to put the fruit in individual bowls and sprinkle with the leftover topping. If you don't have créme de cassis liqueur just add a little water to the fruit or another liqueur. I've taken to always having a little sealed container of the topping ready at a moments notice to sprinkle on some berries from the freezer.

3 pounds Italian prune plums, quartered (or other fruit)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (I use way less as I like to taste the fruit, not the sugar)
1/4 cup flour
6 Tbsp créme de cassis liqueur (or maybe Grand Marnier with berries)

For the topping (I use about 1/2 this much):
1/1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c light brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 375°

For the fruit, in a large bowl, combine plums, brown sugar, flour and liqueur. Pour mixture into 12x8" shallow dish (au gratin) or individual serving oven-proof bowls.

For the topping, combine flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, walnuts and butter in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle. Mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly and butter is size of peas. Scatter evenly over fruit. (you can also use a pastry cutter to mix butter into dry ingredients)

Bake for 40-45 minutes (less in small dishes) until bubbly and top is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Anything left over is a great breakfast treat, with a little milk or 1/2 & 1/2.

Credit to Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Serves 3-4

1 (3 1/2#) chicken, flattened
kosher salt
1/3 c good olive oil
2t grated lemon zest
1/3 c lemon juice
1T. minced garlic
1T. minced rosemary
pepper
1 lemon, halved

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side.
Combine the olive oil, zest, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary and 1t pepper in a dish just large enough to hold the flattened chicken (or use a ziplock bag). Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

Prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn gas grill to low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weight it down with the dish. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight it down and cook for another 12-15, until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into quarters, sprinkle with salt and serve with the grilled lemon halves (squeeze over chicken).

To flatten chicken: stand the chicken upright and cut out the backbone with a large kitchen knife. Spread the chicken open on a board with the skin side down. Cut around and remove the breatbone with a boning knife.

I highly recommend using the leftover marinade as a sauce by heating it to low boil and simmering for 5 minutes.

From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina Garten