Nectarine Love

I love summertime, when the fresh fruits you have been waiting for all winter are finally in season. I will walk through the market, inhaling the sweet smells and loading up my cart with one of everything I have been missing. I usually buy way too much and then, when I get home, I realize the only way to eat them all is to have just fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mike isn't sold on that idea. One fruit I am particularly drawn to is nectarines. They are my absolute favorite fruit of all time. They are sweet like strawberries, yet have a citrus zing like oranges. I love they way the juice burst in your mouth at the first bite. For me they embody everything good about summer days.

Nectarine Blueberry Buckle

This recipe is a delicious way to use up the fruit that is in your fridge before it over ripens. Other than your fresh fruit, all of the ingredients are staples in your cupboards so you won't need to buy something new just to use up what you have already bought. This recipe won a blue ribbon from the Taste of Home magazine, Light and Tasty. You can serve this cake with low-fat yogurt for a healthy treat.



Serves: 12 servings
Start to Finish:
Recipe By: Lisa Darling, Light and Tasty Magazine

Ingredients:

TOPPING:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 TBSP butter

BATTER:
6 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 TBSP sugar, divided
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 pound medium nectarines, peeled, sliced and patted dry or 1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed and patted dry
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 13-in x 9-in baking pan

For Topping:
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon
3. Cut in butter until crumbly and set topping aside

For Batter:
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
6. Add vanilla
7. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk
8. Set aside 3/4 cup batter
9. Fold blueberries into remaining batter
10. Spoon into a greased 13 x 9 pan
11. Arrange nectarines on top; sprinkle with remaining 1 TBSP sugar
12. Spoon remaining batter over nectarines
13. Sprinkle with raspberries, blackberries, and reserved topping
14. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm