Red, White and Blueberry Crisp

Hooray for the red, white and blue!

Can  you believe we turn the calendar to July today? I can't. The countdown to the 4th of July has people thinking fireworks and potlucks. And while nothing is more American than apple pie (so they say), this Red, White and Blueberry Crisp will put people in a patriotic mood, too.

The red comes from fresh raspberries and strawberries. The blue comes from succulent blueberries. And the white comes from coconut, a little twist on the traditional crisp topping. South Dakota blogger Brenda put together this salute to summer fruits on her blog, "A farmgirl's dabbles."

I just got my small-town grocery store flyer for the week, and the sale on these fresh berries continues here, as well as at the bigger stores. I love this time of year, when I don't have to feel guilty about adding fresh berries to my grocery cart and bill.

I made this crisp for a harvest dessert yesterday, and it got good reviews from the guys. I like the convenience of a making a crisp instead of a pie, though Randy did get his blueberry pie for Father's Day.

After I made an unexpected parts run to Hutchinson yesterday evening, we are back up and running in the wheat harvest field. If everything holds together - machinery AND people - we should be done sometime today. That's reason to celebrate, too! Fingers crossed everyone!

Red, White and Blue Crisp

Adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles blog

Filling
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh chopped strawberries (about 1/2-inch pieces)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tbsp. Minute Tapioca

Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For filling:  Put berries in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and fold gently. In a smaller bowl, combine sugar, lemon zest, cornstarch and tapioca, mixing well. Sprinkle half of the dry mix over the berries and fold gentl. Sprinkle remaining dry mix over berries and fold again. Set aside.

For topping: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture is combined and about the size of large peas. Add coconut, using the pastry cutter to cut it in.

To assemble:  Stir the berry mixture again. Pour it into a 12- by 8- by 2-inch pan and spread evenly. Top with the topping mixture, evenly distributing it over the berries. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until berries are bubbling and the coconut crisp is nicely browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

The crisp is best when eaten after it has cooled 30-60 minutes so the berry filling is still warm, but the topping is still crisp. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 8 to 10.

Notes:

•  Brenda from a farmgirl's dabbles put her crisp in a 9-inch square pan. I decided to spread mine out a little in a 12- by 8-inch pan. I thought that gave a good mix of berries to crisp.
• To have the berries peeking out of the crisp, nestle a few extra berries in the coconut topping before baking. (Unless you're trying to get a photo, it's not necessary!) 
• Leftovers are tasty, but just like all fresh fruit crisps, the topping isn't as crisp once it has set and absorbed the moisture from the fresh berries.