The Fruit That Ina Garten Likes To Pair With Blueberries In Her Crumble Recipe

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A blueberry crumble, bursting with big juicy pearls of fruit and topped with a buttery crown, is a beautiful thing. And, of course, the Food Network star, social media darling, and prolific cookbook writer Ina Garten would have a way to make it even lovelier. Also known as the Barefoot Contessa, Garten marries those blueberries with another summertime icon: peaches.

In a YouTube clip, Garten rattles off several fruit combinations that make a delightful crumble: apples with pears and cranberries, as well as raspberries with peaches. Similarly, blueberries and peaches are a specific combo that she recommends, noting the pair's wonderful qualities. The different shapes of the peaches and blueberries are more dynamic together than either would be alone. The peaches soften and the blueberries get jammy, resulting in a tasty texture. The tiny blueberries also begin to drip over the edges of each crumble's single-serving ramekin in an appetizing fashion, adding to the overall visual appeal. Plus, the natural sweetness of peaches mellows the more tart notes of blueberries (the actual sugar helps, too), making this a stellar pairing. This is also among one of Garten's most easily achievable treats, whether you're enjoying actual summertime or not.

Ina Garten's peach and blueberry crumble recipe appears in her book, "Barefoot Contessa at Home," on her website, and also in the aforementioned clip. There is no shortage of paid or essentially free ways to access the recipe and follow her precise instructions. You, too, can mash together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter together until it's literally crumbly. For the actual fruit filling, she poaches a two pounds of peaches and mixes them with a cup of blueberries, along with some lemon juice and zest as well as a bit more sugar and flour before assembling and baking.

Alternatively, you can follow whatever peach or blueberry crumble recipe you already like, or find a new one (careful not to confuse cobbler or crisp recipes with crumbles). Then, simply reduce its starring fruit by half and add the other one in equal measure (though Garten uses more peaches than blueberries in her recipe, so it's worth working with a ratio of the two fruits that suits your taste). You needn't even wait until blueberry or peach season to do so, as frozen fruit is fine in this case. While peaches don't need to be thawed, you'll just want to be sure to defrost those moisture-retaining blueberries first so that you can drain any excess liquid that might otherwise dilute your base, making it too watery. If you're averse to the idea of using frozen fruits in a preparation presented as fresh, know that once they are cloaked in the titular crumble and baked — maybe even further gilded with a scoop of vanilla ice cream like Garten serves them — most folks will be too delighted to notice much of a difference.