Plum, Apricot and Cherry Crisp

Most pro triathletes spend the winter at training camp, putting in grueling hours of work in order to prepare for the upcoming season. Instead of spending my days trail running, going on group rides and smashing swim sets, I spent the winter recovering from a C-section and waking up at in the wee hours to feed my newborn daughter. For the first time in my career, I kicked off the racing season while easing into training—slowly and solo.

Now that Amy is nearly six months old and I feel close to my old self again, it's finally time to ramp up the training hours. I spent most of the summer at our house in New Paltz, about 90 miles north of New York City in New York's Hudson Valley. New Paltz has no shortage of places to train—outdoor pools and lakes, dirt carriage trails, traffic-free hilly roads.

The local summer produce is as abundant as the training options. Organic farms, orchards, and farmers markets are just a bike ride away. My favorite local ice cream shop is also within biking distance, but I keep a photo of Laurel's abs—hard-won during months at winter training camps—to cap my visits at weekly. Knowing how much ground I had to makeup to even compete with my usual field, motivated me to make this the healthiest summer I’ve ever had.

Case in point is this healthier take on a summer fruit crisp. I topped fruit from the local orchard with a lightly sweetened oat-and-seed topping. The fruit was so fresh and flavorful that I skipped the splash of sugar I usually add to my crisp fruit mix. I also used a deep baking dish, so that the fruit-to-topping ratio was heavier on the fruit. You can use an 8” x 8”-inch Pyrex dish or a funky baking dish like this vintage one my mother-in-law gave me recently.

To make the crisp gluten free, substitute a gluten-free flour mix. I like Trader Joe's Gluten-Free flour. To transform this summer training treat into a dessert fit for company and kids, double the amount of topping and mound on freshly whipped cream. 

This recipe makes 4 to 5 servings as a summer training dessert or breakfast, but would feed 4 to 6 (with the extra topping) if you served it at a BBQ. 

Summer Training Plum, Apricot and Cherry Crisp

Topping:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

Up to 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Filling:

2 cups apricots, pitted and sliced

3 cups plums, pitted and sliced

10 to15 cherries, pitted 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

To make the Topping:

Mix all the ingredients except the coconut oil in a small bowl. Stir in the melted coconut oil until all the ingredients form a crumbly topping.

To make the Filling:

Toss the fruit with the flour and transfer to the baking dish. The fruit should fill the dish all the way up to the rim. If it doesn’t, cut up some more fruit and toss it in.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake until the fruit starts to bubble up around the topping, about 35 minutes.