When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I thought that I was finished with balmy summer days - like we get back East. I envisioned the PNW to be cool and breezy, comfortable, and rainy at times. But as the year's progress, so do the temperatures. We definitely need to consider getting an air conditioner. 

I've declared my house an 'oven free zone' for the rest of the summer. Slightly dramatic, I know. Maybe I'll allow some light simmering on the stovetop at night, but NO ONE will dare turn on the stove until this baby makes his debut early Sept (you hear me baby, early Sept).

Now that I've declared our house a 'no oven zone', I'm thinking - can I really survive on ice cream for the rest of the summer? This week I had a few friends over and I knew that I couldn't just serve ice cream for dinner, so I turned on the grill and made corn, potatoes, veggies, and shrimp. And then I had the idea to make a crumble using the grill. I'm not sure why the thought of cooking 'everything' on the grill has never crossed my mind before. 

This crumble was so easy to make. Five minutes tops, minus the cooking time. All you do it cut up the fruit and place it right into the skillet. Mix up the topping in a small bowl, pile it on top of the fruit and then bake. You can even eat it right out of the skillet once cooked. I think I dirtied 3 dishes in the process. The first crumble that I made on the grill I used our large cast iron skillet. I then bought two 6.5 inch mini cast iron skillets, so that I could prepare individual crumbles for Brent and myself.  

The idea of cooking foods in a skillet on the grill is a new concept for me. By the end of the summer, I will probably be able to write a book on mini skillet creations because no jokes, this oven is not turning on, unless it starts to snow, which we all know is never going to happen.

recipe

TRIPLE BERRY CRUMBLE ON THE GRILL

serves 4

notes: acidic foods tend to leach iron out of new cast-iron skillets. The longer you've had the skillet, the less likely you'll be able to taste it in foods. If you purchase new cast iron skillets for this recipe, the acidic berries will likely leech some of the iron out, and therefore, the crumble will taste a bit metallic. Try seasoning the skillets first, or using small enamelware pans.

a small dab of butter

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup strawberries, quartered

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

dash of salt

3/4 cup rolled oats

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preheat the grill to 400ºF.

Lightly coat two small

6.5" cast-iron skillets

with butter.

Scoop 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, and 1/2 cup strawberries into each skillet. Toss.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and rolled oats. Pour in the melted butter and combine. Sprinkle on top of the berries.

Place the skillets onto the grill and close the lid. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until the berries are bubbling and the crumble is toasty and medium brown in color. Remove and let cool.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.