Erin vs. The Squirrels

 

This spring when we looked out our window and saw all the tiny peach babies on our peach tree we were brimming with excitement of a full harvest. Clearly we aren't farmers or we'd know we should have pruned off a LOT of those little babies, but we didn't. It look losing a large limb due to the weight of the fruit for us to get out there and pull off bushels of baby peaches. Then we had a derecho storm come through and knock off a whole bunch of peaches. And then, my biggest adversary... the squirrels. I'd see the squirrels bounding across the yard with a big ol' juicy peach in its mouth or sit on top of the swing set snacking on one, leaving the pit up there as a prize. They are like fickle toddlers. Sitting in the tree, take a bite of one, toss it down to the ground, find another, do the same, until 20 peaches are on the ground covered in ants with little squirrel bites. Can you tell I kind of want to strangle them? Thankfully I was able to harvest a bunch of peaches and keep them safe in the fridge. I asked Andy to pick a dessert made from peaches, he could pick upside-down peach cake, peach cobbler, or peach crisp - he went with the crisp. It was amazing. We all ate too much of it and still went back for sneaky tastes. Maybe having fought with the little dirty beasts made it taste even sweeter now that we've picked the tree clean - now that we have our very own fruit picker! I'm not sure how to keep those dirty buggers away... maybe I'll camp out at the tree all day in the summer, I'm sure that wouldn't be weird... right?

Peach Pecan Crisp
Filling
5 cups thinly sliced + peeled peaches (about 5–6 medium peaches)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or quick oats)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted pecans, chopped or halved
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch baking dish (circle or square). Set aside.
Make the filling: Combine peaches with the flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Toss gently until combine. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
Make the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and pecans together. Make sure to get out all those brown sugar lumps. Add the butter and stir with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the butter until the mixture is crumbly. (A fork works for this too!) Evenly sprinkle topping over peaches.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the peach juice is bubbling on the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.