Four hundred and one years ago today, the first English colony, Jamestown, was founded in the Americas. Most Americans remember Jamestown as the setting for the tale of Pocahontas, which is a colorful mix of fact and fiction.
After two years, about 100 people – nearly half of the original settlers – had died from disease and starvation. The starvation was partially due to crop failure brought on by a severe drought.
Eventually the colonists learned from American Indians how to grow and prepare maize (corn). Early colonial recipes indicate the settlers had very few dishes made with wheat. In addition to corn, the settlers also grew oats, which they had brought from Europe. Breads and pastries were prepared with corn or oatmeal.
Today's recipe is a fresh berry crisp with an oatmeal topping. It is typical of early American cooking. The English settlers would have used wild berries, which are small and intensely flavored. For this recipe, I recommend using small strawberries instead of the large berries, which often are lacking in flavor.
To intensify the berry flavor, I sweeten the berries with strawberry preserves. Sugar or honey would have been used in early Jamestown. Although I use almond oil in the recipe, you can make it with melted butter or lard.
Fresh Berry Crisp
8 to 12 servings
TOPPING
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup almonds or pecans
3 tablespoons almond oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY-BLUEBERRY FILLING
1/4 cup water
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup seedless strawberry preserves
3 cups strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 cup fresh blueberries
For the topping, combine the oatmeal and nuts in a food processor or blender and pulse for a few seconds until the oatmeal is crumblike. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle oil over mixture. Using fingers, rub oil into oat and nut mixture. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract, and mix, distributing the brown sugar evenly through the mixture. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For the filling, in a bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add the preserves and mix well. Add the berries and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the berry mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 20 minutes before serving. Serve topped with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Arlyn Hackett is a cookbook author and food historian. He welcomes e-mail at chefarlyn@cox.net
