Wake and Bake: Crepes with Blackberry-Rhubarb Compote

During the berry off-season, I try to avoid buying imported fruit. Though the berries inside the plastic clamshells look bright and juicy, they're often disappointing (and always expensive). But this year, the blackberries I've tried have been fantastic. Sweet, plump, almost grape-y, they remind me why this deep purple berry is one of my favorite fruit.

In fact they've been edging out the local strawberries in flavor, though hopefully in the next week I can start gorging myself on those green pints of tiny red fruit from the farmer's market. But before I make the switch, I decided to pair the blackberries with a different seasonal item: rhubarb.

I cooked down the blackberries and chopped rhubarb with maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla for depth of flavor, and orange juice for brightness and acidity. The chunky compote is purposefully sweet-tart in order to cut against the buttery crepes. If you're more likely to eat sweets after dinner than before lunch, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is an easy way to bring this dish into full blown dessert territory.