Peach Cobbler

With our farmers’ markets going full force rippling with tomatoes, corn, berries, fruits and every kind of harvested vegetable able to grow well enough in our climate, I look specifically at what I can use to make this–the quintessential summer cobbler with fruit, berries or a mixture.

Defining what a cobbler is can be tricky business.  In strict culinary parlance, it’s basically stewed fruit topped with a kind of drop-biscuit dough and baked.

Two types of peach cobbler: crunchy (left) and classic

 

But what also doubles in cobbler-speak are preparations like pandowdy, grunt, slump and sonker, which is a deep-dish pie unique to North Carolina country cooking.

Read more…

Continuing with the fruit cobblers of summer, the one I offer here is an old style one, often called crunchy fruit cobbler.  The method is perfect to use for peaches or apples.  It’s’ not really crunchy but the method includes strips of pastry dough over and under the fruit filling.  This creates a thickish texture, the buttery dough adding character to the filling, naturally thickened.

Glorious peaches are available at certain farmers markets

Glorious peaches are available at certain farmers markets

Read more…

“Tis the season indeed for all the great foods of summer, farm-fresh and abundant at farmers’ markets now.  And while I’m thrilled to have farm-fresh corn and tomatoes all the time; new potatoes, fresh dug carrots and more, my penchant is for sweets and that’s when I make a beeline for local fruits and berries at the markets.  Last week I found local peaches at the Winslow Farm stand at the Cumberland Farmer’s Market. When I saw they had peaches I scooped up several pounds of this year’s most elusive fruit, made so because of the drought.

Reports have been that this season will not be kind to peach growers, though the farmers at Winslow Farm along Route 100 in West Falmouth said they have an abundant supply.

Peach cobbler

Peach cobbler

Putting them in a pie shell or in ice cream is the usual destination for peaches, but I actually prefer  cobblers.

Read more…