Peach and Blackberry Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuits

When I saw peaches I instantly knew what recipe I wanted to make, peach cobbler! Peach cobbler has been something I have always loved to cook and eat! My dad makes it a lot and I love to help him, so I knew cobbler was the right recipe to do. When paired with ice cream it is extremely good! This cobbler has a biscuit crust, some cobblers have different crusts/toppings, but this one is great.  The blackberries add a little extra and make a great cobbler. Cobblers are great for cold weather so if the weather continues like this, this would make the perfect desert! Enjoy!

For the biscuits:

2 tbls. granulated sugar (optional)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

5 tbls. cold butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup ground cornmeal

1/2 cup buttermilk

The filling:
2 tbls. butter (Winder Farms)
1/2 cup honey (or sugar)
1 tbl. flour (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 cup fresh apple juice (or orange juice)
2 lbs. ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch slices
2 cups fresh blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In food processor, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt by pulsing briefly. Add butter pieces and pulse until they are the size of small peas. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and add in the cornmeal until blended. Add the buttermilk and mix only until evenly moistened but clumpy. Do not overmix. Place in the refrigerator to rest.
3. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the honey, flour, cardamon and salt. Cook until blended together. Whisking constantly add in the apple juice and bring to a boil.
4. Add the peaches and cook until just tender, stirring constantly so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add blackberries and gently mix together until the berries are hot, about one minute.
5. Spread the fruit into 8 x 8 oven safe dish. Drop the biscuits in about 6-8 mounds on the fruit filling. Sprinkle additional 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar on top (optional).
6. Bake until the filling in bubbling and toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean or about 25-30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes to allow filling to set.
adapted from Fine Cooking
Options:
--we substituted the honey for sugar, flour for cornstarch, apple juice for orange juice to make this recipe more local. You could add lemon or orange juice in place of the apple juice and maybe some citrus zest (lemon, orange or lime) to the sugar add the end that you sprinkle on top although NO citrus fruit is local here in Salt Lake. We really find that things taste better with a little addition of citrus as does this recipe.

Nuts in Utah

Last year, we were able to buy pecans at the Farmers Market but we haven't seen any this year at all. My mother bought about 5-6 pounds of these pecans last fall but I went through them before we even got through the winter. Well, we called Thompson Farm in Hurricane and they said they aren't coming to the market this year but would be willing to ship some out to us. So, my Mom bought 3-46 ounce bags that will be sent through the regular mail. I am really excited since I had some pecan recipes ready to go for the Market this year but then...no pecans. So, get ready for information on how to order these pecans and some yummy recipes.

Local Food Challenge 2011, All Veggies in a Pot (with a little cheese)

This week is the kick-off to a month long Eat Local Food Challenge. This challenge is a personal choice to challenge yourself to learn more about our local food sources and then change your diet in either small or big ways over the next month.  My mother and I are really trying to eat all local foods but there are a few things that we can't live without. My mother gave up coffee and tea but she made her own tea with fresh mint and Comprey from our garden. She said it was pretty good. So far this week, we have been doing pretty well except when I forgot about the challenge and accidentally ate an Otter Pop today! We also find that we really can't do without using Olive Oil in our recipes. Mostly, I have been eating a lot of raw fruits and vegetables with some fresh bread from Crumb Brothers, Vosen and Volkers bakeries. I also have included fresh cheese, eggs and honey from our local producers. We haven't eaten a lot of meat but that doesn't mean that you can't. 

To make the recipe in the photo:  Just saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil then add cut up fresh tomatoes, green beans, zucchini and whatever other vegetable you have on hand.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes.

A veggie stew when my Mom just threw everything a pot!.It has
tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, onions and garlic and then we
serve it with a nice sprinkling of Gold Creek Parmesan Cheese and a Slice
of Fresh Crumb Brothers Bread

Fresh veggies from the market including some artichokes

More fresh veggies with Gold Creek cheeses and Cremenilli Salami

A full meal with no cooking involved! Tomato salad with bread from Crumb
Brothers, cheese from Gold Creek Farms and Cremenilli Salami!

Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes. They are almost too pretty to eat!

Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pistachios Crunch

Eggplants are another delicious and purple vegetable. Eggplants grow from August to October on vines, much like tomatoes. These purple vegetables are full of dietary fiber and potassium as well as manganese.  With a spongy texture, these vegetables are a brain food that are rich in antioxidant.  Most eggplants are tear dropped shape but some can be long and skinny. This recipe uses this great vegetable to make a delicious pasta dish.  Despite the name of this dish,  it is not entirely crunchy. The baking of the dish makes the top lightly crunchy but the inside is totally soft and delicate.  This is another great dish that you can play with and taste. Hope you like it!

Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pistachio Nut Crunch
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 un-peeled large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (Blue Spring Farms)
2 medium peppers (we used some semi-hot green ones), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (Bell Organic)
2 cups grape tomatoes (Jacob's Cove)
3 large garlic cloves, divided (Sandhill Farms)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves, divided (Bell Organic, Jacob's Cove and our own)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided (Gold Creek Farms)
1/4 cup pistachios (or pecans or whatever nuts you have)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice (or about 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, blanched with skin removed, see note below)
1 cup 2% milk (Winder Dairy)
1 pound rigatoni (Nu-Nooz)
1/2-1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (Gold Creek Farms)

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray; add eggplant and peppers.  Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise; add to sheet.  Using garlic press, squeeze 1 garlic clove onto vegetables. Drizzle vegetables with oil; toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring often, 35 to 45 minutes. 
2. Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pistachios, and 1 garlic clove in mini processor. Blend until crumbly. Season topping with salt. 
3. Blend tomatoes with juice, milk, 1 1/3 cup basil, and 1 garlic clove in processor until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper. 
4. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain. Return to pot. Toss with vegetables, sauce, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pistachio topping. 
5. Bake pasta until heated through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Option:

--if using fresh tomatoes for the sauce, use plum tomatoes if possible. Cut X in top of each tomato, place in boiling water for 10 seconds then in ice bath. Peel skin, remove skin and mash tomatoes to express juices.

--add in some chopped onion and zucchini to the eggplant and roast them all together. We did this only because we have SO MUCH zucchini that we are adding it to almost any dish we make!
adapted from BonAppetit March 2011

Quinoa Tabbouleh

This recipe is another one using the fabulous grain, called quinoa.  Tabbouleh is a dish from the Middle East and has recently become very popular. It is a dish made of corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and green onions.  It is often seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.  This dish is great cold and hot. This delicious is a great one to make! Enjoy!

Quinoa Tabbouleh
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions,  and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa. 

Zucchini-Feta Pancakes

This recipe is one recommended by a local farmer!! For all of you who buy from Rockhill Creamery Farmstead Cheese, this recipe is from Jennifer Hines, the maker of Rockhill Creameries farmstead cheese.  Not only is this recipe delicious but it also brings to life her delicious cheeses! As of this summer, my girl scout troop along with my mom and I went up to visit Rockhill Cremery and all of their cows.  While up there, we saw a calf and some goats.  It was a wonderful trip and we had tons of delicious food! On another note, this recipe is a little altered from Jennifer Hines original recipe she sent us. First, we made it the way Jennifer suggested then we decided to alter it a bit. We had some old sun-dried tomato bread that we bought from Volkers Bakery so we decided to make this into bread crumbs and add it to this recipe for a little extra flavor.  Of course, we liked our altered version better so, experiment a little yourself with different herbs and seasoning and see if you can make it even better.


Ingredients:

Zucchini-Feta Pancake with Tabbouleh and Fresh Corn

4 eggs, separated (Clifford Family Farms)
4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese (Rockhill Creamery)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
3 tablespoonfuls chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped dried tomatoes, soaked in water
1 cup flavored bread crumbs (we used Sun-dried Tomato bread from Volkers)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
Canola Oil for frying (we actually used butter to keep it 100% local)
Yogurt for topping (used our homemade yogurt)

1. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
2. Squeeze all the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini by pressing in a colander or by wrapping up in a linen dishtowel and squeezing until most of the liquid is gone.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine zucchini, egg yolks, feta cheese, green onions, basil, bread crumbs, and flour.
4. Fold the egg whites into the zucchini mixture.
5. Heat a little oil or butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add spoonfuls of batter and fry on both sides until golden and crisp.
6. Serve immediately topped with yogurt if desired.
source: The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen but given to us by Jennifer Hines from Rockhill Creamery.