August 16, 2011

For this week's segment of Edible Blue Ridge, Steve Russell joined CBS19's Tiffani Sargent to talk about peaches. The two discussed the different types of peaches, where you can pick them, and how to make peach cobbler.

LOCAL PEACH COBBLER
(sweetened with local honey)
Makes 8 servings

6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 to 8 ripe peaches
2 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1⅓ cups all-purpose unbleached flour*, plus 1 Tbsp.
2 Tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold milk

*Even better than all-purpose is White Lily brand flour, because it
creates ultra-fluffy dough.

1. Preheat oven to 385°F. Butter a glass baking dish. Cut peaches into ½-inch pieces, enough to fill baking dish 2 inches deep. In baking dish, toss peaches with honey, nutmeg, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. flour until well-distributed.

2. Make dough: Mix 1⅓ cups flour with sugar, baking powder, and
salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in 6 Tbsp. butter until
texture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cold milk until dough forms.

3. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto fruit, so that you have large
circles of dough with exposed bits of fruit beneath. Bake 25 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and dough is lightly browned.