Saturday, July 14, 2012

Blackberry and Peach Cobbler


f/3.2, 1/50, ISO 1600, +0.3EV

Being from Wisconsin, peach-picking was a novelty when I moved down here. Who knew peaches, like apples, could have so many varieties. Yesterday Jake and I went peach picking at Reed Valley Orchard on the north side in Paris, Kentucky. I mentioned in an earlier post on blueberry cobbler of how this place is our favorite orchard. There is hardly any commercialization at Reed Valley Orchard,  it's basically a U-pick place with a very cute country store and friendly staff. I measure commercialization by the number of goats for petting, whether there's a bridge for goats to walk on, and the number of haystack slides. Pretty accurate, don't you think?


This is my favorite peach variety, the flat yummy. They sure are yummy.

f/5, 1/30, ISO 1600, +0.3EV


f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 100

 Much of the produce at Reed Valley Orchard is affected due to the early spring and late frost, therefore we were not able to pick peaches and we decided to pick some blackberries instead. There's a trick to picking blackberries. You see, there are millions of june bugs, beetles, occasionally some wasps that also enjoy the sweet and juicy blackberries. One can't pick blackberries without attacks from these buzzers, and I am speaking from experience. The trick is to gently shake the blackberry bush with a stick, duck down, wait for buzzers to fly pass you, then pick the berries.

f/5, 1/125, ISO 100


About a year ago I made peach cobbler. While I was looking at that post, "yikes!" was all I could think about. What a year of blogging and photographing can make a difference, I sure have came a long way.

f/3.2, 1/50, ISO 1600, +0.3EV

There is a secret ingredient in this blackberry and peach cobbler. Mrs. Reed of Reed Valley Orchard kindly gave me two green apples (I believe the variety is called Earli-Gold) and suggested that I add the apples into the fruit mix. The apples would intensify the fruit flavor without overpowering with its apple taste. She was right, this was the best (and simplest) cobbler I have ever made.


Blackberry and Peach Cobbler

Fruit mix:
2 pounds peach, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
5 cups blackberries (4 cups if you add apples)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch

Whole Wheat Biscuits:
1.5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut in small pieces
2/3 buttermilk (approx. see #2)
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Mix all fruits, sugar, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour fruit mix into a 13x9 baking glass pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
4. Beat egg in a one-cup measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup with buttermilk. Set aside.
5. Add butter into dry ingredients, use a dough blender to mix butter in until pea size.
6. Add egg-milk mixture to dry ingredients. Mix with a few strokes.
7. Roll out dough in a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter/ circular cookie cutter.
8. When time is up, remove pan from oven. Carefully lay biscuit dough over fruit mix, until all surface is covered evenly with biscuit. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until biscuits are slightly browned.

3 comments:

  1. Looks wonderful! One really can't improve on some combination of blueberries, peaches and blackberries ... except maybe with some apple. (I'll have to to try that!)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Michelle! I love summer fruit desserts, so many possibilities.

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  2. I need to get to Reed Valley soon! This sounds delicious!

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