Individual Fresh Peach Cobblers — perfect during peach season

     It’s peach season and we’ve been enjoyed fresh peaches and cream (actually Greek Gods® Honey and Vanilla Greek yogurt which as good as, or better than cream) almost every day.

    Then I started thinking about my Mom’s Cobbler Recipe and decided to downsize it to make just two individual servings.  Here’s what I did . . . 

Individual Peach Cobblers

½ cup granulated sugar

½  cup all-purpose flour

½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened

1 egg

Fruit – in this case fresh peaches, peeled and cut to cover bottom half of tart and sweetened to taste with sugar + a little cinnamon.                  

1. Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray individaul tart dishes. (I used 4" dishes which made for large individual portion but fresh peach season is only once a year!)
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, butter and egg. 
   
   
   
   
3. Arrange fruit in  prepared tarts; spread batter over the 2 tarts—it does not have to cover every surface.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown. 
   
5. Serve warm or cold; great with Greek Gods® Honey and Vanilla Greek yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream.
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Individual Peach Cobblers

½ cup granulated sugar

½  cup all-purpose flour

½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened

1 egg

Fruit – in this case fresh peaches, peeled and cut to cover bottom half of tart and sweetened to taste with sugar + a little cinnamon.                  

1. Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray individaul tart dishes. (I used 4" dishes which made for large individual portion but fresh peach season is only once a year!)
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, butter and egg. 
3. Arrange fruit in  prepared tarts; spread batter over the 2 tarts—it does not have to cover every surface.
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown. 
5. Serve warm or cold; great with Greek Gods® Honey and Vanilla Greek yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream.

Excited about . . . Garden Vegetable Stew with or without Dumplings

     A few weeks ago, two young boys and their mom came to our house to visit.  Before they left, they picked vegetable in our garden. They were both super excited and the youngest one said to his mom, “When we get home you can make vegetable stew!”

     His words were my inspiration and now I, too, am EXCITED about garden vegetable stew. As a matter of fact I’ve made it three times in the last three weeks.

     The meatless stew is full of flavor and quite filling; Barry didn’t even miss the meat. And, if you really want a hearty dish, I’ve added a variation that includes topping the stew with dumplings made from a homemade baking mix.

     And, of course, since it’s garden vegetable stew, use whatever veggies and herbs  are available in your garden or at the Farmer’s Market.

Garden Vegetable Stew

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small to medium onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 or 3 summer squash, such as yellow crooknecks or zucchini, diced

A handful or two of okra, cut into about ½” chunks

2 or 3 carrots, diced

2 or 3 potatoes, diced

1 or 2 handfuls of kale, stems removed and finely chopped

3 or 4 bushy sprigs of fresh thyme

4 of 5 sprigs of parsley

1  bay leaf

About 1 ½ to 2  cups peeled and chopped tomatoes

Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

32 oz. carton beef, chicken or vegetarian broth — divided use (may or may not use it all)

1. Heat oil over medium heat in Dutch oven or stockpot. Add diced onions and green pepper and sauté until tender.
   
2. Add diced summer squash, chunked okra, diced carrots and potatoes.
   
3. Add finely chopped kale. 
4. Tie kitchen string around the base of the thyme and parsley, immerse into veggies, tying the string about the handles of the pot for easy removal. Add bay leaf.
   
5. Add tomatoes + salt and pepper to taste.
   
6. Add about half the carton of broth. Bring stew to a boil, reduce heat, add lid and allow the stew to simmer until veggies are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes or longer. Check occasionally, adding more broth as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. 
   

Stew with Dumplings

I made just a small batch of dumplings to go with this stew. For the full size recipe, to our link—Easy Dumplings.

½ cup Baking Mix, homemade or commercial (such as Bisquick®)

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1. Add milk to the Baking Mix all at once, stirring about 30 strokes.
2. Add enough broth to the stew to make it soup like. (At this point, I use the rest of the 32 oz. box of broth)
3. Bring stew/soup to a boil.
4. Drop by teaspoons (as in dinner table teaspoon) on top of boiling stew.
   
5. Cover and simmer 12 minutes without removing cover.
   

Recipes without photos . . .

Garden Vegetable Stew

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small to medium onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 or 3 summer squash, such as yellow crooknecks or zucchini, diced

A handful or two of okra, cut into about ½” chunks

2 or 3 carrots, diced

2 or 3 potatoes, diced

1 or 2 handfuls of kale, stems removed and finely chopped

3 or 4 bushy sprigs of fresh thyme

4 of 5 sprigs of parsley

1  bay leaf

About 1 ½ to 2  cups peeled and chopped tomatoes

Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

32 oz. carton beef, chicken or vegetarian broth — divided use (may or may not use it all)

1. Heat oil over medium heat in Dutch oven or stockpot. Add diced onions and green pepper and sauté until tender.
2. Add diced summer squash, chunked okra, diced carrots and potatoes.
3. Add finely chopped kale. 
4. Tie kitchen string around the base of the thyme and parsley, immerse into veggies, tying the string about the handles of the pot for easy removal. Add bay leaf.
5. Add tomatoes + salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add about half the carton of broth. Bring stew to a boil, reduce heat, add lid and allow the stew to simmer until veggies are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes or longer. Check occasionally, adding more broth as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. 

Stew with Dumplings

I made just a small batch of dumplings to go with this stew. For the full size recipe, to our link—Easy Dumplings.

½ cup Baking Mix, homemade or commercial (such as Bisquick®)

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1. Add milk to the Baking Mix all at once, stirring about 30 strokes.
2. Add enough broth to the stew to make it soup like. (At this point, I use the rest of the 32 oz. box of broth)
3. Bring stew/soup to a boil.
4. Drop by teaspoons (as in dinner table teaspoon) on top of boiling stew.
5. Cover and simmer 12 minutes without removing cover.

Easy Dumplings . . . using a Homemade Baking Mix

     Our MIXES and MORE tab (at the top of the page) contains some of my collection of mixes and links to others. One of those links is to a recipe for homemade Baking Mix (similar to Bisquick®). The Baking Mix recipe came from a Kansas State University Extension pamphlet and I try to keep this mix on hand at all times. It can be used in any recipe calling for a commercial baking mix. In the past, I've posted recipes that use the mix including: biscuits—plain or cinnamon raisin, pancakes or waffles, even sausage ball appetizers.  We often mix up a batch of dumpling batter that we add to soups and stews; here's the recipe we use . . .

Dumplings
4 Medium Dumplings
1 cup Baking Mix
1/4 cup milk

12 Medium Dumplings
3 cups Baking Mix
3/4 cup milk

1. Add milk to Baking Mix all at once, stirring about 30 strokes.
2. Drop by tablespoon (as in dinner table tablespoon) on top of boiling stew.
3. Cover and boil gently 12 minutes without removing cover.

Small dumplings added to Garden Vegetable Stew.

Note: Dumplings can also be dropped as a topping on a meat or vegetable casserole and baked in a hot oven (400 to 425°) about 20 minutes.

Homemade Apple Pie Filling ... goes into the freezer

‘Tis the season—I’ve made a couple of batches of crabapple jelly and haven’t even come close to making a dent in the crabapples that fill just one tree. We’ve been enjoying peaches from a friend’s tree, and lots and lots of apples from our neighbor’s tree. I’ve made Old-Fashioned Applesauce, Rosy Applesauce, an apple dumpling dessert and just finished a big batch of Apple Pie Filling that I’ll turn into apple cobblers next week.

Apple Pie Filling     Makes about two 9x13” cobblers or two to three 8 or 9” pies

9 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

Lemon juice diluted with water (see step #1)

3 cups water

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and water solution (about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water, or more as needed and set aside; drain before adding apples to thickened mixture (step #5)
2. Pour 3 cups water into a Dutch oven or pot; set heat to medium.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg — be sure to mix well, otherwise cornstarch will clump when added to the hot water.
   
4. Add mixture to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
5. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

   

   Apples were just added to the syrup solution.

   

   Apples are cooked to the tender-crisp stage.

6. Cool for 30 minutes.
7. Use immediately or refrigerate for several days. Filling may also be frozen—ladle mixture into freezer containers, leaving ½” headspace.

Recipe without photos . . .

Apple Pie Filling     Makes about two 9x13” cobblers or two to three 8 or 9” pies

9 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

Lemon juice diluted with water (see step #1)

3 cups water

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and water solution (about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water, or more as needed and set aside; drain before adding apples to thickened mixture (step #5)
2. Pour 3 cups water into a Dutch oven or pot; set heat to medium.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg — be sure to mix well, otherwise cornstarch will clump when added to the hot water.
4. Add mixture to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Cool for 30 minutes.
7. Use immediately or refrigerate for several days. Filling may also be frozen—ladle mixture into freezer containers, leaving ½” headspace.

Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Ham

We are definitely spilt pea soup fans and I’ve already posted two perfectly good Split Pea Ham soup and Split Pea Soup. However, I couldn’t resist trying this version done entirely in a slow cooker. It was quite tasty and definitely nice to come home to the savory aroma of this soup after being gone most of the day.

Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ cups dried green split peas (8 oz.)

About 1 cup diced ham (I used part of a ham steak)

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Dash cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (32 oz.) carton chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping, optional

Chopped chives for garnishing, optional

1. Layer onion, carrots, garlic, split peas, ham, potato, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaf in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker; pour in broth.
2. Cook, covered, on High 4 to 6 hours or on Low 8 to 12 hours, or until split peas are tneder and form a puree when soup is stirred. Discard bay leaf.

   

   I cooked this soup on Low for just about 5 hours and it was done . . . but held in the slow cooker for longer.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top with sour cream or yogurt and garnish with chopped chives, if desired.

Recipe without photos . . .

Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ cups dried green split peas (8 oz.)

About 1 cup diced ham (I used part of a ham steak)

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Dash cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (32 oz.) carton chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping, optional

Chopped chives for garnishing, optional

1. Layer onion, carrots, garlic, split peas, ham, potato, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaf in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker; pour in broth.
2. Cook, covered, on High 4 to 6 hours or on Low 8 to 12 hours, or until split peas are tneder and form a puree when soup is stirred. Discard bay leaf.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top with sour cream or yogurt and garnish with chopped chives, if desired 

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s) – a recipe with a story

     If you want a good read with LOTS of laughter, pick up a copy of Being Dead Is No Excuse, The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. A friend sent me a copy for my birthday several years ago. I couldn’t put it down and I laughed so much that tears were streaming down my face. Since then I’ve used it as a program for a literary group, serving recipes that are included with the text. Plus, it has been the subject for a couple of our past cooking classes. The recipes are delicious, the text is delightful . . . so don’t be put off by the title.

     Lowery’s Fudge Cakes are wonderful and, of course, they have a story. Below I’ve included the header that appears with the recipe. In addition the authors add other tidbits at the end of the recipe . . . but you’ll just have to obtain a copy of the book in order to view all their secrets. 

     The book is chock full of southern recipes, from several versions of stuffed eggs and Reincarnation Shrimp Dip to The Methodist Ladies’ artery-clogging Lasagna Florentine. And the Fried Walnuts really are “to die for.”

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)   Make 18 really large square or 24 medium squares

No Greenville native of a certain age will ever forget the pleasure of biting into a piece of Lowey’s fudge cake. It was sold exclusively at the old Lowery’s Motel. We still remember how it was cut into squares and neatly wrapped in wax paper. After the Lowery ladies died and the motel became but a fond memory, custody of the fudge-cake recipe was passed to another lady in the church. It still arrives for the reception in perfect square, wrapped in the traditional wax paper, though now the ladies of the Pastoral Care Committee unwrap it and arrange it on a silver tray. It never lasts long.

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)

2 sticks butter

4 squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1 ⅓ cups of semisweet chocolate chips)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together.
   
3. Add the sugar. Stir until melted. Cool slightly.
   
   
   

   

   Mixture is cooling on a marble slab.
4. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, one at a time.
   
5. Fold in flour and salt.
   
6. Add vanilla and chopped pecans.
   
7. Pour the mixture into a buttered 9 x 11-inch pan.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes. Start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. To be a purist, your straw for testing should come straight from the broom.
   

Being Dead Is No Excuse, The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays is available 

@ Amazon or Barnes & Noble 

Recipe without photos . . .

Lowery’s Fudge Cake(s)

2 sticks butter

4 squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1 ⅓ cups of semisweet chocolate chips)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together.
3. Add the sugar. Stir until melted. Cool slightly.
4. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Fold in flour and salt.
6. Add vanilla and chopped pecans.
7. Pour the mixture into a buttered 9 x 11-inch pan.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes. Start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. To be a purist, your straw for testing should come straight from the broom.

Old-Fashioned Applesauce – from tree to sauce

With an abundance of apples, our neighbors invited us over to pick. Shortly after arriving home, I cut up a bunch for applesauce. Normally I peel the apples but decided I’d experiment and run the cooked, unpeeled apples through our NutraBullet. After several whirls in the bullet, I ended up with smooth applesauce – after the first try, the skins were still evident but with a little more processing, I had the texture I was looking for.

Old-Fashioned Applesauce

Apples (such as Greenings, Jonathans or Winesaps . . .  or whatever your neighbor has on the tree)

Water

Brown sugar

Ground Cinnamon

Apple Cider, optional – if more liquid is needed during processing

 Wash, core and chop apples into chunks. (Peel, too, if you prefer).

1. Place apples in saucepan and add water about ½” deep in pan; cover and simmer about 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
   
2. Sweeten to taste with sugar. (I prefer brown sugar, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per 4 medium apples – I also opt for not too sweet applesauce so increase if you wish.) Add cinnamon – about ½ teaspoon per 4 apples.

   

   Cooked apples that have been sweetened with brown sugar.

3. Cool and then process in batches in NutraBullet, making sure to add enough cooking liquid or apple cider to allow the apples to move in the machine. If apples were peeled, a food processor could also be used for this step.
   
   
   
   
4. Refrigerate.

To create an Applesauce Parfait . . . sprinkle Cinnamon Oat Crunch Topping over applesauce and top with yogurt  (my favorite is Greek Gods® Honey Vanilla Yogurt).

Also check out our Rosy Applesauce recipe—made with red hots!

Recipe without photos . . .

Old-Fashioned Applesauce

Apples (such as Greenings, Jonathans or Winesaps . . .  or whatever your neighbor has on the tree)

Water

Brown sugar

Ground Cinnamon

Apple Cider, optional – if more liquid is needed during processing

1. Wash, core and chop apples into chunks. (Peel, too, if you prefer).
2. Place apples in saucepan and add water about ½” deep in pan; cover and simmer about 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Sweeten to taste with sugar. (I prefer brown sugar, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per 4 medium apples – I also opt for not too sweet applesauce so increase if you wish.)  Add cinnamon – about ½ teaspoon per 4 apples.
4. Cool and then process in batches in NutraBullet, making sure to add enough cooking liquid or apple cider to allow the apples to move in the machine. If apples were peeled, a food processor could also be used for this step.
5. Refrigerate.