Peach Grilled Cheese

I have to admit, I'm much more of a fall and winter person. I don't particularly love hot weather or being eaten by bugs when stepping foot outside. I do, however, have a great appreciation for Summer's necessity in our food system, and peaches are what make the heat and humidity worth it. For the past seven summers, I've roamed San Diego's market in search of sweet and juicy peaches. My wanderings have led me to some good finds - floral white peaches from Sweet Tree Farms, sweet donut (or Saturn) peaches from Jacey's Farm, and a young crop of little ones from Good Taste Farm. Each delicious and flavorful in their own way. However, I still found myself longing for the peaches that grow about an hour south of my hometown - big, juicy, rosy-cheeked Chilton County yellow peaches. I love these peaches so much that when we'd take a trip back to Alabama in the summer, I'd designate my carryon bag to be filled solely with these (carefully packed) peaches.

This summer, I find myself back to living about an hour north of these orchards. And while I also find myself deeply missing my San Diego market wanderings, I am loving the ability to drive to the nearest farm stand or Pepperplace Farmer's Market to buy a few pounds. What I love most  about peaches is their ability to go between sweet and savory applications seamlessly, more so that any other summer produce (in my opinion). From pizza topping to ice cream, caprese salads to skillet cakes, peaches can (and should) be enjoyed in as many forms as possible while in peak season. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is in a grilled cheese. Paired with a fresh herb, some soft cheeses, a salty cured meat or pickle, and a zip from spice or vinegar, it's an unbeatable quick lunch especially post farmer's market shopping when you're looking for the fastest way to get from produce basket to tastebuds. I've written up what's essentially a non-recipe and more of a guide for using what you have on hand to make one delicious sweet and savory sandwich. 

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Peach Grilled Cheese

• Thick sliced sourdough or your favorite bread
• Soft cheese (cream cheese, labneh, goat)
• Sliced or grated melting cheese (mozzarella, brie, gruyere)
• Sliced cured meat, pickles, or other fresh produce
• Fresh peach, thinly sliced
• Fresh herbs
• Condiments: Preserves, vinegar glaze, hot sauce
• Ghee, butter, or oil

Start by spreading your bread slices with the soft cheese. Then, start stacking your ingredients on one bread slice. (I like to alternate ingredients, dispersing the melting cheese amongst the rest so that everything melds together when being grilled.) Drizzle over your condiment(s), and top with the remaining bread slice.

Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a pan over medium-low heat until melted. Swirl to coat. Add your sandwich and cover; cook for 3 minute undisturbed. Lift slightly with a spatula to see if bread is browned. Continue cooking, covered until it's toasted to your preference. Flip, and cover, and repeat. When toasted to your preference, remove the sandwich and let it stands for a few minutes before slicing. This will help it set slightly so it doesn't fall apart when eating. 

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Some of my preferred flavor combinations are below!

PEACH-BASIL (pictured)

Brie & labneh
Basil
Salami
Pepper jelly

Peach Caprese

Goat cheese & gruyere
Tarragon or chives
Thinly sliced heirloom tomato
Balsamic glaze
 

Peach-Chipotle

Cream cheese & mozzarella
Cilantro
Red onion
Chipotle hot sauce

Savory Tomato Cobbler

I used to work for a non-profit that sent me on wild and sometimes odd adventures around the country. One of those times I was flying back to San Diego from a wedding and was asked to get off the plane and meet up with one our traveling teams in the southeast. I ended up in downtown Atlanta, in an industrial loft of friends of a friend, singing "Wagon Wheel," making food, and dreaming about tomato cobbler. I can't remember the conversation trail to how this idea came about, but it's been in the back of my mind since. While there are many things that I love about living in California, my southern roots miss the warm, carb-topped comfort foods that epitomize the South. Tomatoes, chicken, and biscuits are pretty humble staples of southern cuisine, but plenty of magic can be made from them. This warm and savory cobbler, with a hint of spicy harissa, is the perfect transitional dish from late summer into those early fall, cool nights.

I've included a few variations to this dish, as the both the filling and biscuits recipes can work on their own. The cobbler can easily be made vegetarian by skipping the chicken and going straight tomato or subbing for vegetables like roasted zucchini and cauliflower. You can also short-cut this recipe by using store-bought biscuit dough (but trust me, if you have the extra time, it's worth using scratch-made biscuits). 

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Savory Tomato Cobbler

COBBLER FILLING

• Olive oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken (optional)
• 2 Tbsp sherry or wine vinegar
• 1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 4-6 tsp harissa paste
• 2 lbs of heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp cane sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
• Biscuit Topping (recipe follows)
• Heavy cream or ricotta for serving (optional)

Heat a wide pot or large and deep skillet over a medium flame and add two tablespoons of oil. Brown the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side. Set aside. 

Reduce heat to medium-low and deglaze the pan with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add another tablespoon or two of oil to the pan and stir in the onions. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions soften and start to turn translucent. While the onions are cooking, mince the garlic and cut about three-quarters of the tomatoes in half, leaving a handful or two whole. 

When the onions have softened, add the minced garlic, cumin, fennel, and harissa. Stir and toast the spices until fragrant (about a minute). Add in the tomatoes and sugar, stirring until combined. Heat until the juices come to a soft simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes to reduce the tomatoes and lower the heat if the juices begin to boil or come to a hard simmer. Gently stir on occasion to keep them from burning, taking care to not break down the tomato piece too much. After 20 minutes, mix in the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, lemon zest and half a teaspoon of salt. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary.

Shred the chicken and fold into the tomatoes. Mix cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and add to the tomato mixture. Simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat. Fill a 10” deep dish pie pan, cast iron skillet, or other oven-proof dish of similar size with the mixture. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400℉. Make the biscuit topping (instructions below) and place biscuits over the tomato filling, leaving a few small gaps for the cobbler to release moisture as it bakes. Brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of milk. Place in the middle rack of your oven with a baking sheet or piece of foil underneath to catch any bubbling. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are a nice golden brown and the cobbler is bubbling on the edges. 

Remove and serve warm in a bowl with a small pour of heavy cream or scoop of ricotta. 

BISCUIT TOPPING

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + some for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese or sour cream 
• 1/2 cup whole or buttermilk + 1 Tbsp set aside

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all dry ingredients, minus the butter, and pulse to thoroughly combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until the largest pieces are the size of English peas. The texture should be crumbly with only a small number of big butter pieces. You can also use work the butter in with a pastry cutter or by hand (like you would for a pie crust) if preferred.

Pour dry mix into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the ricotta and milk together until the texture is mostly smooth. Pour a third over the flour mixture and begin gently folding everything together with a fork, just until the wet and dry ingredients are beginning to come together. Continue in thirds until the milk is fully incorporated. At this point, you will finish the process mostly by hands (things will get a bit messy, but that's part of the fun). Knead a few times by hand until the shaggy dough starts to form a single mass. The dough will look a bit dry and crumbly. 

Lightly flour a smooth surface and turn out the dough. Gently fold the mixture together a few times to incorporate most of the dry goods. Press into a 1.5-2” thick rectangle, working any bits of dry goods left into the sticky areas of dough. Cut the dough in half, crosswise, using a bench scraper or knife. Stack one half on top of the other and press down to flatten a bit. Sprinkle the dough and work surface with additional flour, if needed, to help keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface. Roll the dough to 1” thick rectangle. Cut the biscuits into squares with a knife or circles with a round biscuit or cookie cutter. The dough should yield 8 pieces. Use any scraps to fill major gaps in the cobbler top, or reform into a small biscuit and bake separately for a cook’s treat. 

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VARIATIONS

Chutney: Skip using the chicken and begin the recipe until you start simmering the tomatoes. Extend the simmer time to 40-50 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become thick like preserves. The tomatoes are done when you can pull a spoon across the bottom of the pan and it creates a clear trail with the tomatoes flowing back in to fill the space in a second or two. Add the remaining vinegar and half a teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Remove from heat and transfer to sterilized jars for water bath preserving, or an airtight container and refrigerate for up two weeks.  

Biscuits: Make dough as directed until forming the initial rectangle. Cut into quarters and stack each on top of each other. Press down to flatten a bit. Sprinkle the dough and work surface with additional flour, if needed, to help keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface. Roll the dough to 1.5” thick rectangle. Cut the biscuits into squares with a knife or circles with a round biscuit or cookie cutter. 

Place on a lined baking sheet 1-2” apart and brush the tops with remaining tablespoon of milk or melted butter. Bake on the middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes or until a deep golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and carefully move the biscuits to a cooling rack. Enjoy, hot, with soft butter and drizzled honey or a generous slather of tomato chutney.

Strawberry Milk Panna Cotta

Featured: Strawberries
When ripe, strawberries should have a strong sweet aroma, rich coloring, and a sweetness that virtually melts in your mouth. I like to look for smaller berries, as they tend to be sweeter than the large ones. A hint for looking for a well ripened strawberry - look to see if the flesh is red all the way to stem's base. Many times when you purchase strawberries in the supermarkets out of season, they will be mostly white at the top. This is a sign that the berry likely doesn't have much flavor and will be white through most of the inside.

Nutrition: Rich in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and manganese. Also a good source of potassium and folate. 

Season: Depending on climate/region, harvest can begin as early as March and go into November. 

My love of panna cotta started at a friend's restaurant in Austin with a delicious concoction of vanilla panna cotta, sliced red grapes, and basil caviar. It's probably the happiest I've ever felt after eating dessert, which pretty much means I was fully elated because eating dessert already equals happiness. My love for strawberry milk goes back to childhood sleepovers at my grandmother's house with my cousin Emily. My grandmother was a pretty healthy eater - fresh fruit, whole wheat toast, bran cereal, vegetables from her backyard garden - but she enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren with Nesquik's strawberry milk. I don't think I'll ever forget the distinct yellow tin it came in and the way the pink powder floated through the air as we scooped it into our glasses of milk. When I set out to make this panna cotta, I wanted to feel both of those happy memories in the finished product, but with a more...natural flavor.

Panna cotta seems to have a reputation of being difficult to make which is why I had never attempted it before. The reality is, you can make it into a fussy dessert, but it doesn't have to be. This recipe makes it simple and doesn't require any fancy molds (therefore, no fear of unmolding and turning elation into depression). It's the perfect cool dessert for a warm day that won't quickly melt on you or require special equipment. And the best part is you can easily make it a few days in advance! Just be sure to cover the ramekins with plastic wrap or the like once the panna cotta has set (can be stored for up to a week).

You should heed one warning - do NOT use Horizon brand organic milk or cream. For some reason, it causes the panna cotta to turn gritty (which is definitely depressing). I found the best results from Organic Valley. Yes, it's more expensive. Yes, it tastes better. So, yes, it's worth the few extra bucks. And overall, this dessert is pretty economical. Also, finding the sweetest strawberries is always best, but if you need save a couple of dollars to buy the good milk, go for it. 

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Strawberry Milk Panna Cotta

• 1 lb strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Generous pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cold water
• 3 tsp gelatin (about 1 1/2 packets)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• A tablespoon sugar

In a medium sauce pan, combine strawberries, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Let the strawberries bubble for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, allowing the juices the thicken and the flavor to concentrate. When the fruit is very soft, turn off the heat. Use a stick blender, or carefully transfer to a regular blender, to fully puree the berries. Return the pureed mixture to low heat and stir in the whole milk. 

As the milk is heating, add the water to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface. Set aside to hydrate. When the milk mixture is hot to the touch or 120' F, whisk in the hydrated gelatin until fully dissolved. Remove from the heat. 

Set a fine mesh sieve over a mixing bowl and strain the strawberry milk through it. This will remove most seeds and any potential clumps of gelatin. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla and almond. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the mixture into glass ramekins or small glasses. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Just before you are ready to serve, toss strawberry slices with sugar and let the berries macerate for 10 minutes or longer. Spoon over the top of each panna cotta and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Summer Skillet Cobbler

SHARE ON INSTAGRAM

If you make this recipe (or any others), let me know what you try! Tag 'em on Instagram @ofthedirt with #ofthedirtrecipe or post in the comments below. I love seeing how you make and interpret my recipes - there's always something new for me to learn from y'all!

So, I have a confession. I typically test my recipes three or four times before calling them satisfactory enough to share with you, but even then, they never seem set in stone. I typically find something else I could do differently or tweak or add weeks after posting. This one, though, is on point. I made it a few times, switching out the herbs and the fruit, and it held up every time. The point to me saying this is not to brag, but to encourage you to do the same!

Don't like apricots? Trade them for peaches. Go all-berry (see pictures below). Try lavender or thyme instead of rosemary. Throw in some cinnamon and orange zest. Finish the baked cobbler off with a dusting of powdered sugar and a sprinkle of edible flowers. The cobbler world is your oyster and it's damn tasty. 

  *In light of the the past few weeks' news: Sometimes the world seems dark and full of sadness and none of it makes sense and you want to do something but nothing seems right. I truly believe that food is a way to bring people together - to show love, care, support and unity. So make a cobbler and share it with your neighbor, family or a stranger and let them know that there is good and light in the world too. Sometimes sharing the simple things can be just right.

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Summer Skillet Cobbler

Fruit

• 4 cups summer fruit (a mix of apricots, cherries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp almond extract

Place a cast iron skillet (a 8-10" cake pan or baking dish will work as well) on a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375F. 

Pit, hull, and chop fruit as necessary. Place the fruit in a mixing bowl and combine with vanilla, sugar, ginger, cardamom, cornstarch, and 1 tsp chopped rosemary. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and remaining rosemary. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the butter. As the butter is melting, stir the milk and almond extract into the flour mixture just until combined. Give the butter in the skillet a few swirls. Once fully melted, pour in the batter. Add the fruit by pouring it into the center of the skillet and letting the pieces fall into place. If it's slightly domed, that's ok - otherwise, spread towards the outer edges a bit to ensure there is fruit throughout the batter.

Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown, the batter is firm and the fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, your favorite ice cream or just eat it straight out of the pan (because, YES). 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

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All-berry cobbler - blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.

10 Minute Recipes: Summer Fridge Pickles

A special shout out and Happy Father's Day to my dad - the guy who taught me everything there is to love about pickles and photography. Here's to combing both in dedication to you :). 

The seasons are definitely starting to change here in San Diego - we're exiting the days of May Grays and June Glooms and hitting our desert heat waves. This weekend brought one with vengeance. I know, for those of you who live in places where it's 98 F and 100% humidity, I shouldn't complain. But, 95 F in a city that doesn't believe in A/C is no fun. Especially if you need or want to get in your kitchen and cook. 

Summer is one of those seasons that seems to bring foods that need (or rather, deserve) pickles, but with soaring temps, the last thing you want to do is heat up your kitchen with boiling vinegar and a canning water bath. Well, here's your perfect solution - a pickle that you can prep in 10 minutes, set in the fridge, and do nothing else but enjoy it the following day. No heat, no turning your kitchen into a steamy sauna, and no need to make 10 jars at a time. This recipe yields one perfect pint jar of summery pickles. And, if you use watermelon radishes, they may even have a delightful pink hue by the end. 

An added bonus to not using heat - the full nutritional value of the vegetables and apple cider vinegar is maintained. I would recommend using a good quality vinegar (Bragg's is my personal favorite). The acidity of these pickles is somewhat mild. If you prefer a more pungent pickle, add additional vinegar and 1 tsp sugar and 1/8 tsp salt per ounce of added vinegar. 

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SUMMER FRIDGE PICKLES

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp of each: fennel seeds, celery seeds, minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp of each: peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill seeds (or 1 dill flower)
• 2 cups sliced cucumber, radish, and/or summer squash
• Several chives or chive blossoms
• Chili pepper, optional
• Filtered water

In a glass pint jar or container of similar size, add vinegar, sugar, salt and spices. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and add the sliced vegetables, chives, and chili pepper, if desired. 

Fill the jar with filtered water up to 1/2" below the brim. Secure the lid again, gently shake a few times, and place in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours). These pickles will keep in the fridge for up to two months. 

Yield: 1 pint jar