Its finally come to the time of year where if you're not getting your produce from local farmers at a market like St. Lawrence, there's something seriously wrong with your modus operandi. End of summer is fantastic - peaches, plums, cherries, zucchini, tomatoes and herbs...
And it just gets better from here on out. I'm thrilled that fall is noticeably on its way (more cloudy days, cooler nights, and a teeny drop in humidity), and that means harvest season is almost here - my favourite market-shopping season, of course. Recipes get better -warmer, thicker, more complex flavours.But for this weekend, I wanted something that tasted really fresh. There's a website I found a while ago, that I consult when I know I'm on my way to the market - The Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association (PCFMA) website. The org is based in San Francisco, and they have some fantastic recipes on their site (I've hotlinked the title of this blog if you're interested in checking them out).
And I found something I'd never heard of - Tomato Cobbler. As ususal, I figured that this was a common thing that was new to me, but when I spoke with the Mom (far more worldly and experienced in the kitchen than I), she admitted this was a new conept to her, too. Well, turns out, its a good concept!
You start by sauteeing onion and garlic (1 large and 2-3 cloves). While that's going, cut up tomatoes - lots of tomatoes. I used like three pints and wish I had more - they cook down like crazy. I also used red and yellow tomatoes - this time of year they're all so pretty, and the cooking is so gentle that they won't break down or lose their colour too much. Resist making the chunks too small - big works well! Also, if you have the patience, remove the pits and gooey gunk - it just adds liquid in the end result.
Mix the onion/garlic (once its cool) to the tomatoes. Add in 1/3 cup of fresh basil, one tablespoon of cornstarch, and salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.
I got to use my mixer! You need one cup each of flour and cornmeal, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 4 tbsp cold butter, and salt (don't be gentle with the salt, either!)
Mix it, though it will still look dry. To make it more dougy, add 1 beaten egg, 3/4 cup each of buttermilk and cheese - Gruyere and/or parmesan and/or asiago... (I used a combo of the first two). When that's all mixed, fold in 1 cup of raw fresh corn kernels. Yum.
So the rest is just the mechanics. Pour the tomato mix in a large casserole dish, cover it with the batter (the batter is thick, so drop it in glops and then spread them out to cover it). Don't spread the topping over the edges like a pie - steam needs to get out of the tomatoes when it cooks. Bake it for 35-45 mins @ 375 degrees, until its golden on top and bubbly underneath.
Let it cool a lot before you serve it - that way the tomato juice isn't all runny. I had it with breadcrumb and balsamic baked chicken and homemade Caesar salad. Yum!
Now I just have one question: what do I do with a litre minus one cup of leftover buttermilk? Any suggestions?
