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

Edamame Hummus

If you're in search of an easy and delicious hummus recipe but want something a bit different than the traditional chickpea dip, this edamame hummus is just the right fix! Edamame beans, when pureed, aren't as dense as chickpeas so the texture of this hummus is light, almost fluffy, but strong enough to hold deep flavors and a satisfying bite. The light green color of this hummus is a beautiful compliment to your fresh seasonal produce.

I like making a meal out of hummus by serving it with a variety of fresh vegetables, a few slices of pita bread and a little bowl of olives and feta in olive oil. Add a variety of fresh herbs to your hummus for additional flavor or mix it up when you make a new batch by adding in varying combinations of herbs (cilantro, dill + mint, basil + chives), roasted peppers, or a teaspoon of curry powder. 

You can find the recipe on Bonnie Plants' website by clicking the button or image, below.

Orange Blossom & Hazelnut Teacake

The orange trees in California have been going crazy over the last few months, celebrating the massive amount of rain we received over winter. I'm not sure if you've ever had the pleasure of smelling a blooming orange tree, but it's intoxicating in the best way. There's a house a few blocks over from us that has a single tree in the front yard. On evening walks around the neighborhood, the sweet smell of its blooms fills the air before it's even in sight. This teacake is like that tree. While there are subtle floral notes in the taste, the orange blossom component has everything to do with the smell, and it fills your nose with every bite. Dense but still crumbly, it's slightly sweet and inviting the company of a slathering of jam and cup of Barry's Irish breakfast tea (because it's the best!). 

You'll notice this recipe calls for whole wheat flour, typically taboo in cake recipes as it can add too much density, leaving you without that traditional light and crumbly texture. However, I love using the ivory wheat flour in this cake. Not only does it add nutrients and a bit of protein from the whole grains, this flour adds a delicate toasty layer to the flavor profile. By nature, it does cause the cake to be denser, but that's why you whip the egg whites! This will ensure your cake achieves a nice rise and a good crumb. The addition of hazelnut flour aids in the texture and helps to keep the cake from drying out. Finished off with a brushing of orange blossom syrup, your nose and taste buds will both be thanking you for treating them so well. 

Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for supplying me with these lovely ingredients to play with! If your local grocery store doesn't carry their products you can order the Ivory Wheat flour and Hazelnut flour online!

If you aren't sure where to find orange blossom water, it's started popping up in conventional grocery stores, but any food mart that carries a good selection or specializes in Middle Eastern products should have it. You can also order it online.

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Orange Blossom & Hazelnut Tea Cake

• 1 cup Ivory Wheat Flour (or half traditonal whole wheat, half all-purpose flour)

• 1 1/2 cup hazelnut flour (can sub with almond)

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp ground cardamom

• 4 eggs

• 5 Tbsp softened coconut oil

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 Tbsp orange blossom water

• 3 Tbsp orange blossom syrup

Preheat oven to 350’F. Grease an 8” cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Whisk together all dry ingredients (Ivory flour through cardamom) in a small bowl to remove any clumps. Set aside.

Separate the egg yolks and whites. Set the yolks aside and add the whites to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. 

In an additional mixing bowl, combine coconut oil and sugar. Beat on low speed until the oil and sugar whips together and becomes *fluffy (about 2 minutes). 

*If you haven’t creamed coconut oil with sugar before, please note that it will start out looking crumbly and then clump together before becoming smooth and eventually the consistency of a thick nut butter. It takes a bit longer than creaming soft butter with sugar (so, stick with it!).

Add in the egg yolks, and beat until the color has lightened a bit and the texture is fluffy (about 1 minute). Mix in the vanilla extract and orange blossom water just until combined. 

Working on the lowest speed, beat a third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add in half of the milk and beat to combine. Continue this process in the same order with the remaining flour and milk. 

Scoop a cup of the beaten egg whites into the batter. On low speed, mix until fully incorporated. Switching from the electric mixer to a spatula, add the remaining egg whites and gently fold them into the batter by hand, just to combine. If there are a few clumps or thin streaks of whites, that’s ok. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly through the pan. Place in the middle of your oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top begins to form small cracks and the center has risen. 

Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on the rack. Brush the top with orange blossom syrup in 2 or 3 installments, allowing a few minutes between brushings so the cake to soak up the syrup. Remove the parchment paper before serving.

The cake can be eaten as is or with a hearty smothering of jam. For a dressier finish, dust the edges with powdered sugar and decorate with chopped hazelnuts and/or edible flowers. 

Orange Blossom Syrup

Orange trees bloom like crazy in the late winter and early spring in California. If you live in an area where citrus grows, or have citrus growers that come to your local farmers market, chances are good that they'll be able to get some orange blossoms for you. Citrus growers tend to thin their trees of flowers and/or fruit in order to regulate their growing cycle, allowing the tree to use less energy and produce better fruit more often. If you're looking for orange blossoms, ask your local citrus growers when their trees bloom and if they'd be willing to sell you some blossoms. Most likely, they'll say yes. 

Since citrus only grows in very specific locations, you can make this syrup using orange blossom water and it'll be just as good! If you aren't sure where to find orange blossom water, it has started popping up in conventional grocery stores, but any food mart than carries a good selection or specializes in middle eastern products should have it. You can also order it online.

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Orange Blossom Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups orange blossoms, rinsed, or 2 Tbsp orange blossom water

Flower method: In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar on low until the sugar dissolve. Add the orange blossom and bring to a gentle simmer. Immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let the flowers steep for 12-24 hours. Drain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth and discard the flowers. 

The orange blossom syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. You can freeze it or preserve it by water bath canning for use later on. 

Orange blossom water method: In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar on low. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar dissolves and doesn't stick to the pan. Stir in the orange blossom water and remove from the heat. Cover and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

The orange blossom syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. You can freeze it or preserve it by water bath canning for use later on.