Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Peach Cobbler (& Writing Recipe)





I love this time of year when the fresh local produce is ripe and priced nicely. We can enjoy all the great tastes, smells and sights of another year of homegrown goodness.
Today's recipe for peach cobbler is a combination of my grandmother's method plus some quick and easy shortcuts. (Right up my alley!) Hope you enjoy.

Peach Cobbler

9 medium peaches (peeled & sliced)
1 pkg. Louisiana Fish Fry Cobbler Mix (yeah, you read that right!) or whatever your local brand
favorite is
1/2 Cup water
1 Tbsp. sugar

Wash, peel and slice peaches. Reserve peelings. Prepare cobbler mix according to package directions and let sit. Into a small pot over medium high temperature, put water and sugar. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Squeeze peelings to extract juice, then put them into pot. Cook until juice thickens a bit. Smash the peelings to bottom of pot. Remove from heat and cool.

Melt butter in baking dish, or use cast iron pot if you have one. Pour in cobbler mix, leaving a bit in the bowl for garnishing. Strain juice from peelings over sliced peaches, then pour all over cobbler mix. Top with remaining cobbler mix. Cook according to pkg. directions. Great with vanilla ice cream!














































































For you writerly types, here are a few reminders brought about by today's recipe:
  • Don't forget to use the senses when describing scenes, people and things in your work.
  • Clean up the kitchen! (Edit, revise, edit, revise...)
  • Local flavor in your setting and character building makes for tasty reading.
  • Look for ways to squeeze the goodness from a scene, chapter, stanza or description.
  • Some parts of the "fruit" are not meant to go into the "cobbler." It's better to throw them out than to ruin your WIP.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning/ingredients as you go. The best "cooks" (writers) are those who can take a recipe, tweak it and make it their own.
  • Always follow directions unless you're a master chef.
  • Share your cobblers with others. They may suggest ways to make it even better!
  • Feed your readers well, but leave 'em wanting more.

34 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

I'm not much a fruit or veggie person, but I love the scents of a fruit stand. Yum!

Amy Sue Nathan @ Suburban Kvetch said...

I am a messy chef. I think I'm much neater as a writer. Maybe that's a clue I'm on the right track w/ my career? Let's hope so!

Terri Tiffany said...

I love your analagies to writing! SOme great advice! I have never ever made cobbler and it looks delicious. Hadn't a clue how to. This one I might try.

Rebecca Nazar said...

Perfect! Peaches are on sale this week. Thanks.

Carol Murdock said...

Great recipe and great advice CUZ!
I got peaches in the fridge that NEED
dealing with!Didn't know about the cobbler
mix!Gotta send Hubby to Wally World!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Jessica, you a meat and taters girl? :)

You're def on the right/write career path, Amy.

Thanks, Terri! Let us know if you try it.

Rebecca, here too. And they smell divine!

Hey, Cuz down in Mississip. Get to cobblerin' with all those yummy peaches. You'll love how easy it is with the cobbler mix!

Kathryn Magendie said...

I Love Cobbler!
But, I am going to admit something here that people may laugh at...

I CAN'T TOUCH PEACH SKINS! EEEEKKK! I rarely get to eat fresh peaches because just thinking about touching the fuzzy skin makes me go EEEEEEKKKKKk --yup, it's true, can't touch them - can't think about touching them....!!!!!!

Jeannie Campbell, LMFT said...

love the "always follow directions unless you're a master chef." i've been seeing a lot on the writer's loop i'm a part of about keeping true to the "rules." the consensus was that until you're pubbed, just follow them. :)

Angie Ledbetter said...

LOL, Kat!!!!!!!! I'll peel some for ya, or you can always used canned, or find some jarred at a farmers market? Love this little revelation. How utterly unique. :)

Jeannie, I'm all for breaking a few rules IF you know the rules and are breaking them on purpose for a reason. *grin*

Anonymous said...

That recipe looks yummy! Thanks for sharing it. Thanks for all the good writing advice too. Great stuff.
-FringeGirl

Angie Ledbetter said...

tdf, you're welcome for both "recipes." :)

Angie Ledbetter said...

Ooo, ooo, Mr. Kotter! I just realized what an excellent opportunity I missed with the recipe/writing analogy list~~~~ We are all COBBLERS of thoughts, words, lines, stanzas, chapters, short stories and all manner of wonderful "desserts" to serve others. :)

B.J. Anderson said...

Great recipe and great tips for writers, too! I'm going to go make me some peach cobbler now. :D

Marguerite said...

What a fantastic recipe, Angie! And I love the step-by-step pics. Louisiana brand mixes are the best. I use them all, but my favorite is the etoufee mix. Have a great day!

Angie Ledbetter said...

B.J., hope your local peaches are as sweet and juicy as ours.

Marguerite, you're so welcome, sha. Like you, I love the Louisiana brand items too. Haven't tried the etouffee mix yet, though. Gonna have to rectify that soon. :)

Deb Shucka said...

The perfect post: food for thought, food for the soul, and food for a perfect summer meal. The only thing I would add is lots of whipped cream - sweet contrast and airy substance to balance the whole thing out.

Melissa Amateis said...

Peach cobbler! Oooh...that sounds SO GOOD.

Kasie West said...

My husband loves peach cobbler. And thanks for the writerly tips. So true. It's good to be reminded.

Angie Ledbetter said...

Most excellent addition, Deb. (PS I LOVED your "flying" post. Very moving.)

Git yew some, Melissa. :)

Kasie, glad you liked.

Anonymous said...

I want this. I want this NOW!!! And I've never made cobbler either, but I so want this.

And I have to admit to something along with Kat---I can't do the fuzziness either! It gives me the shivers. I buy my husband fresh peaches and myself nectarines. LOL.

Janet said...

I love cobblers, too. I usually make blackberry ones. I liked the little reminders at the end of the post. Enjoy your peach cobbler!

Liz Wilkey (a.k.a. A Mom on Spin) said...

Yummy recipe. . .great advice.

Thank you!

Carrie Wilson Link said...

YYYYUUUUUUMMMMM!

Lola said...

That looks awesome!

Anonymous said...

Hey Kat, Canned peaches work pretty well also. The only way to make this better is to have someone else make it for you.
Did one last weekend. Cast Iron rocks.
Oren

Hilary said...

That looks and sounds fantastically yummy.

Preacher Morsel said...

Oh Angie....YOU ARE SUCH A PEACH! Who woulda thunk that peach cobbler could be so easy breezy?!! Now, finding the "fish fry cobbler mix" will be a problem in the foothills of the Rockies...and I am guessing that the secret is in the fish fry. LOVED your "writerly" analogies!!! Next time you do a contest, perhaps you could send a bag of that fish fry as a prize????? That'd be just peachy keen!!!

Debbie said...

I love peach cobbler. Yum!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Sharla, bet it'd taste just as good with the thin skinned nectarines.

Blackberry is my fav, Janet. Glad ya liked the top-of-the-head tippages.

Hey, liz & Carrie!

Oren, you're so right about the cast iron, brothuh. :) ('Specially over an open fire.)

It really is, Hilary. And easy to boot!

PM, I shall do that. Next contest winner shall get Community Coffee AND Louisiana Fish Fry Cobbler Mix. I'm sure they have some inferior brand up yonder where you are. If not...be glad to send ya a care package. LOL

Debbie, really nothing like it, hunh?

Regina said...

What a great recipe! And seeing as we are moving to Georgia(!), I think yummy peaches won't be too hard to find! ;)

Dorothy said...

I'm a southern girl living in the great northwest. Ha! they ain't heard of good peaches up here.

I enjoyed your post for the peach cobbler and recipe. I just finished a WIP that takes place Georgia and there's a lot of peach cobbler and peach pie in it.

Thanks. I like the relationship of the cobbler recipe to writing. I think I should have named my blogsite - I'm Forever Tweaking.

Dorothy said...

And I can't seem to spell or construct a blog post at 2:30 in the morning. :)

Angie Ledbetter said...

Red Bird, you will love being in Peach Country! :)

LOL, Dorothy. Sorry about your peach deprivation, and I hear ya about the perpetual tweaking. Thanks for stopping in.

Anonymous said...

PM,
Louisiana Fish Fry is one of my clients. If you want anything from there, just whistle.
Oren

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