August 28
Worth waiting for and coming to a location near you!!
There's not much more to say about the peaches long awaited arrival. We've been working towards this all year and can't wait to deliver them to the Eaters! Wink's done a great job of pest management this year, there's almost zero insect damage and few culls. We attended our first farmers market ever in Crest Butte this Sunday and our samples were well received.
We are looking forward to our first ever farmers market in Colorado Springs this Wednesday — that's Max's home town, and the home of our first ever CSA members. We'll see you there!
Remember we also have some processed fruit goodies and honey that look good on your shelves until all the fresh has been eaten. In fact, Max is heading to the kitchen tomorrow!
Cobble together a cobbler
Pick a baking dish sized for how much cobbler you want to make. Be sure the sides are tall enough to contain all the bubbly juices and topping. Baking dish needs enough head room for topping and sugar, about 3/4" from top. Deeper dishes are better, more room for peaches!
Wash and slice the peaches, firm ones will cook up with more structure than softer ones. You don't have to peel them unless you like it better that way.
Sprinkle the peaches with a mixture of sugar or brown sugar to taste, a little bit of flour or cornstarch to thicken (or leave the thickener out for juicier cobbler), and one or more of these spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and/or cardamon (ground or seeds removed from pods).
Preheat the fruit mixture in baking dish in the oven at about 400° while mixing the topping, about 15 minutes. This will prevent the biscuit topping from being done on top but doughy on the bottom side.
Topping
Figure 1 cup dry mix for 8x8" square pan. Increase as necessary.
1. Use your favorite biscuit mix, or non gluten biscuit mix but add a bit of sugar.
OR
2. Mix dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder (6000'), 1/2 salt, 1– 2 Tbs sugar
Cut in 2–4 Tbs butter.
Add enough milk, half and half, or water until a glop will drop off a spoon but hold its shape.
Glop it onto the hot fruit with some space between each for expansion.
Pop it in the oven at 350-375° until the top is browned and rest is bubbly. Depending on the baking dish size, 25-45 minutes. Serve warm, ice cream or whipped cream optional. After you've done this a couple of times, you won't even need a recipe!
Pick a good peach and treat it right
I've heard stories and seen peaches in this year's marketplace that are green. I know there are some farmer's who want the premium price of an early harvest whether their produce is ready or not, but we prefer good customer relationships instead. How to pick a good peach and treat it right?
- If it has the slightest tinge of green anywhere, don't buy it. It will never ripen properly.
- If you can depress the shoulder, (area at the top of peach surrounding the stem) with a firm but light touch, this peach is close to ripe or ripe. Experience is the best teacher here. Don't squeeze or poke a peach anywhere else, peaches are fragile.
- Store peaches at near freezing (colder than most fridges) or room temperature. Otherwise the "dead temp zone" will turn your peach into a mealy bland spheroid beyond consumption.
All the best, Max & Wink.