Thursday, April 21, 2011
With Winnie-the-Pooh "blustery" in mind this morning, Mr. Weather has brought us swirling, blowing clumps of snowflakes the size of quarters that instantly give the impression you're in the middle of a giant snow globe and someone is shaking hard. This is just another spring day in Vermont but I do not like it.
There is something neat about the first snowstorm of the year and snow for the holidays is something you really want. But at the end of the season such as April, everyone is ready for green grass, spring bulbs, new born lambs and pancakes with fresh maple syrup. It's been so "different" this year that there are still some syrup producers making syrup of very good quality because their sugar bushes are so snow packed, the trees haven't even thought of budding out.
Days like today and yesterday force all gardeners to stay inside and make final preparations for when they can get out and plant. A lot of gardeners are good cooks too and sometimes they take advantage of a day like today and cook. That's what happened here yesterday. I was looking through our two recipe boxes Saturday trying to find my recipe for olive stuffed cheese balls and I came upon a misfiled recipe my mother wrote for me over thirty years ago. Sadly as her health failed in the late 90's, her love for and mastery at cooking ceased. She could still write out recipes from her old cookbooks and share guidance and recipes on things from her mother's and grandmother's collections. One of those recipes is labeled Berry-Marble Cobbler.
My mom made this cobbler a bazillion times and I'm sure she hand-wrote the recipe dozens of times. I know she used to always make one (among many other things) for the St James Church Fair and there were always requests for the recipe as a result. This is a very easy recipe and one she usually made with blueberries but often with an assortment of seasonal or frozen blackberries and raspberries. Gail made it yesterday with half cranberries and half blueberries. . Gail says just follow the recipe and you'll be delighted....even the part about the boiled water that is really critical. The berries start on the top but end up on the bottom of the dish as a custardy mix that makes the dish empty way too soon. And while you're eating, think about spring. I'm remembering my mom and what a special cook she was.
There is something neat about the first snowstorm of the year and snow for the holidays is something you really want. But at the end of the season such as April, everyone is ready for green grass, spring bulbs, new born lambs and pancakes with fresh maple syrup. It's been so "different" this year that there are still some syrup producers making syrup of very good quality because their sugar bushes are so snow packed, the trees haven't even thought of budding out.
Days like today and yesterday force all gardeners to stay inside and make final preparations for when they can get out and plant. A lot of gardeners are good cooks too and sometimes they take advantage of a day like today and cook. That's what happened here yesterday. I was looking through our two recipe boxes Saturday trying to find my recipe for olive stuffed cheese balls and I came upon a misfiled recipe my mother wrote for me over thirty years ago. Sadly as her health failed in the late 90's, her love for and mastery at cooking ceased. She could still write out recipes from her old cookbooks and share guidance and recipes on things from her mother's and grandmother's collections. One of those recipes is labeled Berry-Marble Cobbler.
My mom made this cobbler a bazillion times and I'm sure she hand-wrote the recipe dozens of times. I know she used to always make one (among many other things) for the St James Church Fair and there were always requests for the recipe as a result. This is a very easy recipe and one she usually made with blueberries but often with an assortment of seasonal or frozen blackberries and raspberries. Gail made it yesterday with half cranberries and half blueberries. . Gail says just follow the recipe and you'll be delighted....even the part about the boiled water that is really critical. The berries start on the top but end up on the bottom of the dish as a custardy mix that makes the dish empty way too soon. And while you're eating, think about spring. I'm remembering my mom and what a special cook she was.
Berry-Marble Cobbler
1 c. granulated sugar
2 c. flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1tbsp melted butter
Sift together the dry ingredients. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter and spread in greased
9 X13 pan.
Scatter 2 cups of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or other berries over the batter. Sprinkle 1 cup of granulated sugar over the berries and pour 1 1/2 cups of boiling water over all. Bake in a 375° oven for 1/2 hour or until well browned and done. Serve with cream or ice cream.
Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog snores by the fire as the snow has changed to smaller flakes, breezing horizontally by my office window from the north at 4 mph. I may be cooking some more today.....
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm--where we will help you GROW your GREEN THUMB!©
Social Networking Works!©
Visit us on Facebook at either Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens or George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
2 c. flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1tbsp melted butter
Sift together the dry ingredients. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter and spread in greased
9 X13 pan.
Scatter 2 cups of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or other berries over the batter. Sprinkle 1 cup of granulated sugar over the berries and pour 1 1/2 cups of boiling water over all. Bake in a 375° oven for 1/2 hour or until well browned and done. Serve with cream or ice cream.
Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog snores by the fire as the snow has changed to smaller flakes, breezing horizontally by my office window from the north at 4 mph. I may be cooking some more today.....
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm--where we will help you GROW your GREEN THUMB!©
Social Networking Works!©
Visit us on Facebook at either Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens or George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
3 comments:
That recipe is a keeper. Will use the wild raspberries in our backyard before the developers in the field behind us start digging the leach fields.
Just pulled this out of the oven. Yum! I had to half it since I only had a cup of frozen blueberries from last year. I also added a big splash of lemon juice to the boiling water. Delicious recipe. (=
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