Summer is here! We’ve been really lucky that so far the summer seems to be pretty mild here in Arizona. We can actually enjoy our dinner out in the arbor, and it’s not already 100 degrees at 10:00 AM. Our garden is really going bananas, and we’re already up to our ears in tomatoes and zucchini. Our watermelon vines are about to take over the yard. And pretty soon we’re going to have our own homegrown corn. Summer doesn’t get much better than this.

One of the greatest things about summer is fruit. If you don’t have your own fruit trees, you’re bound to get amazing deals on peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and everything else under the sun just by taking a stroll through your local farmers’ market. Here is one of my favorite summertime recipes that utilizes seasonal fruit.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler – Get ready for a party in your mouth!
Filling
2 1/2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (6-7 medium)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt

Biscuit Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
5 Tbsp COLD unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. For the filling: peel the peach, the halve and pit each one. Using a melon baller, scoop out and discard the dark flesh from the pit area. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Gently toss the peach and sugar together in a large bowl and let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times. Drain the peaches in a colander set over a large bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup of the drained juice (discard the rest) with the cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium saucepan, toss the fruit and the cornstarch mixture, and over a medium-high heat, stir the fruit until the juice starts to bubble and thicken, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.

3. For the topping: In the food processor, blend all of the dry ingredients, including the lemon zest. Add the butter, and pulse the mixture until the butter is completely cut into the flour and it resembles a course meal. Add the yogurt and pulse until everything is just mixed.

4. To assemble: Pour the fruit into an 8-inch baking dish. Then scoop the biscuit topping over the fruit. Sprinkle the top with 1 tsp of sugar. (I like to use turbinado sugar for this, because it gives the biscuits a nice, crackly texture.) Bake until the topping is golden brown, about 16-18 minutes.

You could serve this right out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. I like to substitute vanilla yogurt for the plain yogurt that the recipe calls for, because it gives the biscuit a wonderful flavor. Just be sure to cut back a little on the sugar, or this will be too sweet.

I’ve also used canned peaches instead of fresh. It saves a lot of time, and you may not always have fresh fruit on hand. Just be sure to buy the fruit in light syrup. Drain off the syrup, but reserve 1/4 cup to make the filling. I use two 15 ounce cans of fruit.

Next week I’ll be sharing some food storage tips to help you stretch your food dollar by putting away seasonal fruit for the Fall and Winter.