Ahh, the mid-summer harvest. I love farmers markets in the mid-summer. All the fresh produce, the different varieties of the same plant. Love it!

The week of the Fourth of July, I got out of Raleigh as quick as I could, like everyone else in town, and headed to the mountains or the beach. Friends have an organic farm in the mountains, so off we went. About an hour out of Asheville, we harvested, cooked and hauled off many varieties of greens. Kales, mustard, spinach, et cetera, all right out of the ground and off to the restaurants and farmers markets. Squashes, berries et cetera. I was in heaven.

We went to a few restaurants in Asheville that supported the Farm to Fork programs, so I got to see first hand where the produce my friends were growing was going to be processed into wonderful foods and menu items. This gave me the idea for the first of many blogs to come.

The local farmer’s market in Rocky Mount at 1006 Peachtree St. in the historic Mill District is a great place to get that summer fix. One of my favorites is peach and blueberry cobbler. When we were up in the mountains, I fixed one of the best recipes I’ve ever had of this wonderful Southern concoction.

Unlike the Northern versions, which have a crust placed on top of the fruits and baked much like a pie, this one has the batter on the bottom, the fruit on top and when baked they meld into heaven. Crunchy, sweet, tasty. Even cold the next day for breakfast, yeah it was really good, or reheated the next day with ice-cream, or even just to nibble on. It was fantastic.

My mother, who is a great cook in her own right, loved it, and our friends thought it was a taste of home. (They’re originally from Beaufort.)

You should be able to find peaches and blueberries at the market, or you can e-mail manager Jimmy Winters at jgwinters@embarqmail.com to see if they’re in that week or not. Or, you can go online at http://www.farmersmarketrm.com to see what the market could have. The website has a great list of produce and when it is most likely to be available. (Remember, nothing is guaranteed. Trucks break down, and rain or drought can cause problems. Always go to the market with the plan to do one thing but be ready to try another!)

The website also have the times and days listed for ya, but I’ll list them so you know. The Rocky Mount Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April through November and from 3 to 6 p.m. on a limited number of Fridays during July and August.

So, stop by the market, pick up some blueberries and peaches and try this cobbler. Make sure you top it with some ice-cream!

Enjoy.

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DESSERT

Peach And Blueberry Cobbler

I love this recipe so much I have it on my phone so it’s with me wherever I go!

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 medium peaches, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon brown or granulated sugar

2/3 cup fresh blueberries, washed

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Combine the blueberries and peaches in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon of either sugar, toss to coat well and set aside. (Some recipes call for cinnamon or nutmeg for this, but I let the fruits freshness come through and don’t add the spices!)

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl. Add the milk to combine and then add the melted butter to combine.

Grease a 12-by-8-by-2-inch glass baking dish. (You can use ceramic or other dish, but aluminum isn’t recommended. It reacts with the fruit!)

Pour the batter into the greased baking dish, then evenly spread the fruit over top of the batter.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until it’s crusty, bubbly and yummbly!