They say necessity is the mother of invention. I say a CSA box is the mother of improvisation. This recipe came about when I had a glut of beautiful peak-season tomatoes and squash and was completely out of fresh ideas on what to do with them. You can add in zucchini, peppers, onion—really anything you have on hand that inspires you. You can bake this on the grill instead of an oven. Truly a versatile, choose-your-own-adventure meal!
I use Louismill Smoked Cornmeal for this recipe because I always love using high-quality local products and that smoked flavor really adds depth and contrast to these sweet summer veggies. If you don’t have smoked cornmeal, you can always add a tablespoon of smoked paprika to your cornmeal for a similar taste. Order online: Louismill.com
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1½ pounds yellow squash, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Louismill Smoked Cornmeal mix
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, diced
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare the topper: Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir to combine completely. Add in butter and use a pastry blender or a fork to work butter into flour until mixture resembles wet sand. Add in buttermilk and stir to combine, being carefully to not overwork the mixture. Set aside to rest.
Prepare the filling: Combine all ingredients and stir together, ensuring cornstarch is coating the mixture evenly.
Lightly brush or spray olive oil into an oven-proof skillet, baking dish or shallow enamel cast-iron pan. Turn out filling into prepared pan or dish and spread out evenly. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, drop biscuit-sized heaps of topper over top of filling.
Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese onto the topper and put back in the oven to finish cooking—approximately 10 more minutes. Cobbler is done with filling is bubbly, tomatoes are bursting and topper and parmesan cheese are golden brown and cooked through. Use a toothpick to verify doneness. Cooking times will vary depending on type of cooking dish used and how thick the topper is.
Serve in shallow bowls with parsley garnish.
