By Nathalie Dupree
An excellent cook once said to me, after seeing a classic recipe changed, “Why would anyone change the tried and true?”

In fact, the tried and true is never the same in a recipe. Whenever one thing changes – be it margarine vs. butter, fresh vs. frozen peaches, a national flour like Pillsbury vs. White Lily or Martha White, skim milk vs. whole milk – a recipe changes. Sometimes it is just a variation, and sometimes it enhances it for the better.

Take, for instance, cobblers. Now, when I say cobbler, I don’t mean the lattice topped pies, or the crumbles served as cobblers. I mean the kind of dessert that is full of fruit with a self rising flour batter which magically rises to the top over the fruit, giving crisp, buttery edges on the sides and a lovely brown crust on top. And it is easy, so much that my friend Keri calls it “Lazy Girl Cobbler” because it is so easy. I call it my one cup cobbler, because all the ingredients are one cup except the fruit, which is two cups, and the butter which is a half a cup. At any rate, when it is just too much work to do much of anything for dessert, but you still have to make one that is delicious, everyone will love, and pretty, it is time for cobbler.

The classic one to me is a peach cobbler. I’ve varied it by adding candied ginger, brown sugar, or cinnamon. The same thing is true of apple cobblers – they gobble up cinnamon and brown sugar, and even welcome a bit of grated nutmeg. I’ve added – gasp – chocolate to raspberry cobbler.

But I’ve left the safe altogether and used a combination of fruits – raspberries or strawberries, blueberries and white peaches – to make the tried and true recipe adapt to any patriotic occasion. Of course, if white peaches weren’t available, and one was forced to use white ice cream, well….how bad could that be?

Lazy Girl Peach Cobbler

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup self-rising flour, preferably White Lily or Martha White
1 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sliced peaches

Melt the butter in a 9″ by 13″ heatproof dish or pan in the oven as it preheats to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and milk. It can be just a bit lumpy. Sprinkle the sugar over the peaches and let sit while butter melts and oven preheats. When the butter is melted, remove the hot pan and pour the batter in the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry if the side puffs up and browns a bit. Sprinkle the fruit over the top of the batter. Bake 45 minutes, or until batter has risen around the fruit , the top is light brown and the sides are a darker brown.

Variations:

Add 1 Tablespoon chopped candied ginger, and or 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash nutmeg
Substitute brown sugar (light or dark) for the white sugar
Use frozen peaches, in which case add the sugar to the flour mixture while whisking

Apple Cobbler

Put the two cups apples in the pan with the butter to cook slightly while preheating oven. Whisk the sugar in with the flour and milk. Add 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon and grated nutmeg to taste to the apple-butter mixture and stir. Pour the batter on top. Bake 45 minutes or until batter has risen around the fruit, top is light brown and sides are a darker brown.

Variation: Use brown sugar; add chopped candied ginger; remove spices and bake without any.

Red, White and Blue Cobbler

Since berries are liable to pack more densely than peaches and apples, it is important to use less when adding them to a cobbler.

1 cup white peaches
1 cups mixed blueberries, raspberries and quartered strawberries
1 tablespoon chopped candied ginger

Measure the peaches in a two cup measuring cup, add the berries on top until the two together measure two cups. Pour into a bowl and add the ginger and one cup of sugar.
Meanwhile, melt the stick (1/2 cup) butter in a x by x pan in the oven as it preheats to 350 degrees. Whisk together the 1 cup of self-rising flour and 1 cup of all purpose milk, until reasonably smooth. Remove the melted butter from the oven, add the fruit mixture to the oven, top with the batter, and bake until the batter has risen around fruit, top is light brown and sides are a darker brown.

Variation:

White or dark chocolate may be added to the fruit.

Cobblers are best served hot, but may be frozen and reheated, or served at room temperature. A good cobbler never turned down ice cream or whipping cream, but is fine without.

Great with grilled seafood, chicken or hamburgers!

2 cups chopped Vidalia® onions
1 cup diced, unpeeled pear
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from a 7-ounce jar)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine onions, pear, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Yields 3 cups.

Vidalia® Onion Committee

A rich Southern favorite!

3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crunch Topping

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with crunch topping.

Crunch Topping:
2 1/2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In small saucepan, melt margarine and stir in remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over soufflé before baking. Bake for 35 minutes. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Debbie Healy
Atlanta, Georgia

This winner contains the best form Georgia and the coast

1/2 cup peanut
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large Vidalia® onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 banana peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1 cup chopped okra
2 pounds shrimp, peeled
Salt
Pepper
Cajun seasoning salt
3 cups cooked rice
Red pepper slices (garnish)
Chives (garnish)

To make a roux: heat oil in heavy pot or saucepan. Sprinkle flour into oil, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Cook until the mixture is the color of caramel and has a gravy-like consistency.

Add onion, bell pepper, banana peppers and garlic to the roux; cook 15 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and okra; cook additional 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve over hot rice. Garnish with red pepper slices and chives. Yields 6 servings.

Karen Nelson
Savannah, Georgia
First Place Main Dish
Savannah 1994 Great Taste of Georgia Recipe Contest

A crunchy coating gives this fresh trout special appeal

4 large trout fillets (about 6-8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
1 cup toasted pecans halves
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten with 2 to 3 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided in half
2 tablespoons butter, divided in half

Season trout fillets with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs with pecans in blender or food processor. Grind pecans finely, combine with remaining breadcrumbs and rosemary and transfer to plate. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg wash. Place fillets skin-side up on crumb mixture, pressing into flesh. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium-high heat. Place 2 fillets skin-side up in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using spatula, turn fillets and cook until opaque in center, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and fillets. Yields 4 main dish servings.

Georgia Pecan Commission