Vegetable Cobbler

I think I am going to single handedly bring gaucho pants back in style. Fact: I have not worn jeans in over a week. I’ve been living in stretchy pants – at least I am lucky that leggings are in, cuz I have been rockin those too!

And I think I’ve got a bit of cabin fever setting in too. This post-surgery rest thing is getting old. I am desperately wanting to go out for a run! And I really do want to get back in the pool to swim laps again…and get back on a bike. I’ve never been one of those people who works out every day (or regularly at all for that matter) but man, I want to be able to do something!

In an attempt to keep my sanity I researched another backpacking trip that I want to take this summer. Who knew AZ had more waterfalls and springs for me to explore and a little closer to home?!

Doesn’t it look amazing?!? {Photo source} A much shorter hike than Havasupai – but still beautiful travertine springs! It sounds like the perfect reason to use all that backpacking gear we got for our trip in October :)

I know spring is just around the corner but I have a yummy winter(ish) recipe to share with you! I have been making this for a couple years and we really love it. Initially when I think of cobbler, I think of sweets (mmm peach cobbler…) but this is a new spin on it. The veggies simmer for a bit on the stove, then are topped with a biscuit dough and baked until golden. The crunch doughy topping pairs perfectly with the veggies – it could almost be compared to pot pie.

This recipe is pretty easy to swap out veggies based on what you have in your fridge (read: use up all that produce you don’t know what to do with). I really like using root vegetables here, they lend themselves nicely to the comforting nature of the dish, but anything will do!

Vegetable Cobbler

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 fennel bulb, core removed, thinly sliced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash

2 cups chopped potatoes

2 cups peeled and chopped carrots

1 cup peeled and chopped parsnips

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups vegetable stock

3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

 

For the Biscuit Topping:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (or any herb you have on hand)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

 

Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onions, fennel and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms and mustard. Cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

 

Add the sweet potato, white potato, carrot, black pepper and water or stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

 

Stir the dissolved cornstarch mixture into the simmering vegetables, stirring constantly. When the liquid starts to thicken, mix in the peas, corn, soy sauce, salt and hot sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Pour the vegetables into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.

 

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk or yogurt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible to make a soft dough.

 

Drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle the dill over the dough.

 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serve immediately.

 

Recipe adapted from Ezra Pound Cake