Peachy Skillet Cobbler

By Dennis Linden

This month’s recipe, which takes advantage of the abundance of summer peaches, was submitted by Melissa’s Food Safety Director, Raymond Gonzales. The peach cobbler is an American original developed by early settlers, essentially biscuits topped with whatever fruit (stewed) was available, as in cobbled together. Interestingly, early African “immigrants” in the South developed the dish with the most prevalent fruit crop in the region, peaches, which has stuck as the iconic dish it is today. Raymond’s occupation came into play with his version of the traditional recipe. 

“I always get nominated to bring desserts for all the large family functions, having one time taken a cheesecake that everyone devoured,” Raymon explained. So, one time I was inspired by watching a random cooking show on TV to explore making a different type of dessert for the Fourth of July, which involved stone fruit. I thought it was more food safe to take a pie rather than a big pile of cheese to a picnic at the park during the summer heat. I’m also not known to follow a recipe as is. I experiment with a little research and combine or replace ingredients I think would work better. The final recipe is based on the expressions on everyone’s faces upon first bite. This one was a winner, satisfying everyone’s sweet tooth and got me voted in charge of desserts to continue.”

This is an easy recipe for home cooks of any experience that takes longer to cook than it does to prepare. Dice the peaches, blend the wet and dry dough ingredients, pour the dough mix into the skillet, top with the peaches, and sprinkle with sugar. Then wait fifty minutes to enjoy: easy-peasy. There is only one “controversy” that comes up with this recipe, which is to peel or not to peel the peach. Many cobbler recipes include parboiling the peaches for easier peeling. The traditional Southern version does not, as peach skins add a variety of colors to the cobbler, are very edible, and melt into the dish anyway. Plus, it saves a very unnecessary step. This is a comfort food dish that will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth along with a serving of fresh fruit. While peaches are the traditional component, when the season is over, try ‘cobbling’ other available fruits to substitute. 

Raymond is one of Melissa’s newest members of the team, who has expertise in one of the oldest challenges that a company in the business of handling fresh produce must deal with daily: food safety.

“When I tell people that I work in Food Safety and Quality, people’s initial reaction is ‘Oh, so you get to taste test all the food!’. While that’s true, mostly because I need to educate myself on the products we’re selling, since, for instance, I never knew what a Romanesco, Rambutan, or Mangosteen was before coming on board at Melissa’s. However, mainly I’m in charge of overseeing the overall food safety compliance for the company with all regulatory bodies, both domestic and global as well as our own customer standards. We source products from all over the world that have their own governing bodies, and the FDA has been changing its regulations, so my team, in turn, needs to find a manner to appease all parties. In some cases, it leaves an opportunity to guide and teach the importance of following regulations, which in turn helps the business grow and stay off CNN’s Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Room. In short, I’m in charge of protecting the consumer as well as our brand.”

When not teaching about regulations, he has a busy home with Marie, his wife of almost 15 years, a daughter, Ayleen (11), who is a dancer and clarinet player, and a son, Logan (7), who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a baseball player. Baseball is a key recreation as Raymond enjoys training kids in the Spring and Fall or training himself for a competition. Specifically, he enjoys fitness challenges like Spartan Obstacle Course races and other events, such as HYROX or DEKA decathlons, or a gym-inspired fundraising event. Or, as Raymond said without elaborating, “just trying to conquer some peak on a mountain.” 

In answer to whether Raymond could invite any famous person, living or from history, to enjoy a meal at his own table, he had a quick answer:

“It would have to be Gordon Ramsey. I just don’t see how sitting at a table with Gordon Ramsey would be anything less than entertaining. I know he’s come out on reality shows that paint this hard exterior, but I think in real life, he’s soft off-screen. I think we’d have a laugh of him roasting the plate I’d prepared for dinner. It would be an honor to hear what he’d have to say to improve a dish. He would also just have countless stories we would be able to talk about, especially if you’ve read his book “Humble Pie”, and if I’m lucky maybe even go back to the kitchen to cook a thing or two with him.”

Gordon in your kitchen! Well, you said you like obstacle challenges! You are a braver man than I, Raymond!

Skillet Peach Cobbler

Ingredients 

For the topping:
3 peaches, cut into ¼” pieces
2 tablespoons of sugar 

For the crust (dry):
1 cup All-Purpose Flour 
2 teaspoons of baking powder 
½ cup of granulated sugar 
½ cup brown sugar 
½ teaspoon of cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg 
1 pinch of salt 

For the crust (wet):
1 cup milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted 

Garnish
1 tablespoon of sparkling sanding sugar 

Preparation
Melt stick of butter in a 10” cast iron pan 

Cut 3 peaches into a ¼ of an inch and place into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar over the peaches and fold mixture to coat all the slices with sugar, set aside. 

For the crust: Blend the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients. Combine all.

Transfer this mix into an10” cast iron pan. Place the sugared peaches evenly across the top and sprinkle the entire dish with sparkling sugar. Bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.