I grew up in the redwood forest of northern California. As a child I would spend countless hours running around and playing in the woods. In the summertime there was always a bounty of wild blackberries that I could pick. First thing in the morning I would wash out a milk jug and head out to collect as many blackberries as I could. After a long day of berry picking I would return home sweaty, scraped up, and stained purple. Never-the-less I was carrying my full gallon of blackberries.

Every kid that I knew had a different preference for how they consumed their harvest, and my favorite was my Mother’s Cobbler. Though she never actually used a recipe for her blackberry cobbler, I have, over the years, come up with my own version. This recipe is as always a suggested guideline. If you feel like adding a splash of grand marnier or using different berries, it’s up to you. Enjoy!

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Blackberry Cobbler

Filling
4-5 pints fresh blackberries
1/2-3/4 cup sugar depending on the sweetness of the berries plus more, for dusting
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or quick cooking tapioca starch
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

Mix together in small bowl
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine berries, sugar, lemon juice, orange zest, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

4. Remove berries from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.

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And as usual there are plenty of events on Brown Paper Tickets that can get you out in the world foraging for your food. I have picked a few that looked good to me but I encourage you to browse through and find something that’s in your neck of the woods. Check back next week for Foodie Fridays!

Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from Wednesday, August 29 to Wednesday, October 24 (also Thursday, September 13) I San Francisco Coastal Fishing/Foraging Tour With Kirk Lombard – San Francisco, California

Saturday, September 1 I Foraging in the Northwest – Portland, Oregon

Tuesday, September 18, Monday, October 15 and Monday, October 29 I Mega Low Tide Mussel/Clam Extravaganza – Princeton, California

Tuesday, October 2 I Queen Anne Farmers Market Dinner and Hands On Class – Seattle, Washington