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“The drier the weather, the sweeter the peach.”

— Dori Sanders

Recipe Adapted from Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking


 
 

August 17, 2021

Photos by Amanda Greene

Pie or cobbler?

The answer, for author Dori Sanders, is both. Born during the Great Depression, she grew up among her family’s peach orchards in Filbert, South Carolina, and is long past due the same recognition that has come to Edna Lewis for documenting the rhythm of life as a Black farmer in the rural South. Her stories about silver teas and box suppers in Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking (1995) offset the disappointment of failed crops and lean harvests, when even a pinch of nutmeg or dash of wine might be a lavish flourish for a meal meant to feed a family of 12. From “seed-ordering day” in early spring to the annual fall hog killing, Sanders has a recipe for the occasion.

And part of that seasonal rhythm is the family farm stand. What is summer in the South without the moment you spot one up ahead, or maybe have to brake suddenly, and make a U-turn, to go back and linger in the shade of a simple roadside structure, choosing something for dinner picked fresh out of the field, and slipping dollar bills in a tin can or honor box next to the handwritten “help yourself” sign. Dori Sanders’ narrative really shines during fruit season, when the family’s peach shed opens at the end of the road. Her chapter “The Farm Stand Recipe Swap” commemorates those annual exchanges while deliberating over a peck of okra, a ripe watermelon, or a bushel of corn.

This year, the Sanders farm stand did not open. The pandemic has left the family shorthanded, and Miss Dori, who is 87 years old, wasn’t at home for a visit while I was reporting “The Queen of Delicacies.” But it’s still possible to share a taste of her kitchen, and her love of peaches. (Sunhigh is her favorite.)

Here is an adapted recipe for her foolproof cobbler. I recommend pulling over at a farm stand before the season ends and getting some tree-ripe peaches for this one. “As this cobbler bakes,” wrote Sanders in her cookbook, “the batter bubbles up through the peaches to form a crusty topping. For that reason, some cooks call it ‘miracle pie.’”

 
 
 
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Easy Peach Cobbler


 
 

Serves 6 to 8

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

2 cups sugar, divided

3 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup whole milk

4 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced peaches (about 5-6 medium)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

A dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Pour the melted butter into a 13 x 9 baking dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Mix well. Stir in the milk, mixing just until combined. In a saucepan, combine the peaches, lemon juice, and remaining cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Pour batter over butter in the baking pan or skillet, but do not stir together.

Spoon peaches over the batter, but do not stir them, either. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Serve warm.

 
 

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