Eastern Market Inspiration for a Mother’s Day Feast

It was a beautiful weekend here in D.C.  Saturday  afternoon Courtney and I took Lila and Gwen for a walk to Eastern Market to shop for some fresh produce and find inspiration for a Mother’s Day feast.  Samples of these peaches prompted me to go with a dish I’ve been dreaming up for a while now: a savory take on a peach cobbler.  I served it with a field green salad with ripe heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese and basil.  That’s the beautiful thing about Eastern Market: you can go, see what look and tastes good and let it guide your menu.

I’m so lucky to have my Mama right here in D.C. — not only do we get to spend Mother’s Day together, but we generally get to spend an evening together at least once a week, be it a family dinner or a girls’ night out.  Lila also likes the proximity to her grandparents.  This Sunday, we took the whole crew to the dog park for a pre-dinner jaunt.

Savory Chicken and Peach Cobbler with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Thyme

A Messy Kitchen Original

Serves 4-6

For Filling:

• 2 pounds ripe peaches
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1.5 pounds chicken thigh
• 3 cloves garlic
• Several sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat; cook the onions until caramelized, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes.
2. Pit the peaches and cut into eighths; set aside.  Cut the fat from the chicken and cut into one inch cubes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat; add garlic and chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, add the peaches and caramelized onions.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in flour and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

For Topping:

• 1.5 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter (4 oz)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• egg white for brushing

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl.  Chop butter and use your fingers to combine with the flour mixture until crumbly and evenly disbursed.
2. Add the cream and mix; dough should be a bit sticky.  Break dough six even pieces; flatten slightly and place on top of casserole.  Brush with egg white and spring dough with coarse salt.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Allow to cool before serving.

And of course we had dessert…

But you will have to stay tuned for details.

Johanna