Tomato and Vegetable Cobbler

When you think of cobbler, you probably think of fruit, right? Well, the tomato is a savory fruit rich in lycopene, other antioxidants and Vitamin C. The tomatoes at my local farm stand are at their peak right now and this recipe highlights them beautifully. I've already made it a couple of times and plan to bring it to a pot luck supper at my church this Friday, it's that good! The cornstarch thickens the liquid drawn from the vegetables during cooking to create a light glaze. The vegetables glisten like the jewels that they are and taste divine. I used a variety of tomatoes, including plum, beefsteak, and some heirloom varieties in yellow and orange to add color and an assortment of subtle flavors. The crunchy, cornbread topping just adds to the fun!

If you're not a huge tomato fan, you can cut back on them and fill in with other vegetables that have a high water content, such as summer squash, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms, also add an additional ¼ cup liquid or stock to the vegetables along with the cornstarch to create the glaze. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator and make an excellent, simple lunch the next day. I top mine with cheese and reheat for about 20 minutes in an individual baking dish until hot. Yum!

Tomato and Vegetable Cobbler
(Makes 6 servings)

4 large tomatoes
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow summer squash
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Topping:
½ cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup cornmeal

1-1/2 tablespoons coconut flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup kefir or buttermilk (or ½ milk mixed with ½ tablespoon lemon juice and allowed to sit for 5 minutes)

Additional water, if needed, to reach desired consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Core and cut each tomato into 8 sections, then cut each section into bite-size pieces and place into a large bowl. Slice each squash lengthwise, then cut into ¾” chunks and add to the tomatoes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Allow to sit while you prepare the pan and topping.

2. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Measure the almond flour, cornmeal, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor or medium mixing bowl. Add butter and pulse until butter is distributed or cut into dry ingredients with two knives or pastry cutter until mixture is the texture of wet sand. Add egg and kefir or buttermilk and pulse (or blend with a fork) until a batter is formed. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the batter to reach the desired consistency.

3. Toss the vegetables one more time before transferring them into the prepared baking pan. Drop batter in spoonfuls over vegetables then spread batter with a knife to cover, leaving spots without batter so steam can escape during cooking. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and cornmeal topping is golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving: 166 calories, 14.6 g carbohydrate (3.9 g dietary fiber, 4.9 g sugars), 10.4 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 58.4 mg calcium, 497 mg potassium, 5.7 g protein.  Net carbs per serving: 10.7 grams

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2010, revised 2016

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without author's permission.