sweet miscellany

In this cakey cobbler, a simple lavender-scented batter is poured over juicy summer peaches and cherries then baked until golden. This vegan cobbler makes an incredibly delicious summer dessert and is quick and simple to make! Try enjoying it warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

If there’s one thing you need to know about this lavender peach and cherry cobbler, it’s that it is so dang good that I was willing to turn on my oven despite a heat index outside of 110! As much as I despise adding more heat to the house in the summer with my oven, I hate skipping out on baked summer fruit desserts even more. Since stone fruits are in season at the moment, I knew I needed a cobbler situation. Typically, I make more of a biscuit top for my cobblers. But for this vegan cobbler, I went with a simple batter that is poured over the fruit. The result is a cakey cobbler studded with juicy, tender fruit!

Why You Should Make this Lavender Peach & Cherry Cobbler

Peaches and cherries are in season so it’s the perfect time to take advantage and use these sweet fruits in a summer dessert!
It’s incredibly simple to make and really darn delicious.
The flavor combination of the floral lavender and sweet and juicy peaches and cherries is magical.
It’s vegan and can easily be made gluten free with a simple substitution depending on your dietary needs!

How to Make a Lavender Peach & Cherry Cobbler

You’ll start by preparing your fruit. The peaches will get cut into roughly 1/4 or 1/8-inch thick slices while the cherries will be pitted and halved. I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive cherry pitter to save yourself some time! If you have a freestone peach variety, you’ll be able to cut into the peach and easily pull out the stone. If you have a clingstone variety, you’ll have to cut the peach flesh away from the stone. Add your prepared fruit to a 2-quart baking dish and gently toss before squeezing over the lemon juice.

Next, you’ll focus on the batter. To really impart the lavender flavor throughout the cobbler, you’ll rub the lavender into the sugar using your fingers. Once the lavender has broken down a bit and the sugar is highly fragrant, set it aside. In a medium-sized bowl, you’ll mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest, Then, you’ll mix in the lavender sugar. Lastly, add all of the wet ingredients: melted vegan butter, oat milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until you have a smooth batter, then pour it over the fruit.

The last step is to bake the cobbler! It bakes in a 375F degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the top is beginning to turn golden and the juices from the fruits are bubbling. You can serve the cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream but it’s also equally delicious cold!

Notes on Substitutions

I used a mix of peaches and cherries here but any combination of stone fruits would be just as delicious! Aim for about 4-5 cups of fruit total.
This recipe is vegan thanks to the vegan butter and oat milk but if you eat dairy, feel free to use their standard counterparts.
You can easily make this cobbler gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. This one from Bob’s Red Mill has been my go-to for years! You’ll use the same amount of gluten free flour as all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.
If you don’t have dried culinary lavender you can either completely leave it out, or for a similar flavor, use 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary.

Other Peach Desserts to Enjoy this Summer

Brown Sugar Peach Galette with Lemon Thyme

Baked Peaches with Almond Oat Crumble

Peach Hand Pie Clouds with Thyme & Lavender Leaf

Lavender Peach & Cherry Cobbler

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

5 small/medium peaches, cut into roughly 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick slices
2 cups pitted and halved cherries
1 lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried culinary lavender
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup melted vegan butter
1 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tsp vanilla
vegan vanilla ice cream for serving, optional

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Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 375F degrees. While your oven is pre-heating, prepare your cherries and peaches, then add them to a 2-quart baking dish. Toss gently to mix. Zest your lemon, setting 1 tsp aside. Cut the lemon in half then squeeze the juice of half of the lemon over the fruit and stir once more.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the lavender. Use your fingers to rub the lavender into the sugar. Once the lavender has broken down a bit and the sugar is highly fragrant, set it aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and the reserved 1 tsp of lemon zest. Whisk in the lavender sugar. Add the melted vegan butter, oat milk, and vanilla extract and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the fruit.

Bake the cobbler in your pre-heated 375F degree oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the top is beginning to turn golden and the juices from the fruits are bubbling.

You can serve the cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream but it’s also equally delicious cold! Makes about 6 servings.

Notes

You can easily make this cobbler gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. The one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to. You’ll use the same amount of gluten free flour as the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.
If you don’t have dried culinary lavender you can either leave it out completely, or for a similar flavor, use 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Category: dessert

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto (vegetarian recipe with easy vegan and gf subs) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

A round of simple pie dough is baked until golden then topped with a basil and cashew pesto, thick slices of tomato, and mozzarella cheese. This vegetarian recipe is perfect for enjoying juicy summer tomatoes and can easily be made vegan and gluten free with simple substitutions!

Is there anything more quintessentially summer than the pairing of tomatoes and basil?! I always make sure to have both of these growing in my spring/summer garden because I love eating them as the temperatures rise. I especially love enjoying them together with little or no cooking involved so that their flavors aren’t muted or mellowed. And let’s be honest, the less I need to turn on my oven or stove during the summer, the better!

When a couple of my larger slicing tomatoes were ready for harvest last week, I knew I wanted to use them in a tart. These tomatoes are an heirloom variety named “Paul Robeson” and they have reddish brown flesh with streaks on green on their shoulders. Since these tomatoes are so striking, I wanted to keep them raw in the tart while also keeping the entire dish as easy as possible. The resulting recipe is a round of pie dough that is baked until golden, then topped with a cashew and basil pesto, slices of mozzarella, and finished with flaky sea salt and extra basil leaves. It’s simple, packed with flavor, and the perfect way to celebrate juicy summer tomatoes.

Tomato Season and Storage Tips

Here in Houston, we’re already coming to the end of tomato season! Since we’re in growing zone 9a, the first tomato harvest is usually around late April/early May. The season goes until it gets too hot for the plants to continue flowering/fruiting, usually in late June/early July. Tomatoes prefer warm temperatures that aren’t too hot, or too cold. Once high temperatures are regularly above about 85 degrees, flower/fruit productions slows and eventually halts. Since it’s 100+ degrees here, tomatoes won’t be around for too much longer!

Whether you’re growing and harvesting your own tomatoes or getting them from your local farmers market or store, make sure to store your tomatoes at room temperature! Cold storage triggers an enzyme in tomatoes that causes their cell membranes to break down which leads to a mushy texture. It also dulls their sweetness making them taste not so great! So, make sure to store them on your counter at room temperature. For larger tomatoes, I keep them in a single layer with their shoulders/stem end down because it helps prevent bruising as they ripen.

How to Make this Tomato Tart

The base of the tart is a baked round of pie dough. You’ll mix together all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour) with a bit of sugar and salt. Then, you’ll use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in chunks of cold vegan butter. Once the butter has broken down into pieces smaller than a pea and the mixture looks crumbly, you’ll start to add your ice water. The water will add just enough to moisture to bring the dough together. Pat the dough into a round disc, then cover it and allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps to hydrate the flour and chill the butter back down.

While the dough chills, you can get all of your other components together and pre-heat the oven. The pesto is made up of toasted cashews, salt, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, basil, lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, and olive oil. You can make it in either a food processor or a blender. The tomatoes will get cut into nice, thick slices then you’ll do the same with the mozzarella.

After 30 minutes, you’ll remove the dough from the fridge, lightly flour your work surface, and roll it into a round that is roughly 8 inches in diameter. Place the round on a lined baking sheet and bake it in your preheated oven until golden. Allow the baked crust to cool completely.

To finish the recipe, spread a generous amount of the basil pesto on the baked and cooled crust, then layer the tomato slices and mozzarella on top. Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves then serve!

Notes on Substitutions

You can easily make this tart vegan by using a vegan mozzarella such as the one by Miyoko’s. Or, you can use your favorite vegan cheese.
This tart can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. This one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to!
I used lemon basil here because I have an abundance of it in my garden, but you can use a standard sweet basil, too. Or, if you have both, try using half and half!
Don’t have cashews? Try using toasted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or almonds in their place.
You can use pretty much any tomato variety you like here! Larger slicing varieties will stay put easier when you cut into the tart.

More Recipes to Enjoy this Tomato Season

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto

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No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

120g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
80g diced cold vegan butter
40–50g ice water (3-4 tbsp)
1/2 cup toasted unsalted cashews
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
sea salt, to taste
packed cup of fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
juice of half a lemon, about 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium/large tomatoes
5–6 ounces mozzarella
flaky sea salt for garnishing

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Instructions

Start by making the dough for the base. Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in the cold vegan butter. Once the butter has broken down into pieces smaller than a pea and the mixture looks crumbly, you’ll start to add your ice water. Start with 40g (about 3 tbsp). If it still looks a bit dry, add a splash or two more so that you can bring the dough together in a ball. Pat the dough into a round disc that is about an inch thick, then cover it and allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

While the dough chills, pre-heat your oven to 425F degrees. Make the pesto next. Add the toasted cashews, a pinch of salt, the nutritional yeast, and the garlic powder to a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to chop the cashews into smaller pieces. Add the basil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and olive oil then pulse several times until you achieve a thick pesto. Set the pesto aside then cut your tomatoes and mozzarella into roughly 1/4-inch thick slices.

After the dough has chilled 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Place the dough in the center of the floured parchment, then lightly dust it with flour. Roll the dough into a round that is roughly 8-9 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the parchment with the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet. Bake the dough for 15-18 minutes in your pre-heated oven until it is golden around the edges and completely baked through. Cool the baked crust completely before proceeding with the recipe.

Before serving, spread a generous amount of the basil pesto on the baked and cooled crust. I didn’t use all of mine so use your judgement! Layer the tomato slices and mozzarella on top of the pesto. Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves then serve!

This tart is best enjoyed the day it’s made. Makes 4-6 side servings.

Notes

You can easily make this tart vegan by using a vegan mozzarella such as the one by Miyoko’s. Or, you can use your favorite vegan cheese.
This tart can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. The one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Category: side