History

The Capay Valley west of Sacramento has been California's leading organic stone-fruit growing region since the 1970s, when Capay Organic and Farm Fresh To You established the valley as the Sacramento Valley's organic farming center. Sacramento's farm-to-fork rooms switch their dessert menu to Capay peach cobbler each August when the Suncrest, O'Henry and Elberta varieties peak. The biscuit-topped cobbler is the home version, with a butter and buttermilk biscuit dropped onto sugared peaches and baked until the juices bubble through. Magpie, Bacon & Butter and Selland's all run a version each August.

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Common allergens: Wheat, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 20 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg ripe Capay Valley peaches (or substitute the best stone fruit available)
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 20g cornflour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 200g plain flour
  • 50g caster sugar (for the biscuit)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
  • 120g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 180ml cold buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
  • Vanilla ice cream to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C. Halve and stone the peaches, then cut each half into 3 wedges.
  2. Toss the peaches with 100g sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Pile into a 23cm baking dish.
  3. Whisk the flour, 50g sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom in a bowl.
  4. Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until combined. The dough should be sticky and shaggy.
  6. Drop 6 to 8 spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the peaches. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top.
  7. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until the biscuit is golden brown and the peach juices bubble around the edges. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tip from the editors. Use peaches at peak ripeness: they should give to gentle finger pressure and smell sweet. Unripe peaches will not break down in the bake, and the cobbler will taste flat.

Where to eat capay valley peach cobbler

Capay Valley Peach Cobbler in Sacramento

Magpie ★ 4.7

$$ New AmericanMidtown

Magpie on 16th Street, midtown Sacramento, has run a daily-changing California farm-to-fork menu since 2005, the city's quiet seasonal seafood anchor.

OrderWhatever seafood arrived that morning; the seasonal pasta

TipClosed Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday dinner only; Friday and Saturday open at noon.

Directions

Bacon & Butter ★ 4.5

$$ $15-25BrunchCalifornia farm-to-fork brunchLand Park

Bacon & Butter on Broadway, Sacramento, runs the Michelin Recommended California farm-to-fork brunch with brioche French toast and chicken and waffles.

OrderBrioche French toast with seasonal fruit, chicken and waffles

Directions

Selland's Market-Cafe Broadway ★ 4.2

$$ AmericanLand Park

Selland's on Broadway in Land Park, Sacramento, is the family counter on the same block as The Kitchen, rotisserie chicken and farm-vegetable plates.

OrderRotisserie chicken, the seasonal grain bowl, the farm-vegetable sides

TipCounter ordering, no reservations. Quick lunch and dinner. Same block as The Kitchen flagship.

Directions

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