Summer Blackberry Cobbler

Last Wednesday, my lovely friend Joette and I paid a visit to Sauvie Island. (You may remember an Autumn Trip I took out there a few years ago.)

The U-Pick Berry farms were sadly done for the season, but luckily for us she has a big truck and we both had a burning desire for berries. We pulled a bit off road and found a mecca of blackberry bushes and picked til we were dusty, scratched, sunburned and happy as could be.

I knew right away I wanted to make a cobbler, but the first chance I had was today. I just made a simple recipe with ingredients I had on hand. You could definitely do the whole lemon juice in the fruit, or vanilla in the cobbler, but I was out of both. I considered for 1/2 a minute making a blackberry violet cobbler, but my brother Ahi wisely told me to keep it simple.

So here it is, my simple summer blackberry cobbler.

Summer Blackberry Cobbler

1/4 cup raw sugar

 6 cups fresh blackberries

 2 tbs cornstarch

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

 1/4 cup raw sugar

 1/3 cup almond milk 

1/3 cup melted Earth Balance

 1/4 tsp baking powder

 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Turn oven to 400 degrees. While it's preheating, pour blackberries, sugar and cornstarch into 9" X 9" baking pan. Mix together and place in oven.

While blackberries are warming, mix remaining ingredients into a sticky batter. Gloop big spoonfuls onto the blackberry mixture. (Gloop is totally an adjective, don't worry.)  They should almost cover the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees  until biscuit topping is done. Serve with So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream if around. If not, serve on a plate and enjoy the essential taste of summer.

Serves: 2-8 
Calories: Does it really matter?

Wild Abandon, Sauvie Island, and Pumpkin Ravioli

This is what I had for dinner at Wild Abandon Restaurant the other night:

Sauteed Mushrooms with port wine, butter, and herbs. Topped with parmesan:

Spicy Italian Cavatappi--vegan Italian Sausage and Cavatappi pasta tossed in a creamy crushed tomato and roasted red pepper-chervil sauce:


Tres Leches: A moist white cake with mascarpone cream frosting and a raspberry coulis:

So, obviously, I did not eat entirely vegan. Wild Abandon has a solid menu, filling food, and good vegetarian options, but it is a little spendy for what it is. They're open for breakfast though, so I will be going back at least one more time. They also have a rockin patio out back, which I will definitely be hitting up next summer.


Yesterday, Abby and I headed out to Sauvie Island.

Sauvie Island is in North Portland, about a 15 minute drive. In the summer, it's a haven for fresh berries--come pick your own raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, even your own summer flower bouquet. In the fall, the island houses several corn mazes (they call it a corn MAIZE however. ha.), pumpkin patches, hayrides, farmer's markets... it's pretty much awesome. Yesterday was probably in the 70's, and the most beautiful autumn day. A perfect day for this kind of outing.

We drove in over the bridge and along the water.
There were still flowers in bloom out there, and the Farmer's Markets' had a a bounty of fresh fruit and veggies. I didn't know what brussel sprouts looked like in nature until yesterday. Abby and I went through a corn maze, but it turns out we went to the lame one. The weather had kind of destroyed it, there were kids everywhere, and it wasn't even a maze. They gave you map. Sheesh. We cut through and ended up in a field.






We took off and went to a different part of the island, with a better pumkin patch.

We each found a perfect pumpkin. Here is Abby with hers:

Since Abby had to be at work by 5, we bought a pumpkin carving kit and came back to my house. She went with this creepy spider pattern, and I just a did a free style face. This is how they turned out:
Today I went for a run (a baby one, but it still counts!) and I'm headed to the New Season's on Interstate to pick up some stuff. Tonight I want to make a Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli with a brown butter, sage, and hazelnut sauce.

I've never done anything like this, but I feel the need to tonight. My inspiration came from dinner at my friend Andrea's house the other night. We had a really really non-vegan home-made Ravioli with roasted pumpkin, goat cheese, pistachios and manchego cheese, with a red wine and caramelized red onion sauce and green beans. OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH. Delcious!

After I attempt this dinner thing, it's off to Monday Night Bingo at Liberty Glass!