Johnnycakes with Macerated Blueberries, Charred Peaches, and Brown Sugar Crumble - Modern Farmer

Johnnycakes with Macerated Blueberries, Charred Peaches, and Brown Sugar Crumble

This humble dessert shows off some of Rhode Island's finest summer ingredients: locally milled flint corn, highbush blueberries, and freestone peaches.

So for this seaside dinner, hosted by Walrus and Carpenter in July 2016, he sourced nearly every ingredient from producers within a 50-mile radius. Yet the resulting menu hopscotches the globe, incorporating Southeast Asian and Argentine influences – not to mention Rojas’ own Mexican roots. Turns out big flavors pair perfectly with the bounty of the country’s smallest state. Read more about Rojas’ ocean-to-table dinner at Rhode Island’s Walrus and Carpenter in “On Ninigret Pond” from the Summer 2017 issue of Modern Farmer. And don’t miss his other recipes, either!

 

Johnnycakes with Macerated Blueberries, Charred Peaches, and Brown Sugar Crumble

This humble dessert shows off some of Rhode Island’s finest summer ingredients: locally milled flint corn, plus highbush blueberries, and freestone peaches from Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown.

  • 3 cups blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar (plus an additional 2 teaspoons)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 2 cups stoneground cornmeal (such as Kenyon’s Jonny Cake Flint Corn Meal*)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup cup boiling water Vegetable oil for griddle
  • 1 cup Greek-style vanilla yogurt (Fage)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon thyme leaves (optional)
  • ‘Charred Peaches ((recipe below))
  • ‘Brown Sugar Crumble ((recipe below))
  1. In a medium glass bowl, combine blueberries, 1⁄2 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to allow fruit to macerate.’2. Preheat oven to 200°F. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cornmeal, butter, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt. Add milk and boiling water and stir to form batter.
  2. Heat a well-oiled griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding pan, add batter by 1⁄4 cup scoops and cook, flipping once, until edges are golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Transfer cakes to a’parchment-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven; continue cooking cakes until all batter has been used.’4. Divide cakes evenly among six to eight dessert plates, and top each plate with an equal amount of yogurt, macerated blueberries, Charred Peaches, and Brown Sugar Crumble.’Garnish with lemon thyme leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.

CHARRED PEACHES

  1. In a large bowl, toss together 5 halved and pitted ripe peaches, 1⁄4 cup sugar, the zest and juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice), and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to evenly combine. In a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat or a medium-high grill, cook peaches flesh side down, flipping once, until fruit is tender and sugars have caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer peaches to a cutting board to cool, then cut each half into 4 slices and reserve.

BROWN SUGAR CRUMBLE

  1. Preheat oven to 350oF. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use your hands to blend 3⁄4 cup all-purpose our; 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces); 1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; and a pinch of salt until large clumps form. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Spread crumble in a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve.

*Kenyon’s Jonny Cake Flint Corn Meal costs $8.49 for a 24-ounce bag; kenyons gristmill.com.

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