U-Pick

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries; but Peter, who was very naughty, ran straightaway to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate!

Thankfully Peter was not in attendance during our excursion to a local farm to pick thornless blackberries (this fact somehow helped to justify the cost though I could easily spend the majority of our food budget on fresh produce if it were not for the carnivores)

and my three "good little bunnies" helped tremendously. Even Matthew stayed pretty close though his precious blue puppy, clothes, and his face bore evidence of sampling.

So what to do with 2 quarts of blackberries?

Make cobbler, of course.
And for me, there is only one recipe worth eating: Mom's Cobbler (not my mom, though she makes it):

• 1/2 c. butter (1/4 c.)
• 2 c. sugar (1 1/3 c. sugar)
• 2 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1/3 c. milk
• 3 c. fruit, divided

1. Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 pan. Add 2 c. fruit
2. Boil water and sugar.
3. Combine flour and shortening and mix until crumbly; stir in milk until dough is formed.
4. On waxed paper, roll out dough (long and narrow). Add 1 c. fruit. Roll up.
5. Slice into approx. 24 pieces and put in pan. (If it falls apart, just throw in all in the pan; it will taste the same - I know from experience).
6. Pour water mixture on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
8. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

(The numbers in italics represent changes I made in order to somewhat redeem the calorie/fat content; the result was excellent).
I plan on having French Toast with blackberry sauce in the morning.
And next week? It should be time for blueberries. Oh, how I love fresh fruit!