When I was a kid growing up in Marin County, there were blackberry bushes growing wild all over the hills around our house. My mother would send my sisters and me out with empty coffee cans and tell us not to come home until the cans were full. 

I remember those thorny bushes. They scratched my arms if I went to deep into the thicket. I loved eating them, but they came with a price. 

Nothing is more luxurious to me now, when I can stop at a local farm stand in Ventura and buy baskets of blackberries; ripe, sticky and delicious. 

A recent friend and guest on our podcast, cookbook author Nancie McDermott, was kind enough to share one of her recipes for blackberry cobbler. Nancie has written cookbooks on fruit, pies, cakes, soups, noodles and Thai food. She can cook! We are grateful that Nancie is generous with her time and her culinary skills.

Cindie made the cobbler and it was as delicious as it looks. She suggests making it in the morning, so the juices have time to set. Make the pie dough the day before…after that, everything comes together quickly. Baking the cobbler at a high heat for the first 15 minutes ensures a beautiful crust, even on the bottom!

Let us know how you like it!