I received an email recently from a reader who signed her first name only — Cynthea. And as some of her email was written in all caps, it appeared to be sent in desperation.
“Several years ago you wrote a wonderful column about Chattanooga’s beloved ‘Veggie Lady,’ Marilyn Geraldson, and included her recipe for peach cobbler,” she wrote. (Geraldson died in 2016.)
Since then, the reader continued, she’s made it several times every peach season, but misplaced the recipe and has “searched and searched and can’t find it anywhere.”
Fortunately, I have a copy of Marilyn’s cookbook, “The Veggie Lady Shares Tips and Recipes,” and was able to find it with no problem. The page is marked with peach stains and buttery fingerprints, so the book almost opens to the recipe right away.
For any of you who are new to the area or are too young to remember, Marilyn was a friend of mine and also a good friend to Chattanooga. She was an extension agent at the Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service and was also on TV regularly with David Carroll on his noon show on Local 3 News, where she became known as The Veggie Lady.
Her laughter was infectious, and her smile went on for miles. I certainly miss that woman, and every time I make her peach cobbler, I think of her.
This is not a typical peach cobbler. There’s no pie crust involved. You can throw it together in 15 minutes, including peeling and slicing the peaches. Just remember this: When you add the peaches, don’t stir them into the batter. There is almost no stirring involved in making this cobbler.
Marilyn Geraldson’s Peach Cobbler
2 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, no substitute, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
In a bowl, combine peaches and 3/4 cup sugar; set aside. Pour melted butter into an 8-inch square baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and remaining sugar; stir in milk until just combined. Pour over melted butter, and top with peaches. Do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
NEW ON THE MENU
Old Chicago Pizza, with just one location in Chattanooga at Northgate Mall, steps into an international world of flavors that goes beyond its many Italian offerings. I stopped in recently to try the restaurant’s new Thai salad. I’ve always loved Thai salads because of all the different flavors, colors and textures happening, and was not disappointed with Old Chicago’s take on this classic salad.
It’s a little different than others I’ve had, and I like that difference. Rather than lots of lettuce with chicken and those thin, crispy noodles, it has a mix of spaghetti noodles that have been marinated in teriyaki sauce, tossed with crisp Romaine lettuce and topped with chicken and wide, crispy wontons along with some sweet red peppers and avocado. It comes pre-dressed with a nice soy ginger dressing, but you can order extra, which I did, on the side. This is a big salad that makes a meal — or possibly two!
Contact features writer Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.
