In this savory summer cobbler, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, and corn team up with a polenta biscuit topping.
The best stage of summer for cooking might arguably be the moment when the weather has just gotten cool enough to turn the oven on. The farmers’ market is still flush with green beans, tomatoes, and plums, and it’s prime time for apricot galettes, warm gingerbread to eat with fresh peaches, and tarts full of feta and figs.
It also happens to be the best time of the year for savory cobblers. Don’t get us wrong—cobblers and crisps full of juicy stone fruits are a staple of the season, but this is really the savory cobbler’s time to shine. It’s a chance to turn your whole market haul into the mother of all one-skillet meals—a dish that could take center stage on any brunch table, but that could also play nicely with a grilled piece of salmon.
It’s as simple as cooking down a handful of diced pancetta until it’s crisp and concentrated with salty flavor, and then building a flavorful filling from burst cherry tomatoes, chopped asparagus, and corn, balanced with a sprinkle of fresh oregano leaves. There’s even room for experimentation here, if you have some sweet summer squash to add to the mix, or if you want to swap out the oregano for basil.
The crowning glory for this particular savory cobbler is a one-bowl drop biscuit topping—slightly easier and more forgiving than traditional roll-and-cut biscuits. This one pays homage to cornbread, with some polenta and cornmeal for a pleasant grittiness, speckled with chives and black pepper, and you’ll want to keep it in your back pocket to top casseroles year-round and class up your chicken pot pie routine.