Canned or fresh - what a peach

People have been waxing poetic about peaches for centuries. In China - where peaches originated - they were thought of as food of the gods, immortalized in painting, legend and song. In ancient Rome, Pliny praised them as "Persian apples." In France, Louis XIV bestowed favors in exchange for peaches from the famed gardens of Montreuil. Peaches spread to the New World via the conquistadors, and were beloved by many Native American tribes. Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello, and from there they migrated to the Deep South and west with the gold rush to California.

There's no doubt that the United States produces delectable peaches, but there's also no doubt that for many of us, they are hard to come by. Unless you live in a place where locally grown peaches can be purchased at a farm stand or market, you might do better using canned peaches.

The cooks at Mary Mac's, the legendary tearoom in Atlanta, know this. The recipes for Georgia Peach Cobbler and Buttermilk Peach Pancakes in the restaurant's brand-new, eponymous cookbook call for either fresh or canned peaches. This is the opposite of food snobbery; it is food pragmatism: If you can get sweet, ripe fresh peaches, go for them; but if you can't, reach for the can. And the cooks who created the recipes in "Mary Mac's Tea Room" by John Ferrell (Andrews McMeel, 2010) know what they are talking about; they've fed legions of hungry Atlantans since 1945, along with celebrities like Richard Gere, Britney Spears, Cher and the Dalai Lama.

Hopefully, this summer will bring you some delicious fresh peaches. But if the produce section offers only hard, unappealing peaches, head straight for the canned goods, and hold your head high.

GEORGIA PEACH COBBLER

2 pounds fresh peaches or 1 (16-ounce) can canned sliced peaches in heavy syrup (undrained)

1 cup plus 3⁄4 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cornstarch

8 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces

1⁄2 cup shortening

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

13⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

1⁄3 cup ice water (with crushed ice)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

If using fresh fruit, peel and slice. Place in a bowl, and add the 1 cup sugar. If using canned fruit (with syrup), taste and add sugar as needed. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cornstarch. Toss together. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, and dot with the butter pieces. Set aside.

In the work bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening, salt and the remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon sugar. Gradually add 1⁄2 cup of the flour, and mix lightly. When the mixture becomes stiff, add 1 tablespoon of the ice water. Repeat the process until the flour and water are used to make a soft (but not wet) dough. Cover and let chill for 30 to 40 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to form a 13-by-9-inch rectangle.

If using fresh fruit, preheat the oven to 350 F. If using canned fruit, preheat to 400 F.

Cover the fruit with the pastry, crimping the edges. With a sharp knife, make three to four slits in the pastry for steam to escape. Brush with the melted butter. If using fresh fruit, cook for one hour at 350 F. If using canned fruit, cook for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 F. The cobbler is done when the pastry is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

PEACH BUTTERMILK

PANCAKES

21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

11⁄2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

11⁄2 cups fresh diced peaches or canned peaches (cut into chunks and drained)

maple syrup, for serving

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, add the buttermilk, and beat well. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Gently stir in the melted butter and the peaches.

Lightly butter a large, heavy skillet, and place over medium heat. Pour about 1⁄3 cup batter into the skillet for each pancake; don't crowd the pan. Cook for three to four minutes, until tops are covered with bubbles. Turn and cook until bottoms are browned and centers are cooked through. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.