Looking for a way to use up those ripe summer berries-or an excuse to have more of them? Our mixed berry cobbler combines fresh blueberries and strawberries into an easy-to-prepare dessert that's just right for the season. A little sugar sweetens the berries, and seeds from a vanilla bean dot the perfectly thickened juices with their rich, warm flavor-all underneath a crisp and crumbly old-fashioned oat topping.

For an added layer of sophistication (i.e., to make people think you spent a whole lot more time on this super-simple recipe than you actually did), serve it as we do in our Blue Stove Restaurants in individual crème brûlée dishes. Either way, in individual portions or a family-style casserole dish, this Strawberry and Blueberry Cobbler couldn't be a better way to punctuate the end of a delicious mid-summer's dinner.

Strawberry and Blueberry Cobbler Recipe
From our Nordstrom Blue Stove Restaurant
(Makes 6 servings)

Buttermilk Oat Topping
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces, or 1 stick, cold unsalted butter, 1-inch dice
1 cup rolled, old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons buttermilk

1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and pulse to combine.
2. Add the vanilla and cold butter and pulse until all ingredients are incorporated. Last, add the oatmeal and buttermilk and pulse again until the mixture is shaggy and crumbly, being careful not to over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Cobbler Filling
2 pounds strawberries, hulled, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 ounces blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean

Vanilla-bean gelato, for serving
Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the strawberries, blueberries, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. With a paring knife, halve the vanilla bean and, using the back of the knife, scrape the seeds from the bean and add them to the bowl. Toss to combine. Set aside and allow berry mixture to macerate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.
3. Lightly butter baking dish(es). Divide berry mixture evenly among six 8-ounce crème brûlée dishes (or any oven-proof crocks) or an 11-by-7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cobbler topping evenly over the berry mixture.
4. Place cobblers on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes for the individual crocks or 35-40 minutes for the larger baking dish.
5. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, top with a scoop of gelato and drizzle with caramel sauce.

-Jeff Powell (Photos and Intro)