But for ease of picking and the recollection of blue fingers and the primal memory of plunk-plunk sounds in the galvanized tin pail of my childhood, there's nothing like blueberries. So attached to the blueberry was I that when I moved from New York to Seattle in 1971, I tenderly transported a blueberry bush dug from the ground around my parents summer cabin to ease my cross country adjustment.
Behind the bungalows in the Catskills resort where I spent my childhood summers, blueberries were in abundance. And although the anti-cancer, age-preventing antioxidants packed into the deep blue pigment in the skin of blueberries is now well documented, my mother intuitively knew about the healthfulness of blueberries long before the specifics were detailed. She had us out picking berries every morning in August and early September, and they would appear on cereal, baked in pies, covered with sour cream and lumps of brown sugar or cooked and put on top of her cheesecake.
Though these large, high bush blues are the joys of the east coast and are now cultivated in Washington for commercial purposes since they are easy to pick and are a large size, my years in the Pacific Northwest have introduced me to another species of the Vaccinium genus, the wild huckleberry.
Beginning in September, our forager arrives at the back door of the café with five-pound bags of these dark blue jewels, which our chefs incorporate into savory sauces, vinaigrettes, and luscious tarts. The picking spots are known only to a lucky few, but occasionally I'll arrive upon a huckleberry bush while hiking, making the 6 miles I've just walked worth the effort.
For a glorious and rewarding day with or without kids, go to Bybee-Nims U-Pick-it blueberry farm at the foot of magnificent Mount Si in North Bend, where 6 varieties of blues are grown. This is a wonderful destination after a 30 minutes drive from Seattle where, if you're well practiced, you can pluck 15 pounds in less than an hour. Berries that aren't immediately made into jam, pies or given to deserving friends, can be frozen in freezer bags (don't wash before freezing, but after they are thawed). The going rate this year at Bybee-Nims s $1.75 a pound, a great bargain for a nutritious, healthful, low-calorie (80 per cup) treat.
Blueberry Clafoutis
When I lived in Geneva, Switzerland, my friend taught me how to make Clafoutis, a custardy-cakey confection that can be used as a vehicle for any fresh, seasonal fruit. She made hers in her mother's old cast iron skillet. Our pastry chef, Rich Coffey, provided this recipe.
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, sliced open and scraped out (1 teaspoon of vanilla extract may be used instead if this step has you flummoxed!)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half
1 T Gran Marnier (optional)
1 T melted butter for the batter, and 1 additional T for buttering pans
Preheat oven to 350 (regular oven) or 300 (convection oven). Choose either a 6 x 6 inch ramekins or a 9-inch pie plate. Brush with melted butter and line the buttered dish with the cleaned and stemmed blueberries
Crack eggs into large mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar, vanilla bean and sifted flour. Whisk till smooth. Whisk in the half and half and melted butter.
If you're a speed demon, all the ingredients can be put into a blender and blended.
Pour batter over the blueberries and bake until just golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Note: fresh cherries, peaches, fresh or any berry may be used instead of blueberries. If I make fresh cherry clafoutis, I use Kirsch, the Swiss Cherry eau de vie, instead of Gran Marnier.
Blueberry Vinaigrette
One less often thinks of using berries in a savory recipe. We use it for our salad with greens, with goat cheese, blueberries (or figs) and nuts.
Makes 1-1/4 cup:
Whisk together:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar (don't use a vinegar with a strong flavor that will mask the blueberries)
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice
About 1/2 C fresh blueberries, smashed into a purée
Slowly whisk in 2/3 C olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
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