Feeling Blue
Don’t worry, this farmer isn’t sad, but quite happy that the blues have arrived. By the blues, I mean blueberries which showed up at the market last week for the first time this season. And at my house that means blueberry pancakes.
A while back when I had house guests at the start of blueberry season they were aghast that I put the fruit in the pancake batter. “No, no,” they corrected, “the blueberries get cooked down with maple syrup and butter and then poured over the pancakes.”
“Who’s cooking?” I shot back and with that the argument was over. When I go to their house they can cook their blueberry pancakes they way they like them.
Similar arguments arise over the best vehicle for blueberries as a dessert. There’s the all-time classic, blueberry pie, especially one with a double crust where the fruit bubbles through slits to allow the steam from the cooking berries to escape. But the thought of plain ol’ pie is somewhat dowdy for those of certain geographies or culinary skills. They’d rather have a galette, or buckle, or grunt, also know as a cobbler but the stone fruits are pushing for a protected designation when it comes to that term.
If you paid attention to last week’s Dishing the Dirt, you might be down for some jelly or jam. Easy to make, but it takes a lot of fruit. You’ll notice that the packages are generally sold by the pint due to their size. A flat of blueberries isn’t near the volume that other fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, and cherries have. But I’m not saying it’s not worth it.
The intense, piquant flavor, blueberries lend well to pairing with other strong flavors, including savory ones. Balsamic vinegar tinged with blueberries, chocolate, and blueberries, even blueberry barbecue sauce will catch your tastebuds attention in a good way. I caught a recipe in British GQ about slathering pork grilled pork loin or swordfish in a blueberry reduction glaze. I wonder if that would work well on tofu?
Blueberry cocktails may not be on the menu at my local neighborhood bar, but you can bet that lots of metropolitan alfresco lounges are going to have both n/a and regular cocktails featuring the little blue fruits. Simple syrups and shrubs made with any type of berry mixes well with fuzzy mineral water and your favorite spirit. Absolutely nothing says Sunday Bruch alfresco like a few ripe blueberries floating in the bubbles of champagne. I’ve been at Sunday markets so long is that even a thing anymore? I think the last time I did brunch was at the Santa Barbara Biltmore thirty years ago.
But who needs an opulent venue complete with an ocean view to enjoy blueberries. They are great to snack on raw or toss in a salad. Oh, oh, oh, let’s not forget ice cream. Toss a handful into your bowl or churn your own. At a farmers’ picnic potluck I once had, the local sheep cheese dairy also had a stand of blueberry bushes. They brough sheep’s milk blueberry ice cream, quite possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten.
But if you see the bad in pastries, cocktails, BBQ, and desserts, check out the pluses left. For one thing, smoothies. And they’re super easy to store in the freezer. Just wash them and pop them in a freezer bag or container. For the fridge, transfer the washed fruit to a glass jar, add a dash of either lemon juice or vodka, just enough to coat the berries, and they’ll last even longer…technically. Unless I specifically freeze them for winter storage, blueberries don’t last at my house from one market day to the next.
So take note; there’s now a new reason to show up early on market day and be one of the first to shop. Guaranteed blueberries. You’ll be blue and happy.