Thoughts on approaching this week’s box from subscriber Conne Ward Cameron.
So glad to have blueberries again in this week’s box. Blueberries to snack on while driving down the road. Blueberries to add to fresh cherries for a very patriotic pie or cobbler. Blueberries to put in smoothies and blueberries to throw in salads. I do not think there’s a more versatile fruit except maybe the apple.
For tomorrow’s grilled dinner, I’m making blueberry-lemon cocktails, a recipe I’m testing for the AJC. Granted, it uses Regina’s Farm Kitchen Blueberry Lemon jam, but I think I’ll try some with just fresh muddled blueberries and a little lemon zest and fresh lemon juice as well. It’s all bound to be delicious.
At https://grassfedcow.com/ingredient/blueberries/ you’ll find the sum total of my advice about storing blueberries. I did try dehydrating them once, but that wasn’t very successful for me. Maybe I just didn’t have the patience to dry those tiny little fruits at a low enough temperature.
I was surprised to find so few blueberry recipes there, although it’s a nice mix of savory and sweet. But here are two more.
Violet Beauregard
First an adaptation of a cocktail from “Clean Cocktails” by Beth BRitter Nydick and Tara Roscioli ($24.95, The Countryman Press).
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup blueberries
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Seltzer water
In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves and blueberries. Then add gin, lime juice and maple syrup. Add ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosted. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and top off with seltzer. Serves: 1
Minty Blueberry Peach Shiver
And because I love old-fashioned food around the Fourth of July, this congealed blueberry-peach salad recipe from Whole Foods.
Their note: “Fresh with juicy summer fruit and cooling mint, this juice-based gelatin fruit salad is a delicious throwback to childhood. Make it ahead for backyard barbeques, and feel free to substitute grapes or nectarines for the peaches and blueberries. (Note: Using vegan gelatin, the finished dessert will be less firm than with traditional gelatin.)”
We picked up a bunch of peaches that are just ready to enjoy, so this is on the menu for tomorrow.
1 1/2 cups orange, peach or mango juice or a combination
1 (1 ounce) package unflavored gelatin, such as Knox, or 2 (.3-ounce) packages unflavored Jel Dessert (vegan gelatin)
1/2 cup crushed ice or small ice cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
2 peaches (or nectarines), peeled and chopped
In a small pot, bring juice just to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in gelatin until dissolved; transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Stir in ice until completely dissolved, and then stir in blueberries, mint and peaches. Cover and chill until firm, 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
A delicious Fourth of July to everyone.