Thompson - Very blueberry

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Published in the United States by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
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Celestial Arts and the Celestial Arts colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thompson, Jennifer Trainer.
Very blueberry / Jennifer Trainer Thompson.
p. cm.
Summary: More than 50 recipes for entrees, salads, desserts, and gifts featuring blueberries
1. Cookery (Blueberries) I. Title.

TX813.B5T48 2005
641.64737dc22 2004021574

eISBN: 978-0-307-78881-8

v3.1

A special thanks to Linda Stripp and Jody Fijal
for their help with this book.

I have a big heart for these little books. I remember picking blueberries as a kid in Maine in August (and reading Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey all winter), and more recently, canoeing in bathing suits out to Blueberry Island on top of Mt. Riga with my son. We used old Folgers coffee cans to collect wild blueberries, the kerplink kerplunk of the first few berries eventually giving way to a softer pfffftt as we neared the top. That was assuming we didnt eat more than we picked of these sun-warmed indigo marvels that look like a clear summer sky and are so much tastier than their insipid, marble-size cousins sold in chain grocery stores.

Like chiles, wild berries vary in taste from bush to bush and range in flavor from sweet to puckery-tart. With birds transporting them far afield, youll come across wild blueberries growing on the Appalachian Trail, in Quebec fields, on Maine mountaintops, and in the marshes of Fire Island. Theyve grown wild for thousands of years. Native Americans were wise enough to use them way back when as a root tea poultice to help women relax during childbirth. Low-bush blueberry bushes (which grow to a foot or two high) thrive in glacial soils and in the higher elevations of Canada and New England. The berries are small and hard to pick but are well worth it. Bakers love them because they hold their shape. It may take an hour of backbreaking work to pick enough for a pie, but the pie will be gorgeous when you cut into it and see those glistening blue pearls. High-bush blueberry bushes can reach shoulder height and higher, and are mostly cultivated (though we have some wild ones atop Mt. Riga). Their fruit can be sweeter than low-bush berries.

Cousin to the azalea and rhododendron, blueberries like acidic soil and have a beautiful red foliage in the fall. The best time to plant blueberry bushes is in spring. And keep in mind, they like company. I have always been amused that you get a better yield if you plant several bushes of different varieties together, allowing the plants to cross-pollinate. (I thought this a charming feature and once made a wedding gift of a pair of blueberry bushes.) A mature bush will yield up to twenty pounds of berries during a single harvest, and a harvest typically lasts about four weeks.

Blueberry bushes look good (if you can beat the bears and birds to the berries), and the berries are incredibly good for you. Their antioxidants may prevent some serious health problems from Alzheimers and Parkinsons to cancer, diabetes, circulation problems, and urinary tract infections. A recent study also indicates that they may help prevent heart disease. A research chemist in Mississippi recently determined that a certain compound found in blueberries (called pterostilbene) may possibly lower cholesterol as well as drugs on the market do. Scientists havent moved yet beyond the early testing phase, nor have they proposed how many blueberries one would have to eat, but it does seem clear: blueberries can help fight a multitude of ailments. Moreover, they are rich in fiber and vitamin C (a half cup is equivalent to one thousand milligrams of vitamin C).

To enjoy berries year-round, simply place them, unwashed, in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them. Remove the pan from the freezer, place the berries in sealed plastic bags, and return them to the freezer for up to six months.

Never wash berriesfresh, dried, or frozenuntil youre about to serve them or use them to brighten muffins or pancakes, enliven rice and salad, or add color to desserts. Swirled into your pancake batter in January, they will remind you of that hot August afternoon you picked the perfect blue ball and popped it into your mouth while it was still warm from the sun.

Blueberries mingle deliciously with almonds in this rich coffee cake. Its an unforgettable start to the day.

Topping

cup packed light brown sugar

ac cup granulated sugar

cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons salted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

cup chopped almonds

Filling

12 ounces light or regular cream cheese, at room temperature

cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Cake

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon salt

cup salted butter, at room temperature

cups sugar

2 eggs

teaspoons pure vanilla extract

teaspoons pure almond extract

1 cup milk

3 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

To make the topping, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the almonds and set aside.

To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high, until fluffy. Add the egg, cream, and almond extract, and beat until fully incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter in large bowl on medium-high, until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and continue to beat until fluffy and light. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.

Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Spread the cream cheese filling in a layer over the batter. Sprinkle the blueberries in an even layer over the filling. Drop the remaining batter in spoonfuls over the top, and spread evenly; do not mix the layers. Top with the sugar-almond mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan completely before cutting.

Serves 12 to 16

This is a good use for summer blueberries frozen and saved for winter