The gardening gourmet

Flower & Garden Magazine, July, 2002 by Kristen C.P. Perlman

Blueberries were a very popular ingredient for our early settlers, and not only were fresh blueberries used, but dried ones as well. Many of the blueberry recipes we see today are for just desserts, however, the early settlers knew better-they incorporated blueberries into everything from salads to stews, so I am going to show you a little versatility of the blueberry.

The first recipe is a great way to use up some of your extra blueberries. It's easy to prepare and can be a delicious topping for pancakes, ice cream, fruit or poundcake, as well as included in a chicken recipe. Experiment with it on your favorite foods, and let me know what you think.

* BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Method:

Combine 1-1/2 cups blueberries, sugar and water in saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Mixture should be somewhat juicy. Add remaining berries.
Continue cooking, about 8 minutes, until mixture coats the
back of a spoon, stirring often. Serve warm. Can be stored
in refrigerator in covered container. Reheat before serving.

The next recipe can be served for breakfast, as a snack or
as a side dish. These blueberry lemon corn muffins are
sweet, but the cornmeal balances out the flavor. They go
very well with barbecue chicken or ribs, cole slaw and
corn-on-the-cob.
* BLUEBERRY LEMON CORN MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flower
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1-1/2 cups blueberries, preferably of the smaller variety

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with
paper liners. Melt butter and cool. Sift flour and baking
powder into a large bowl; whisk in cornmeal, 1 cup sugar,
and lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk together melted
butter, milk, and egg yolks. Add this mixture and half of the
blueberries to first mixture and stir until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and press remaining
blueberries into tops of muffins. Sprinkle each muffin
with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake muffins for
about 15 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick
comes out clean. Cool muffins on rack. Store in an airtight
container.

On a hot summer day you can't do much better than my
third recipe. I love to start a meal on a hot July or August
day with some nice, cold soup. But many people find that
this soup can be just as wonderful as a dessert. Whatever
way you serve this soup, it's sure to please.
* CHILLED BLUEBERRY SOUP

Ingredients:

2 pints blueberries
2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Method:

Place blueberries, sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan
over medium heat about 15 minutes until sugar dissolves
and berries are tender, stirring often. Place blueberry mixture
in a blender with yogurt and orange juice. Puree. Taste
soup and decide if it is to your desired taste and consistency.
If too thick, add more water or orange juice, depending
on your preference. Place in covered container and chill in
refrigerator until cold.

The next is a traditional blueberry dessert recipe. When
berry season is in full swing, I try a new cobbler or buckle
just about every weekend. My only dilemna is whether I
should use an oatmeal-nut or biscuit topping ... or serve
with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream-the
possibilities are endless! Well, after much experimenting, I
have found this one to be one of my favorites.
* BEST PICKED BLUEBERRY COBBLER

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. double-acting baking powder
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut into small pieces
6 cups blueberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch, deep dish
pie plate. Sift cornstarch and combine with sugar, blueberries
and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss the mixture
until it is well-combined and place in buttered pie plate. In
another bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder
and cinnamon and stir until well-mixed. Add the butter
pieces and blend until the mixture resembles a coarse
meal. Cutting through the mixture using two knives often
helps. Add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water and
stir the mixture until it forms a dough. Drop 1/4 cupfuls
of the dough on top of blueberry mixture. Bake cobbler on
a baking sheet for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is
golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or homemade
whipped cream.