The fleeting berries of summer - recipes

Sunset, June, 1993 by Elaine Johnson

A great way to enjoy them is with light syrups

SOME OF THE Season'S finest domestically grown berries make brief, often sporadic, summer appearances in Western markets and at farm stands. Now through early August--with an occasional last hurrah in early fall is the best time to seek them out.

Here's what to look for:

Blackberry family. Two true blackberries are Marion--tender with rich, tangy-sweet flavor--and Olallie--long, slender, and sweetest when deep purple. Logan and Tay, both blackberry-raspberry crosses, are long and red with a rather musky flavor. Boysen, likely a logan-blackberry cross, is large, luscious, sweet, and aromatic.

Raspberry family. In this group, black raspberries, or black caps, have a musky, deep berry flavor and seem seedier than their red counterparts. Golden raspberries, patterned like honeycombs, are delicately flavored.

Gooseberries. These green, crunchy berries are tart or sweet, depending on the variety. Josta, a gooseberry--black currant cross that looks like a purple gooseberry, is sweet-tart in flavor.

Red currants. Brilliantly colored, translucent, tart-sweet berries grow in clusters with lots of little stems; seeds are chewy.

To appreciate any of these berries, serve them simply with one of these light syrups.

For a serving, allow about 1 cup berries (mixed, or 1 kind) and 1/4 cup syrup.

Lemon-Berry Syrup

About 2 lemons

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

About 1/3 cup berry-flavor liqueur such as raspberry, black raspberry, or strawberry

With a vegetable peeler, cut all the yellow part from 1 lemon. Squeeze enough lemon juice to make 1/4 cup. Combine peel, sugar, and water in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Discard peel. To syrup add lemon juice and berry liqueur to taste. Use warm, cool, or reheated. If making ahead, let cool; chill airtight up to 1 week. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Per 1/4 cup: 167 cal. (0 percent from fat); 0 g protein; 0 g fat; 38 g carbo.; 0.5 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Lemon-mint syrup. Follow directions for lemon-berry syrup (preceding) adding to pan with peel 1/2 cup rinsed and drained mint sprigs. Discard mint with peel, pressing to extract liquid; omit liqueur. Makes 1 cup.

Per 1/4 cup: 197 cal. (0 percent from fat); 0.1 g protein; 0 g fat; 51 g carbo.; 0.7 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Red Wine Syrup

2 cups dry red wine

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons thinly pared orange peel (colored part only)

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over high heat, boil wine, sugar, orange peel, pepper, and bay until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 6 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard seasonings. Add lemon juice to syrup. Use warm, cool, or reheated. If making ahead, let cool; chill airtight up to 1 week. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Per 1/4 cup: 132 cal. (0 percent from fat); 0.2 g protein; 0 g fat; 24 g carbo.; 4.7 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.