Blueberry Nostalgia

Blueberries fill me with nostalgia this time of year. My husband and I and blueberries go way way back. When we were dating I’d buy blueberry cheesecake ice cream, the September monthly special at Baskin Robbins, and make an ice cream pie for his birthday. I started out making blueberry muffins (or what my husband dubbed “muffberry blubbins”) using the mix that came with that little can of Maine blueberries. I don’t remember the brand, but they were a step up from Jiffy! Fast forward about 30 years and my palate and baking ability have vastly improved.

When we moved back to the Pacific Northwest, blueberry picking became an annual tradition for us. The world’s best blueberry picking is at Bybee Farms, which sits at the base of Mt.. Si in North Bend, Wash. Over the years, we made new traditions taking visiting family of all ages to the blueberry fields and going on yearly dates with friends who joined us in unabashedly wearing buckets around our necks for easy picking. Blueberry-themed gifts have been exchanged, and one year my friend Nancy brought her Belgian waffle to my house and we made her famous blueberry waffles together. And my realtor will tell you that you wish you came to my open house because warm blueberry scones were definitely served. Those were the days of blueberries!

Blueberries making me wistful.

One of my favorite blueberry-picking days. My nephew when he was young (and with a broken leg) picking alongside Aunt Angie from his wheelchair.

Now that we no longer live near blueberry fields, we try to make up for it. This summer we’ve been eating as many blueberries as we can over here at the coast. Thanks in part to my new neighbor-in-pursuit-of-the-best-berries-within-80-miles, I’ve had berries of some sort in my fridge nonstop since late May.

Because you too should be enjoying blueberries, I’m sharing my latest bake with you. This recipe is from a water and beach lover on the opposite coast. A blueberry cheesecake galette from Liz on Floating Kitchen. Take it from me, this recipe is as good for breakfast as it is for dessert.

Bubbling Blueberry Cheesecake Galette right out of the oven!

Blueberry Cheesecake Galette

First, you’ll need a pie crust. I followed this pie crust recipe from the class I took earlier this year and turned it into a galette — which for me, is soo much more relaxing than blind-baking a pie crust. Perfect for summer berries. A store-bought, roll-out crust like the Pillsbury refrigerated one will work as well. The filling consists of a thin cream cheese layer to which I added a splash of vanilla. I also added a pinch of salt to the blueberries.

For the cheesecake layer

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temp

• 1 egg yolk

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• Splash of vanilla

Blueberry filling

• 3 cups blueberries

• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• Zest from ½ lemon

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

For complete how-to instructions, see the post on Floating Kitchen. Once you’ve spread the crust with a layer of the cream cheese mixture and piled on the blueberry filling, you’ll want to pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Then brush the crust with an egg white and sprinkle with sugar. (I got great satisfaction in using the entire egg, the yolk for the filling and the white for the crust. Thanks Liz.)

Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Eat warm with vanilla ice cream. Or cold for breakfast the next morning!

Blueberry cheesecake galette with vanilla ice cream. Summer lovin!

A Nod to Blueberry Scones

The blueberry recipe I have on repeat is one for blueberry scones. Who doesn’t want to enjoy lazy summer mornings with a cup of coffee and a just-out-of-the-oven blueberry scone?

I’ve been making blueberry scones for years. They are now one of those recipes that are almost therapeutic for me to make. I typically follow the queen Ina Garten’s scone recipes. For a blueberry version, I adapt her cranberry orange recipe, substituting fresh blueberries for the cranberries and lemon zest for the orange. I used fresh blueberries, but this recipe works even better with frozen blueberries as they stay intact better.

I like to make a big batch of scones, cut them out and freeze on a baking tray. Once frozen put in Ziploc bags and freeze. This way you have fresh scones on demand. Just take out what you want and brush with egg wash or cream. Plus, baking them from frozen gives the scones a little more height.

If you come to visit me before the blueberries run out, you just may get treated to blueberry scones.

More Blueberry Recipes

I realized that I’ve written about blueberries for the past several summers. If you can’t get enough blueberries check out my past posts:

Blueberries and Beyond — Think blueberry ice cream bars and blueberries on pizza.

Blueberry Therapy — Picture blueberry cardamom oatmeal and homemade blueberry pop tarts.

Winning Blueberry Recipes — How about blueberry-mint Arnold Palmers, blueberry ginger salsa on your halibut, blueberry Dutch babies for breakfast, a scone recipe using almond flour and blueberry frosting, or more blueberry ice cream treats.

Worth mentioning — last night I made a killer salad. It was so good I didn’t have time to take a picture! Mixed greens (tossed with a chiffonade of basil and mint - secret surprise ingredients) with toasted slivered almonds, fresh sliced peaches and crumbled goat cheese. Simply drizzle with a mixture of good olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.

Perfection.

One of the best blueberry days at Mt. Si with my hubby, son and my sister Michelle's family.

A spontaneous blueberry-picking trip late in the day in the shadow of Mt. Si with friends Flavia, Marie and Alyssa.