Blueberries and beyond

Blue (any shade of blue) has been my favorite color since childhood. So my love for blueberries may be preordained. Besides being a delicious superfood full of good things like antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium and vitamin C, blueberries win the blue ribbon in the “stays fresh” and “freezes nicely” categories.

When we moved back to the Pacific Northwest after 17 years of living in Arizona, a trip to the blueberry field became a highly anticipated yearly event. In fact, the fun behind blueberry picking goes way beyond the actual picking. It’s now an annual “entertain the house guests” activity. Each July, my husband starts talking about having a blueberry-picking competition and invites EVERYONE to come out and join us. He drives to the fields a few times just to “check out the berries” in anticipation of the season opening. We have friends who drive 40+ miles from West Seattle every year to pick blueberries, eat blueberries and talk about blueberries (and we’ve even exchanged blueberry-themed gifts).

I’m convinced that where we pick our berries is what makes all the difference. Bybee Nims Blueberry Farm sits at the base of Mount Si a couple miles from our home.

There’s something truly majestic about having the mountain loom above you on a glorious sunny day that never gets old. (Fun fact: 10 states make up more than 98 percent of U.S. commercial production, with Washington and Oregon fighting for the number one spot.) Wandering through the tall maze of thick bushes you hear muted conversation and laughter in the air, yet you feel alone with the mountain and lose track of time while daydreaming ... and then you realize your bucket is overflowing. Last year my husband and I picked over 30 pounds between us. What to do with all those berries?

My blueberry strategy is threefold:

1.     Set a bowlful aside meant for eating by the handful. 

2.     Freeze whatever you’re not going to eat over the next week and bag them so you’re stocked for the winter. You want them to be completely dry when you freeze them, so I find it easier not to wash them. Just remove any stems, etc., and spread them on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then pop them into Ziploc bags. (You can rinse them upon taking out of freezer if you feel it’s necessary.)

3.     Now for the fun part. Make everything you can think of with the rest of your berries, which should last just fine for about a week.

Start with blueberries in your pancakes and waffles. Whip up a batch of blueberry muffins (known in our house as “muffberry blubbins”), or my favorite – blueberry scones. Trust me. These are best eaten straight out of the oven. You can also add blueberries (fresh or straight from the freezer) to your cornbread and to your biscuits for a sweet surprise.

Blueberry desserts are a given. There are so many recipes out there for cakes, cobblers, crisps, galettes and pies. Don’t be afraid to add blueberries to the top of a chocolate cake. I like to create blueberry cheesecake ice cream concoctions and freeze them in popsicle molds. This year I made these dreamy Blueberry Cream Popsicles from NYT Cooking. And I have a plan for elevating this delicious cheesecakey-ness by folding in bites of whole berries and crumbled, crunchy oatmeal cookies. Just wait.

Beyond the carb-filled goodies, blueberries are perfect in salads. No recipe required. Toss mixed greens, blueberries and nuts (candied pecans or slivered almonds), green onions and yummy gobs of goat cheese with a light vinaigrette. They are yummy paired with nectarines, peaches, fresh corn, radishes or beets. 

Blueberries in your mocktails or cocktails make you look fancy. Add to sparkling water, lemonade or iced tea with a slap of mint and squeeze of lime.

You can also dehydrate your blues. This is my husband’s job. We bought a food dehydrator last year and he’s been perfecting this culinary craft ever since. Dried blueberries are the perfect addition to homemade granola, without the added sugar found in those on your grocer’s shelf.

And finally, add blueberries where they aren’t expected. 

My delicious creation starts with spreading fig jam on a thin homemade pizza crust (or you can use naan flatbread to make it super easy). Add fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced prosciutto and bake or grill at a high temperate until crust is crisp. When you take it out, add thinly sliced peaches and lots of blueberries. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, basil, a drizzle of honey and freshly shaved parmesan. 

Now that’s blueberries and beyond, am I right?