Blueberry Apple Jam

My friend, Janelle, is up to something. Something big! I had the pleasure of meeting Janelle a couple of years ago and have since followed her blog, Talk of Tomatoes. I’ve also tracked the progress of the awesome urban farm she is creating with her family in Seattle.  Janelle is warm, gracious and talented. And she drives the coolest truck ever! Now she’s taken her enthusiasm for eating local food a (huge) step further and started Farmstr.

Farmstr is an online marketplace connecting small farmers directly with consumers in the Pacific Northwest. Janelle is spending time meeting farmers in Washington and Oregon, getting to know their farms and families and helping them promote their sustainable, local produce, eggs and meat to interested buyers (like me!).

Last month, when I was in Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference, I picked up ten pounds of beautiful frozen blueberries through Farmstr. The berries are from Bow Hill Blueberries, an organic, family-run farm north of Seattle. Now that October is here, knowing I have this stash of blueberries in my freezer makes me very happy!

This Blueberry Apple Jam is the first thing I made with these luscious berries. The jam combines summer and fall together, honey sweetened blueberry goodness with a fresh bite of autumnal apple. Apples contain natural pectin, so I kept the prep easy and left the peels on which allowed the jam to thicken a bit more. I popped a jar in the fridge for immediate devouring and the other two into the freezer for a later treat.

The next time I’m in Seattle I’ll be picking up forty pounds of squash, which has me very excited for some fall cooking. Farmsr also has honey, potatoes, pears, eggs and chickens available so please check out their site and help spread the word.

Blueberry Apple Jam
Makes 3 half pint jars

2 pounds blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
2 medium apples, cored and diced (keep the peels on)
3/4 cup raw honey

In a large pot, bring the blueberries, apples and honey to a boil and lower to a bubbling simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until it cooks down and thickens into a jammy consistency and apples are soft, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool and ladle into jars. Store the jam in the fridge for up to a month or freeze for future use.

Blueberry Coconut Fool

Thank you for all your good wishes on our move to the Methow Valley! I’m looking forward to a delicious time here and can’t wait to share about it.

Before I left Seattle this last time, I spent a beautiful morning at the Ballard Sunday Market with my dear friend, Julie, and then stopped by our neighborhood berry stand on the way home. All morning, I couldn’t resist flowers, half-flats of raspberries and blueberries, carrots, basil, pickling cucumbers (recipe to come soon!) and more. Spreading everything out on my kitchen counter made me very happy! And made me realize I’d better get cooking since I was leaving the next day.

I had to make something with blueberries because they are my favorite berry and I haven’t shared nearly enough blueberry recipes here to truly represent my love of them. I’ve baked a couple of blueberry pies this summer and still need to make a grunt or a slump – I just love some of these names! Another fun one to say is fool, and given my affection for English desserts I decided on this one.

A fruit fool is a classic dessert of fresh fruit and cream and traditionally made with gooseberries. The name fool is thought to come from the French word fouler, meaning to mash or press. Since I’m loving coconut cream these days, I used it in place of the usual whipped cream. In fact, I ended up with a trifecta of coconut! The blueberries are quickly simmered in coconut water and coconut sugar, left to cool and then folded into billowy coconut cream. Pure bliss. Definitely the kind of comfort dessert I crave most often.

The fool looks pretty served in martini glasses or champagne coupes, so maybe pull a few more out when you’re mixing summer cocktails. This dessert is lightly sweet, with a fresh pop of blueberries and decadent coconut cream. It would be a wonderful way to finish a lazy dinner on a hot evening, and I can also assure you that it travels well in a jar for the next day’s breakfast.

Blueberry Coconut Fool
Serves 4

½ pound blueberries, plus a few for garnish
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (brown sugar can be subbed)
1 tablespoon coconut water
1 15 ounce can whole, unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium sauce pan, bring the ½ cup blueberries, coconut palm sugar and coconut water to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 3 minutes. Chill the berries until ready to use, at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, open the chilled can of coconut milk. Carefully scoop the solid white coconut cream into a bowl. Reserve the clear liquid for smoothie making or add to the water when cooking dried beans. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut cream on high until smooth and luscious, about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds to mix in.

In 4 pretty dishes or glasses (martini glasses or champagne couples work well), spoon dollops of cream in each, add a spoonful of blueberries, and then dollop with more cream and then more berries to layer. Gently swirl a spoon once or twice to mix, being careful to not mix too much – you want streaks of cream and berries. Serve right away. If you want to prepare ahead, keep the dessert chilled. The cream will begin to firm up as it sits.

Banana Nut Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Long ago, when I lived in Southern California, my friend Rebecca and I went on a valiant search for the best pancakes. We ate lots and lots of pancakes. Many a Saturday or Sunday morning was spent squished into a booth or patiently waiting in line at a diner, wondering if we’d find the pancakes.

For a while, the pancakes at Babalu’s in Santa Monica were contenders, but then we discovered Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach and knew we were home. See, we adored banana pancakes. The ones at Babalu had bananas sliced on top, which was good. But Coyote Grill cooked bananas into their cakes and that was the best. Plus, Coyote Grill was located just a few doors down from my boyfriend (now husband). What could be better?

Recently I’ve been playing around with different flours and almond flour is emerging as a favorite. I enjoy its nutty flavor and moist texture, plus it’s loaded with protein. Perfect to start the day! So when a pancake craving hit, I started stirring some batter with almond flour.

This is a simple batter to mix up. Some almond flour, eggs, milk (I use either whole or almond), maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil come together quickly and you’re frying in no time. Of course, there are mashed bananas in there, too!

Hot out of the skillet, these pancakes are tender and infused with banana goodness. I like to drizzle mine with pure maple syrup or sometimes a dollop of thick yogurt. This time, though, I made blueberry compote to accompany them since my second favorite kind of pancakes are blueberry. A happy morning indeed!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Makes 6 - 4 inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups almond flour (I use blanched almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use whole or almond milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/4 cup ripe banana, well mashed
Butter or coconut oil for frying pancakes
Blueberry Compote for serving (recipe follows)
Greek Yogurt for serving

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the almond flour and baking powder together. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and mashed banana. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well mixed and then stir into the almond flour until just mixed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt a bit of butter or coconut oil in it. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the pan (as many as will comfortably fit) and fry the pancakes until they are golden and beginning to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. The pancakes are a bit delicate, so very gently lift around the edges of each one and flip to cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and finish frying any remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Compote and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry Compote
Makes 2/3 cup

2 cups organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, do not defrost)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Serve warm or room temperature with the pancakes.

This recipe is featured at Foodie Friends Friday.

Blueberry Maple Granola

Oodles of homemade granola recipes have been popping up in the past few years – I’m sure you’ve noticed! This is not a surprise, since granola made at home is far tastier and healthier than the packaged, store-bought variety. At this point, I’ve tried just about every concoction I can think of and have found myself returning to one granola combination over and over. It’s time to share it with you!

The basis of this recipe comes from our dear family friend, Ralph. Ralph is a master at making crunchy, flavorful granola and when I first sampled a bowl I immediately requested his recipe. Over time, I’ve played around with different oils, sweeteners, nuts, seeds and fruit to make it my own, but have kept the essence of Ralph’s granola.

Oats form the foundation of granola. Ralph first toasts his oats in the oven, which is inspired. Like anything, toasting improves the flavor and fills the kitchen with a heavenly scent (when time permits I like to toast oats before making oatmeal ... mmmm). The warm oats are a canvas on which to add flavors to suit your tastes.

In a large bowl I stir together the oats, maple syrup, a touch of honey, olive oil, pepitas (love the light, crackly texture they add), ground flax seeds, walnuts and a healthy sprinkling of fleur de sel for a salty kick. After baking, a handful of dried blueberries finish off the oatmeal and add a bit more sweetness.

I try to keep a jar of granola on the kitchen counter – a handful is terrific for an after- school snack or to mix with yogurt for breakfast. Our new morning indulgence is a breakfast banana split ... scoops of yogurt grace a split banana and are topped with dollops of blueberry jam and sprinkled with granola (inspired by The Kitchn). A scrumptious morning treat!

Blueberry Maple Granola
Adapted from Ralph’s Crunchy Granola
Makes 4 1/2 cups

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free for a gluten-free option)
1/3 cup maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
1/2 cup raw pepitas
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep the oven on.

In a large bowl, whisk together the syrup, honey, olive oil, vanilla and fleur de sel. Stir in the oats and mix to coat. Add the pepitas, ground flax seeds and walnuts and gently mix.

Spread the mixture on the rimmed baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. Stir the granola halfway through the baking time, being sure to get the corners. Remove from the oven and let cool. Mix in the dried blueberries. Store the granola in an airtight container within easy reach for snacking.

Holding On To Summer with a Fresh Blueberry Tart

This weekend we’re trying to grasp onto the last bits of summer here. My boys return to school next week (they’re both in high school this year ... where does the time go?) and before the whirl of a schedule begins we have a few days to savor. At the moment, I’m looking out the window at an overcast sky that promises to burn off and give us a sunny day. I love this early morning feeling of a glorious day ahead.

I’m also remembering last weekend when our family went over the mountains to Winthrop for a quick little get away. It was a fun blast of summer with lots of hot sun, stunning mountain views, Mexican food eaten by the river, dripping ice cream cones (again by the river), watching Hot Fuzz and relishing the lazy feelings of August.

Rather than driving back over the mountains, we wound our way home along the Columbia River and through acres and acres of beautiful orchards. Dotting the side of the road were farm stands selling peaches and apricots from the orchards, blueberries, sweet corn and tomatoes. It was dusk and the stands were closed, otherwise we’d have been making many stops. As we neared our house in Seattle, I asked Bob to slow down so I could read the hand-written sign posted on our neighborhood berry stand - would there still be blueberries this week? Yes! I gave a big sigh of happiness.

Knowing the season is nearing its end, I want the blueberries to shine. For the rest of the year, frozen blueberries can be substituted when baking muffins or tossed in to my morning oatmeal, but right now I want to taste these sweet berries in a dessert where they are fresh and pop in every bite I take.

With this in mind, I played around with a recipe clipped from Bon Appetit long ago to create a fresh pastry which satisfies this desire. This blueberry tart is a gorgeous way to showcase the end of summer and is quick to make. Indulge in a slice (or two) and soak up a few more moments of summer over Labor Day weekend.

Fresh Blueberry Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 8

Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball and press it over the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce the bottom with a fork all over and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Filling
1/2 cup agave syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups fresh blueberries

Stir the agave syrup, cornstarch, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan to blend. Add butter and 2 cups of blueberries. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils a bit, stirring a few times. Remove from heat and gently mix the remaining 4 cups of blueberries in. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and spread evenly.

Chill the tart, uncovered, for at least an hour. (You can prepare the tart 1 day ahead, just cover loosely with foil and keep in the refrigerator.) When ready to serve, remove tart from pan and cut slices.

Radish Toasts and Confetti Corn Salad (No oven needed!)

Ahh, summer ... long days of sun, a more relaxed schedule (hopefully!), vacations with family, catching up on books, watching kids splash in the water, dining al fresco or lounging in a hammock. Whatever summer means to you, I’m sure it involves eating some incredible food, food that needs little in the way of seasoning or cooking to let it shine. Strolling through the farmers’ markets or diving into your CSA box means enjoying produce at its freshest and best. Summer also often means you do not need to turn on your oven to create dishes everyone will enjoy.

Corn and blueberries is a farmer’s market combination I’ve been smitten with lately. Both are in season now, and together they are so pretty and so very good! Last week I indulged in a creamy risotto topped with fresh corn and blueberries at Cantinetta. Needless to say, a sublime dish. And I just discovered this recipe for corn and blueberry cobbler that I want (need) to try. Have I mentioned I adore cobblers?

Another blissful pairing is radishes with butter and salt. Sometimes I have to stop myself from eating this combo every day. You can enjoy radishes with herb butter on thinly sliced bread, which makes a lovely appetizer, or by tearing off a hunk of baguette, swiping it in soft butter, sticking a couple radish slices on top and sprinkling with salt. Your choice ... both are delicious!

Radish Toasts with Lemon Basil Butter
Serves 1 (easily doubles)

2 thin slices of your favorite bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
10 lemon basil leaves
A few grinds of grains of paradise or black pepper
2 large radishes, thinly sliced
Sea salt to taste

Lightly toast the slices of bread and let cool.

Roughly chop the lemon basil leaves. With a mortar and pestle, pound the butter, leaves and grains of paradise together until well mixed.

Smear each slice of toast with 1/2 tablespoon of herbed butter. Arrange radish slices on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!

Confetti Corn Salad
Serves 4

When corn is at its peak during the summer, it can be served fresh off the cob and is sweet, crispy and flavorful. As I was cutting corn off the cob, I thought about confetti and decided to create a colorful salad with the raw kernels. A simple lemon and lime dressing gives the salad a bright, citrusy flavor. Quick and easy for a warm summer evening!

4 ears of corn, shucked
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 orange bell pepper, diced small
1 avocado, diced small
1/2 English cucumber, diced small
1/2 large lemon, sliced for squeezing
1 lime, sliced for squeezing
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Stand each ear of corn up in a large bowl and use a knife to cut the corn kernels off the cob. You can save the cobs to simmer in soup stock, or toss them out the back door to the chickens for an afternoon treat as I did.

In a medium size bowl, combine the corn kernels, tomatoes, blueberries, bell pepper, avocado and cucumber. Squeeze the lemon and lime over the mix and stir gently. Add a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and serve.

Blueberry Pie and Raspberry Chevre Tart for Pie Day!

What can I say, I love pie!  And what better way to celebrate pie than with a Pie Day!  A spontaneous thought from Shauna Ahern, the Gluten-Free Girl, turned into a virtual pie party.  In over a thousand kitchens today, pies are being baked for Pie Day.  That’s one party I don’t want to miss!

I grew up eating a lot of pie.  My mom baked pies, lots of pies.  Apple, pumpkin, chocolate cream, rhubarb custard, banana cream, blueberry …we had an incredible year-round selection.  She made crusts to perfection (as I’ve mentioned before), rolling the dough out on our kitchen table to precise measurements, always creating a light, flaky crust.  I really can’t say what my favorite kind of pie is, but after years of pie eating, I think I can finally narrow the choices to summer fruit pies.  And it’s summer now!  So let the pie baking begin.

In my opinion, blueberries are just the best berry around, with raspberries a close second.  For Pie Day, I could bake a mixed berry pie, which is always delicious, but decide instead to be a purist with the berries and highlight each one.  Which means two pies!  Taking that thought a step further, why not a sweet pie and savory tart?  You never know what will emerge when you start thinking this way …

I played around with my blueberry pie filling I’ve made over the years by increasing the blueberries and adding some blueberry jam to enhance the blueberry flavor.  A slice of this pie made the 4^th of  July complete!

Blueberry Pie

Serves 8

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer and Ethan Becker

Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 pieces

1/2 cup ice cold water

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt together a few times.  Add the cold butter pieces and pulse only until it looks like coarse meal.  Gradually add the 1/2 cup of water, stopping to scrape sides if needed.   Pulse until the dough just comes together (don’t let it form a ball because this will overwork the dough).  If the dough is dry and won’t stick when a piece is pinched together, add a little more cold water a tablespoon at a time.

Lightly dust a surface with flour and put the dough on it.  Roll into a ball and cut in half.  Roll out one piece of dough to about a 13 inch round.  Gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll into your pie plate.  Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan and refrigerate until ready to use.  Roll out the second ball of dough into a 13 inch round.  Lay it on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

Filling

6 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup blueberry jam

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of kosher salt

Milk for brushing

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine the blueberries, sugar, jam, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt in a mixing bowl. 

Pour the mixture into the bottom crust.  Brush the overhanging edge with cold water.  Place the flat piece of dough on top, seal the edges together and crimp or flute.  Cut a small hole in the middle of the pie to vent.  Brush the top of the pie with a little milk and sprinkle on some turbinado sugar.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 25 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the thick juices bubble through the center vent, about 25-30 minutes more.  Let the pie cool before serving.   Dollop slices with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

I always enjoy fruit on a cheese plate.   In general, I’m not a big fan of grapes, though (surprising since I love wine, and Bob is just the opposite in that he loves grapes and not wine …but I digress).  Depending upon what cheeses are being served, I prefer berries, sliced apples or pears, or sliced stone fruit.  Since I want to spotlight raspberries and I think berries and chevre are a lovely combination on a cheese platter, I set out to bake a savory tart using both.  Sort of like a cheese plate in a crust (the cracker?).  Serve this tart to jazz up a cheese course or as a light lunch with a simple green salad.

Raspberry Chevre Tart with Poppyseed Shortcrust

Serves 8-10

Crust

3 ounces whole wheat flour

3 ounces all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a food processor, pulse the flours, poppyseeds and salt together.  Add the butter and pulse until a course meal forms.  Add the egg and pulse to combine.  

Pour the crust mixture into a tart pan with removable bottom.  Using your fingers, lightly press the mixture into the sides and bottom of the pan.  Do this quickly, otherwise the crust will begin to stick to your fingers.  If needed, use a piece of wax paper to press.  Refrigerate the crust for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the crust and layer with pie weights or dry beans.  Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights or beans, and continue baking for another 10 minutes until slightly golden.  Cool crust completely.

Filling

8 ounces soft chevre

8 ounces fresh ricotta

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons honey, divided

1/2 tablespoon flaky sea salt

A few grinds of fresh black pepper or grains of paradise

16 ounces fresh raspberries

Mix the cheeses, olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, salt and pepper until well blended.  Spoon the mixture into the cooled crust and smooth.  Place the raspberries in concentric circles on top of the cheese mixture until surface is covered.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 6 hours. 

Before serving, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey on top of the raspberries.  Cut into slices and enjoy with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc.  Cheers!  

Fresh Blueberry Herb Salsa

I am craving summer meals and there is nothing that says summer more than salsa! Salsa can be very creative, using different fruits, veggies, herbs and spice. The key is fresh flavor. Blueberries are a favorite of mine, eaten by the handful or baked into a cobbler. You don’t see blueberries used in a savory way very often, so I decided to try them in salsa. Delicious results! The blueberries and fresh herbs get a kick from the heat of the grilled jalapeno, and lime juice brings the flavors together.

This salsa would be terrific served with grilled fish (perhaps in a corn tortilla)and a glass of sangria, or to jazz up a cheese plate. I served it with a wedge of Brie and baguette slices.


After grilling your jalapeno, taste a little bit to see how spicy it is... this morning I let out a “Whoo!” when I tasted one I had just grilled, so I did not use the whole chili.

Fresh Blueberry Herb Salsa
Makes 2 cups

1 jalapeno (or more to your taste)
3 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed
¾ cup red onion, chopped
2 juicy limes
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup fresh basil, sliced thinly
½ cup fresh mint, sliced thinly
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Grill the jalapeno on the barbecue or over a gas flame until it is blackened and soft, about 7-8 minutes. When it is cool, slip the charred skin off and cut off the stem. Slice in half and taste the chili. If it is mild, plan to use the seeds, otherwise you can scrape the seeds out. Chop the jalapeno and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 2 cups of blueberries, the jalapeno and the red onion together about 5 or 6 times. You want a rough mix.

Pour the mixture into a serving bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of blueberries, the juice of 2 limes, salt and fresh herbs. Stir and enjoy!