What's in Season: Blueberries

As soon as people learned that antioxidents were good for you and blueberries contain a plethora of antioxidents in their little round bites, I feel like blueberries are everywhere. But, nothing beats freshly picked blueberries. It is impossible to load crates of them onto the farmers market without sneaking a few. People at the mart too love sampling them - allowed or not - and spilled blueberries scattered around the ground are loved by goats! I laughed out loud watching this one goat on a leash in Newburyport try to chase around the rolling blueberries with his slobbering snout.

nom. nom. nom.

Buying: Blueberries vary in size and can be sweet or tart. Blueberries should be deep in color, but the shiny, white-ish waxy coating seen on some is just a natural protective coating. Shake the till to make sure that the blueberries can move freely, otherwise, if they are sticking together it may be a sign of mold or mushed bluebs.

Yes, people at farmers markets ask us about our strawbs and bluebs.    erry.

Storing: Remove any smushed blueberries to prevent the other ones from rotting. Only wash the berries as you will eat them, as water moisture will promote a faster degradation. Blueberries can be frozen for 3-6 months without any loss to their antioxident content. Wash and dry them first, then place on a cookie sheet to freeze individually before clumping them in a bag.

Medical: Eating raw blueberries off the most nutritional impact. They are known to improve memory. With a low Glycemic Index, blueberries are the perfect fruit for someone watching their blood sugar levels.

Fact: Blueberries are native to North America and are the most popular fruit in the US second only to strawberries.

Cooking: Frozen blueberries are a great snack on a hot day and great in ice tea, lemonade, cocktails as mini ice cubes. I also love throwing blueberries into salads - they are great with goat cheese.

Recipe:

mum's granola

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit like goji berries
blueberries

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the first 7 ingredients together. In a pan, heat the honey and oil over med-low heat until blended and smooth then pour it over the dry ingredients and toss. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes for about 40 minutes. Stir then granola once more and then cool. Mix in the fruit. Serve over a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle over the blueberries. healthy breakfast!!

From my coworker Alina's mum

Zucchini Blueberry Bread

3 eggs
1 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 med zucchini, grated and drained
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in the raisins and blueberries. Spoon onto a well greased 8 X 5 X 3" loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Cool in pan on a wine rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

PICK YOUR OWN BLUEBERRIES AT APPLECREST EVERY DAY FROM 8-6!!  click for directions

A Herring a Day.

Arina's Second Blog Post.

Silver hair waving in the wind, with goose bumps all over his body, he licks his lips with satisfaction. Big salt crumbs disappear slowly while his stomach rumbles like a whale. He starts to dry himself faster so he can get away from the wet sand on which he is standing. The sea is waving him goodbye. He shivers, it‘s time for coffee and a proper breakfast. The morning ritual is not completed without a “heering” straight from the sea, with freshly chopped onions that still make your eyes tear up. Every day, my grandpa swam in the North Sea before heading to work. A herring a day keeps the doctor away—Arie’s life motto, which helped him live happily for 87 years.

Raw herring with raw onions: eat or hate it. 

It is a warm morning and the sun is just breaking through the clouds. The town of Scheveningen is busy. Today, June 12, 2010, is a special day. Vlaggentjes dag, the day on which the first barrel of new herring is sold, announces that the herring season is officially open, and it starts with the celebration, when all the boats in the harbor are decorated with flags. The history of vlaggentjes dag goes back to 1947, when the first edition was organized. Scheveningen, however, located in the heart of the Dutch coast, has celebrated unofficially since the 18th century. Children take tours on vessels and on fishing boats, while the older generation listens to the havenzanger, a band that plays music from the old days. The season will last until the days become shorter again and the leaves begin to fall. All fish markets and shops have new supplies of the pride of the Dutch sea.

The slippery tail almost slides through her little fingers, the two parts into which the herring has been cut flap dangerously, and some onions hit the ground. The two-year-old girl looks carefully at aunty Arie and at her mom before she follows their example. The Hollandse nieuwe must be eaten properly, as it is a ritual that is passed on by family members. You have to hold the herring by its tail, tilt your neck like a baby bird, arm up and let the herring slowly dive into your mouth. The soft silver texture of the herring has a salty taste; you can feel the sea embrace your cheeks as you chew. The tenderness of its flesh, combined with the hairiness of the bone structure, tickles your tongue while eating. It is not easy to hold the fish when eating. The fat and thickness, which makes the fish so famous for health reasons, makes it difficult to hold on to it after each bite. After three bites the little girl puts the fish down, which is not a bad thing. This way she can dip it into the yellow onions so the bitterness of the fish is well balanced with the crispy onions. The last bite makes her face become like a little silver herring too. My niece smiles happily.

By Arina Van Leenen 

- written for Corby Kummer's Journalism class. 

Arie's first blog post; Cheese, cheese, cheese bllee

Jules' First Blog Post.

Missing home is one thing missing the food at home is another, or isn’t it? Maybe home is food and food is home.  Great chefs always talk about food linked to memories or better to childhood memories.  A  great French chef said:  incorporating  ‘cette petite emotion’ in a dish is important. 

 I never used to understand it or I thought I understood but I didn’t really thought it was that big a deal. A part of these childhood memories are the memories of mothers or grandmothers cuisine. I don’t really have much of these memories. My mother doesn’t really like to cook, it was  more a job to feed four children. So where does my passion for food and cooking with beautiful products come from?   

Well I had a revelation a couple of days ago. It all started with going to the fruit and vegetable store and arriving home with some nice tomatoes on the vine and other  vegetables to make a salsa for apperitivo.  I start getting ready to chop up the tomatoes and while I pulled  the first tomato off the vine, time stood  still and I got shifted back in time to my grandfathers greenhouse, I’m getting goose bubs while  writing it. I never thought about this experience for one second although it was in my head the whole time. I can smell the tomatoes in the greenhouse, my grandfather sitting at the end of the little pat in the middle looking at me like:’ what are you doing in my kingdom of tomatoes.’

 I had a food memory  and I didn’t just thought about it I felt it trough my entire body, I relived it, it was beautiful.  Nothing to do with ‘cette petite emotion’ but more like a big emotion. I have to come to Italy and buy tomatoes here to experience  it. Thinking about it now, I realize that the fact I had this experience while studying in Italy had something to do with it. When you’re abroad for a long period of time you picture your home as a utopia , you appreciate all the small things that usually you don’t think about. In that way being ‘homesick’ is good to feed your brain with memories.  

I’m not saying that this one experience made my understand my passion for food but it made me realize my head is full of these memories and I’m getting to know myself and my history through  memories about food. 

I’m convinced that everyone has memories like these, your mother or grandmother doesn’t have to be a great cook, you don’t have to be brought up in a restaurant a brewery or a bakery.  

It’s about those little things that take you straight home “cette petite emotion”!