Tag: blueberry

Desserts, Farmers Market, Fruit

Blueberry Tart

by Lynda Balslev7 Comments on Blueberry Tart

Blueberry tart

It was impossible to resist the blueberries at the farmers market this morning. Tables were heaped with blueberries. You could choose from buckets, baskets, pints and quarts brimming with inky blue, plump fruit. I purchased two pounds, and arrived home with 1 1/2 pounds, because I couldn’t stop nibbling them along the way. Once home, my family gobbled at least another half pound before I rescued the remainder, which is exactly how much I need to make a Blueberry Tart.


Bluberry Tart – Tarte aux Myrtilles
Serves 6-8

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup  sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut butter in pieces into the flour mixture until the largest pieces resemble the size of peas.  Add the egg yolks and mix lightly with fingertips to incorporate and the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prebake tart shell:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Prick bottom all over with a fork.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Fill liner with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake shell for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.  Remove shell from oven.  Remove parchment and pie weights.  Return shell to oven and cook 10 minutes, or until golden all over.  Remove and cool.

For the filling:
1 pound blueberries, picked over, washed, dried
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whisk together 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/2 pound blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken – about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch and lemon juice to blueberries. Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Fold in remaining blueberries.  Pour into pre-baked tart shell.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.

Desserts, Fruit, Vegetarian

A Touch of Sunshine: Blueberry Crostata

by Lynda Balslev7 Comments on A Touch of Sunshine: Blueberry Crostata
A Touch of Sunshine: Blueberry Crostata

BlueberryCrostata

I’m sorry. I live in California.

At about this time of year I find myself prefacing my cooking with this admission, when the month of February rolls around and my recipes take on the air of spring.  While we lived in Europe, especially in London and Denmark, February was just another winter month – drizzly, dreary and dark. Sunshine, daffodils and mimosas were whispered rumors from our southern European neighbors. If we wanted to experience them it required boarding an airplane. Otherwise, we continued lighting our fireplaces, making stews and wrapping ourselves in wool while patiently waiting as the days crept longer.

But now we live in California. It’s early February and the markets are displaying hyacinths and tulips. The weather may be foggy, but you can count on the sun to shine through at some time of the day. And, in true spoiled California fashion, produce is abundant, bringing with it the luxury of instant gratification. I realize this sounds pretty good, but I confess I miss the limitations of the seasons and the heightened pleasure of enduring the fleeting moment of, say, strawberries or asparagus. There is something innately satisfying about waiting for the change of seasons to deliver its goods, a humbling process that properly puts us in our place in the grand scheme of Mother Nature. I wonder if my children will forget the perspective of four distinct seasons. (Goodness knows how we’ll ever survive a move from this area.)

So, instead of flaunting a springtime recipe with impossible-to-find ingredients for those of you knee-deep in snow, this recipe for Blueberry Crostata is one we can all make. Blueberries can easily be found in the freezer of our markets, or, if we’re lucky, there may be some remaining in our own freezers from last summer. And since we can all do with a little sunshine, the crust and filling are brightened with fresh lemon zest.  Enjoy.

Blueberry crostata

Blueberry Crostata
Makes one 9-10″ crostata

For the pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut in pieces
1 egg yolk (save egg white as glaze)
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

For the filling:
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, do not defrost)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 egg white

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor. Pulse to blend. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk with 2 tablespoons cream in a small bowl. Add to dough and pulse to blend. Add remaining cream and pulse until dough sticks together. Gather dough in a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30  minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface in a 12″ round.  Toss blueberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl. Mound blueberries in center of pastry, leaving a 2″ border clear. Brush the border with egg white. Gently fold in pastry over blueberries, leaving center exposed. Brush pastry with egg white. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over blueberries and pastry.

Bake in oven until pastry is crisp and golden, 45-50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Desserts, Farmers Market, Fruit, Vegetarian

Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp
Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

Nectarine, Raspberry, Blueberry Crumble tf

I confess to being a glutton when it comes to stone fruit. There is a window of time when peaches, nectarines and plums run rampant at the market. Vibrantly hued and mottled in purples, oranges, fuscias and crimson, their flesh is a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, winey, and tart.  I could eat them all day long, but then my stomach would hurt.  At this time when these gifts are abundant, I tend to overshop.  (It’s no secret that I have indulgence issues at farmers’ markets.)  My kitchen counters are lined with bowls and baskets brimming with fruit.  So, it’s no surprise that even in our home, all of this fruit cannot be eaten at the peak of ripeness.  Some start to get a little too ripe, buried at the bottom of the bowl, or even passed over for the newest batch from the market.  As I said, I have indulgence issues.

This is the moment when a crumble or crisp comes in handy.  It’s desserts’ equivalent to a homey vegetable soup.  Gather up all the ripe, somewhat passed fruit (as you might with vegetables for a soup), cut and chop and pile them in a baking dish.  Garnish with berries and pile on the topping.  The tartness of the berries balances the sweetness of the stone fruit, and with little added sugar the result is a rich, murky, sweet – but not cloying – perfumed stew of summer fruit. It’s best served warm, but not piping hot, since that will mask the flavor of the fruit. A dollop of high quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream adds a cool foil to the warm, more-ish fruit.

Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

You can use any stone fruit for the crisp. Try any combination of plums, peaches and nectarines. The addition of raspberries and blueberries adds tartness and color.

Serves 8

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups (170 g.) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g.) brown sugar
1/4 cup (55 g.) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g.) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

For the fruit:
2 lbs.(1 kg.) nectarines (or use a combination of nectarines, plums, peaches), halved and pitted, cut in 1″ chunks
1 cup (150 g.) raspberries
1 cup (150 g.) blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Prepare topping:
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix well to combine.  Add butter, and work in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. (Topping can be prepared one day in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until use.)

Prepare crisp:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Arrange nectarines in rectangular baking dish.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.  Arrange raspberries and blueberries over nectarines.  Cover fruit evenly with topping. Bake in oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool briefly.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Desserts

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

by Lynda Balslev5 Comments on Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake
Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberries are nature’s candy.  Sweet, tart, firm to the bite, they are easy fast food, fun to pop straight in the mouth. Yet the comparison to candy stops there, as blueberries are also a nutritional treasure chest. Rich in Vitamins A, C and E as well as beta-carotene, manganese and fiber, blueberries are an anti-oxidant powerhouse, providing more anti-oxidants than many fruits and vegetables.  That’s a lot of nutritional punch for a little dark berry.

Blueberries are delicious eaten just as they are, or sprinkled over yogurt or ice cream.  Grab a handful and add to cereal, pancake batter or smoothies.  Or, better yet, use a whole pint or two in a tart or pie: they will cook down into a silky, rich, inky-blue filling guaranteed to bring you back for seconds.  Blueberries are especially satisfying to bake with, because they are not overly sweet, and their tartness and firm texture add a nice foil to sweet pastries, cakes and breads.  This Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake takes the traditional sweet pound cake and adds mildly tart blueberries and bright, citrus-y lemon zest for a deliciously fresh tea cake.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf

3 eggs
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup  unsalted butter, softened
2 cups blueberries

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Lightly butter a loaf pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper.  Butter and flour parchment. Combine eggs, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Lightly whisk to combine. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix one minute at low speed to combine. Add butter and half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Mix at high speed for one minute. Add remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, mixing 30 seconds after each addition. Batter should be light and fluffy. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Remove from oven and run sharp knife around edges of cake. Let rest 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.


Desserts

Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries
Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries

Tarte aux Myrtilles

It was impossible to resist the blueberries at the farmers market this morning. Tables were heaped with blueberries. You could choose from buckets, baskets, pints and quarts brimming with inky blue, plump fruit. I purchased two pounds, and arrived home with 1 1/2 pounds, because I couldn’t resist nibbling them along the way. Once home, my family consumed at least another half pound before I resuced the reaminder, which is exactly how much I need to make a this  tart.

Bluberry Tart – Tarte aux Myrtilles
Serves 6-8

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut butter in pieces into the flour mixture until the largest pieces resemble the size of peas.  Add the egg yolks and mix lightly with fingertips to incorporate and the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prebake tart shell:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Prick bottom all over with a fork.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Fill liner with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake shell for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.  Remove shell from oven.  Remove parchment and pie weights.  Return shell to oven and cook 10 minutes, or until golden all over.  Remove and cool.

For the filling:
1 pound blueberries, picked over, washed, dried
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whisk together 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/2 pound blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken – about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch and lemon juice to blueberries. Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Fold in remaining blueberries.  Pour into pre-baked tart shell.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche.

 

Desserts

Blueberry Tart

by Lynda Balslev5 Comments on Blueberry Tart
Blueberry Tart

It is impossible to resist the abundant blueberries at this time of year.  Today I came home from the market with 2 pounds of fresh blueberries.  Well, actually I came home with 1 1/2 pounds, because I couldn’t stop nibbling them along the way.  Upon arrival, my children consumed at least another half pound before I rescued the remainder, which is exactly what I needed to go in my blueberry tart.

Tarte aux Myrtilles

Bluberry Tart
Serves 6-8

For the Pâte Sucrée or Tart Pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt.  Cut butter in pieces into the flour mixture until the largest pieces resemble the size of peas.  Add the egg yolks and mix lightly with fingertips to incorporate and the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prebake tart shell:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Prick bottom all over with a fork.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Fill liner with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake shell for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.  Remove shell from oven.  Remove parchment and pie weights.  Return shell to oven and cook 10 minutes, or until golden all over.  Remove and cool.

For the filling:
1 pound blueberries, picked over, washed, dried
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 lb. blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water.  Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch.  Set aside.
When blueberries reach a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken – about 3 minutes.
Add cornstarch mixture and lemon juice to thickened blueberries, stirring constantly.  Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Fold in remaining blueberries.  Pour into pre-baked tart shell.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Desserts

Red White and Blueberries

by Lynda Balslev


A celebration of summer and independence are two good reasons to throw a party, and the fourth of July is perfectly timed to take advantage of the season’s fresh berries. Fireworks and barbecues are de rigueur as skies and grills light up across America. With a nod to the colors of the American flag, this traditional dessert is fresh and festive, making use of an abundance of summer berries while stirring up nostalgic memories of easy summer living.

Shortcake 2

Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes
Serves 6


For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup buttermilk

For the berries:
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
12 ounces blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Sift the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Mix in the butter with fingertips until dough resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until sticky dough forms. Drop dough in mounds on ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Prepare the fruit:
While the biscuits bake, combine strawberries, blueberries, sugar, mint, lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes (can be prepared 2 hours ahead.)

For the whipped cream:
Beat cream in a bowl of electric mixer until traces of the beater appear. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form, taking care not to overbeat.
To assemble shortcakes, cut each biscuit in half and arrange bottom half on individual serving plates. Spoon berries with juices over; top with whipped cream. Arrange biscuit top over cream.
Serve garnished with fresh mint leaves.