RV Life - Back Issues

Benefits of Blueberries

We can feel and see the signs of summer drawing to a close these days, but there are still country fruit and vegetable stands along back roads, and it is there that you find real treasures, my favorite being blueberries.

Blueberries are titillating—they are as basic as home and the American flag. They are exciting—we pile them on our cereal in the morning; they peek from the muffins I bake, and they puddle on the plate when they are made into a jam. They add color and flavor to green salads, make a zesty chutney, and, as we all know, make delectable desserts.

We read more and more about the amazing health benefits of fresh blueberries. They are one of the top sources of disease-fighting antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, and new research suggests that they may play a role in reducing memory loss. The pigment in blueberries is thought to improve eyesight, and blueberries also promote urinary tract health as they contain a bacteria-preventing component that helps guard against infection. And in yet another study, it was found that the phytochemicals in blueberries might also counteract the effects of aging, including waning brainpower.

Sweet-tart blueberries—durable, dependable, comforting, and delicious. Few desserts are as satisfying as this:

OLD FASHIONED BLUEBERRY COBBLER
Filling:
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of water
3 cups of fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon of butter
Sprinkles of cinnamon

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually stir in water and bring to boil. Let boil for about one minute, stirring constantly. Add fruit to the mixture on the stove. Pour into one-and-one-half-quart baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Topping:
1 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of milk

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl; cut in butter until mixture is blended but not overly mixed. Stir in milk. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot fruit. Bake 25-30 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 6-8.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
1 1/4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix vegetable oil with milk and an egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and quickly stir in the liquid ingredients. Do not over mix. Drop into a greased muffin tin and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

For lunch, here’s a quick sandwich that comes from an old Maine blueberry farmer—just spread a piece of bread with peanut butter, drizzle honey over that, then dot with blueberries.

For a real treat for dinner, try this:

LAVENDER CRUSTED CHICKEN BREAST WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BLUEBERRY HABANERO
CHUTNEY
4 breasts of chicken, boned and skinned
2 cups of dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of buttermilk
2 teaspoons of culinary lavender
1 teaspoon of black pepper
4 tablespoons of Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Marinate chicken in a pan with buttermilk for a few minutes up to one hour.
Combine breadcrumbs, lavender, herbs, salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to breadcrumb mix and cover evenly. Heat butter in a heavy skillet, using medium-high heat. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium low. Brown both sides (being careful not to break off the crust when turning). Chicken is done when firm on pressing or until the center is no longer pink (8-10 minutes). Do not overcook.
Remove the chicken to warm dinner plates, and crumble two spoons of goat cheese on top. Spoon two spoons of blueberry chutney on top of the cheese and serve with creamy polenta or buttermilk mashed potatoes.

BLUEBERRY CHUTNEY
1 medium onion
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of rice vinegar
1 habanero chili or 4-ounce can of minced green chilies.
1 quart of blueberries

Combine a chopped onion, sugar, salt, rice vinegar and a habanero chili, seeds removed, chopped fine or a 4-ounce can of minced green chilies for a milder chutney. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a rapid simmer. Reduce the liquid down to a few tablespoons. Add blueberries and cook gently until the berries have just split. Adjust seasoning.

BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDING
4 cups of day-old bread, cubed
2 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
1 pint of blueberries

Whisk eggs in a bowl; stir in milk, sugar and almond extract. Add bread and set aside for 15 minutes, allowing cubes to absorb the egg mixture. Gently stir in berries. Spoon into a lightly greased 8x8-inch baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 45 minutes.

This pudding can be put together and refrigerated overnight, and then baked the next morning. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

One can even become poetic over this velvet-blue fruit as my favorite poet did. Robert Frost wrote:

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, heavy, and ready to drum
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
…It’s a nice way to live.

HINT OF THE MONTH: How to avoid those gray, mottled pancakes when making blueberry pancakes. Stirring the berries into the batter usually results in a few berries breaking and producing blue-gray pancakes, and extra stirring is a no-no; the more you stir the tougher the pancake. Ladle some batter onto the hot skillet, then scatter a handful of berries on top.