By Katie Scarvey
kscarvey@salisburypost.com
I can’t think of a food that is easier to love than blueberries. Blueberries are so good by themselves that recipes seem almost beside the point.
But then when I taste a fabulous blueberry recipe, I change my mind, at least until I pop another handful of fresh ones.
At only 80 calories a cup and loaded with antioxidants, blueberries are truly a superfood.
They also stay fresh for longer than most other berries. If they’re truly fresh when you get them, they will easily keep a week to 10 days ó and one woman I know who grows blueberries says that she’s refrigerated them up to a month.
If you’re buying blueberries in the grocery store, you really don’t know how long they’ve been sitting around, so you probably want to use them fairly quickly.
The following recipes reflect the versatility of blueberries. They can be used in the traditional way, in desserts and baked goods, but you might want to branch out. They can be a great addition to salads and add interest to meat dishes.
The following recipes are from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. For more recipes, go to www.blueberrycouncil.com.
Blueberry Polenta Cake
Fresh blueberries work well in this sweet, lemon-scented cornmeal batter.
This cake is moist and dense, so a small slice will probably suffice.
It keeps well ó wrapped, for up to a week.
If you like, stir up warm Blueberry Compote to serve with the cake. The compote is also a tasty topper for ice cream or custard.
1 C. cake flour, or 1 C. minus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/3 C. plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind, packed
1 C. fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar, optional
Blueberry Compote (optional ó recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With parchment or wax paper, line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan and spray well with cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, egg, yogurt, lemon juice and rind; fold in flour mixture until just combined, then fold in blueberries. Transfer to prepared pan; bake until cake springs back when gently pressed in the center, about 35 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a knife, loosen edges before inverting cake onto a cake plate to cool to room temperature. Just before serving, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top or serve with Blueberry Compote if desired.
Makes 8 servings, at 314 calories per serving.
Blueberry Compote
In a small pan, combine 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries and 1/4 C. maple syrup. Over high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer just until the first berry pops, 1 to 2 minutes. In a cup, combine 2 Tbsp. water and 2 tsp. cornstarch. Stir mixture into blueberries; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Makes 8 portions, about 3 tablespoons each. Per portion: 49 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 0 g total fat.
Blueberry Ricotta Parfaits
1 large banana, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 1 cup) or 1 C. other fruit, diced
2 tsp. lemon juice, divided
1 C. part-skim ricotta
3 Tbsp. blueberry fruit spread
1 package fresh blueberries (about 1 C.)
12 vanilla wafers, coarsely crushed, about 1/2 C.
In a medium bowl, toss banana and 1 teaspoon lemon juice; fold in ricotta. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt fruit spread and remaining lemon juice on high power, 10-12 seconds. Add blueberries to fruit spread mixture; stir to coat. In each of four parfait or dessert dishes layer: 1 tablespoon wafer crumbs; 1/4 cup ricotta mixture, 2 tablespoons blueberries; repeat layers, ending with blueberries. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to allow crumbs to soften, about one hour.
Makes four portions, 229 calories each.
Blueberry-Onion Sauced Pork Tenderloin
3/4 to 1 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp., divided
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 C. port wine or sweet sherry
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 C. chopped cherry tomatoes
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add sugar; cook until onions are caramelized, 3 minutes longer. Add port, balsamic vinegar, blueberries and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Thinly slice pork and serve with sauce.
Blueberry and Gorgonzola Salad with Mixed Greens
(From Executive Chef Albert Paris Zanzibar Blue, Philadelphia, Pa.)
1/4 C. safflower oil
3 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
8 C. mixed salad greens
About 1/2 C. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
To prepare poppy seed dressing: In a blender container, combine oil, sour cream, honey, vinegar, poppy seeds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until blended.
In a bowl, combine 2 cups salad greens with about 2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seed dressing; toss. Place greens on serving plate. To p with 1/4 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese. Garnish plates with additional endive leaves, if desired.
Makes 4 portions.
The Best Blueberry Muffins
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 3/4 C. plus 1 Tbsp. flour, divided
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 C. sour cream
1/3 C. milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining 1 3/4 cup flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt; set aside. Beat egg, sour cream and milk; stir into flour mixture until just combined (batter will be lumpy). Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake about 20 minutes until golden.
Makes 12 muffins.