Posted by Chie

It’s been a cool summer, but the thimbleberries, trailing blackberries and raspberries have come and gone. The blueberries are looking full, plump, and starting to darken. As Jenni says, it’s such a treat to live in Olympia where blueberry picking is a natural part of summer.

Once the sun comes back I plan on going blueberry picking with my son and friends. We talk about how we’ll pick 20 pounds, 30 pounds, to last us through the winter months when fresh fruit is only a memory.

Blueberry & Raspberry Parfait

I have a soft spot for baked custards such as flan and pastry cream. Blueberries and
raspberries go so well with them! Here are a couple of recipes that just work and
feel decadent when you have fresh berries on hand.

Suggested ingredients:

2-3 cups blueberries & raspberries or other fresh berries
2 cups Pastry Cream  (recipe follows)
1 cup whipped heavy cream such as organic cream from Cozy Valley Creamery
1 cup almonds, walnuts, or pecans, chopped, preferably soaked
and sprouted. (I’ll write more about this process in the near future.)
4-6 glasses

Starting with the berries, layer the ingredients in the glasses. I like to start with berries
then layer pastry cream, nuts, whipped cream, berries, nuts and crumble.
Enjoy your own combination with the ingredients of your choice.
There’s nothing like locally grown berries picked by people you love, including you!

Pastry cream
3 organic eggs
(We have access to organic, local eggs from The Egg Lady and small farms in rural
areas sell their eggs as well. The urban chicken coop is expanding
so more people are getting chicken eggs from their feathery friends.)
2 yolks
¼ c honey
2 c milk
½ vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla extract

Bring the milk with the vanilla bean, split and scraped, to a simmer. Add the honey.
Crack the eggs and yolks into a medium bowl and whisk well. Pour some of the hot milk mixture
into the eggs to temper (prevent curdling) and add back into the pot, heating over medium low.
Stir constantly to prevent scorching. The mixture will get thicker.
Once it is nappe, which means it coats the back of a spoon and starts to thicken,
it is done. Strain the cream through a mesh sieve and cool in a shallow dish
covered in the refrigerator. Best used within three days.

Crumble
1 c rolled oats
½ c coconut flakes, unsweetened (optional)
1 c  nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds) preferably soaked and sprouted
½ c seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) preferably soaked and sprouted
2 T honey or maple syrup
¼ c butter or coconut oil, melted
2 T molasses
orange zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300F. Toss all ingredients into a large bowl.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes and check.
Toss to bake evenly. Continue to bake until golden brown for another 15 minutes or so.
Cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Enjoy!

A Very Berry Smoothie

Smoothies are a favorite snack. There are so many things you can add to them,
you can never get bored. This is a  summer breakfast or snack that will keep you going!

2 cups blueberries or a combination including raspberries and/or strawberries
(full of antioxidants and vitamins!)
1 whole frozen banana
½ c yogurt (Whole milk, Goat or Cow)
1 tsp spirulina
3 leaves of kale
4 lettuce leaves (green, red, butter…)

I also found this recipe for baked custard online and thought I’d share it. This website is by a woman whose goal is to make all of the recipes in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, a book I go to when I need some solid nourishment.

And one more picture: my son and I made Blueberry Lemon Curd Torte this week, the same recipe I shared back when we talked about strawberries. Enjoy your week!