By Judi Berman-Yamada/Kitchen Maven
A line from an old song compares life to cherries and berries, suggesting that we should enjoy such wonders of nature while we “live and laugh at it all”. An incredibly positive promotion for the fruit and fittingly so. Not much is more delicious, satisfying, or healthy than berries.
Admittedly, I love berries whenever I can get them. But summer berries are a food from which dreams are made. Turn them into a sauce for pancakes or waffles, glaze poultry and pork with a berry barbecue glaze, pudding, and parfait them or wow the family with a berry pie, cake or quick bread. And they’re the perfect sweet and natural treat atop vanilla ice cream.
A bit of information to further glorify berries: They are reliable sources of fiber, including soluble fiber. Studies have shown that eating soluble fiber can slow down the movement of food through the digestive tract. So, one feels fuller longer, is less hungry, and eats less. Berries may improve your blood sugar and insulin levels, especially when consumed with high carbohydrate foods or blended in smoothies. Berries are some of the lowest calorie fruits there are, yet they’re high in vitamin C (especially strawberries) and manganese and have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Concentrates of blueberry may help lessen the eye pressure associated with glaucoma. And blackberries are high in fiber with a low glycemic level. Wow! Another super food!
I’ve posted some of these in the past, but they’re worth a second glance. For the epitome of summer flavor try them. And enjoy!
Kitchen Maven https://www.facebook.com/Creativepenandpantry/
For more tasty, seasonal, comforting recipes, take a look at my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times”. All my author royalties from retail sales of the cookbook go directly to the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook Services, to help people who are experiencing food insecurity. Thanks for your support. Available through Amazon.com: Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times: 9780578310763: Berman-Yamada, Judith, Berman-Yamada, Judith: Books
Wholewheat Raspberry Yogurt Cake
I created this cake yesterday when I needed to use up a lot of fresh raspberries, didn’t have a recipe, and my hubby had disconnected the internet to move furniture around. Amazing what lack of options can do. So, I used what I had on hand and this cake came together. We couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. Plus, it’s moist, flavorful, full of fiber and brimming with fruit. So good!
7”x11” OR 9” glass baking dish / Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in center position
1 Tablespoon soft butter, to grease baking dish
1 ½ (rounded) cups fresh raspberries + 20-25 for cake top
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour OR gluten free flour mix OR white whole wheat flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten.
2/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tablespoon for top of cake
¼ vegetable oil OR EVOO
2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR 1-2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon OR lime zest
¾ cup regular plain yogurt, NOT Greek
2 – 4 Tablespoons water, as needed
Wash raspberries in a big bowl of water, managing gently. Drain the berries in a colander and then on paper towels; set aside.
Butter the bottom portion of the baking dish, but not up the sides. Set the dish aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to mix well.
In a smaller bowl combine beaten eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, oil, extract or zest and plain yogurt. Beat the wet ingredients together with a wire whisk or with a large spoon just until well mixed.
Scrape the wet mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir well. If the mixture is too dry, showing dry parts or too heavy to mix, stir in 2 to 4 Tablespoons water. The batter should be quite thick, but not lumpy. Gently fold in 1 ½ cups prepared raspberries, carefully turning them into the batter to disperse evenly. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish, levelling evenly. Decorate the top with the extra berries in a pattern to define servings, pushing the berries into the batter a little. Bake 30-40 minutes, testing with a cake tester or wooden pick after 30-25 minutes. Cool cake at least 30 minutes before serving. 8 – 12 servings. Freeze servings individually, wrapped and in a freezer container.
Original recipe: Kitchen Maven
Blueberry Bars
My tasty take on Blueberry Bars was included in the Tillamook County Giving Guide of 2022-2023. It’s a perfect seasonal snack or addition to a lunchbox.
9-inch square baking pan, ungreased
½ cup unsalted butter, cut in about 16 small chunks
1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour, measured by spooning method.
½ cup granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, yellow only
1 teaspoon corn starch, NOT corn flour.
½ teaspoon salt *
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-3 teaspoons ice cold water
1 cup fresh washed blueberries, thoroughly dried
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Freeze butter chunks for 15 minutes.
Combine all dry ingredients, including lemon zest; whisk well.
Cut the frozen butter chunks into the dry ingredients until granules look like coarse sand with some small pea sized bits throughout. When butter is well incorporated, drizzle in the ice water. Mix well. Mixture should be just moist enough to hold together when squeezed between the fingers. Alternatively, put whisked dry ingredients into food processor along with frozen butter chunks and pulse until mixture is as described above. Then drizzle in the water while pulsing the processor. Turn the mixture out to a bowl and stir together thoroughly. Evenly press ¾ of the mixture into the ungreased 9-inch square pan. Scatter berries in one even layer over the pastry base. Top the berries with remaining pastry mixture. Bake on middle rack of preheated 375-degree F oven 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before cutting into 12 blueberry bars.
*If using salted butter, decrease salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Raspberry Crème Mascarpone
4 servings
A lightly sweetened fresh fruity cheesecake flavor and mousse like appeal. This recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare but looks fancy and tastes great.
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (yellow only)
2 cups fresh ripe raspberries + 12 extra berries for decoration*
8 small fresh mint leaves
In a 6-cup bowl, lightly combine mascarpone and honey with a whisk. Stir in lemon zest. In a separate bowl, lightly crush 2-cups fresh raspberries. Add crushed berries to mascarpone mixture, folding in very gently. Transfer raspberry crème mascarpone to attractive dessert dishes or stemmed wine glasses. Top each with 3 whole fresh raspberries and 2 small mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Original: Kitchen Maven
Berry & Rhubarb Mini Galettes
Rustic Buttermilk Galette Pastry with cornmeal
This dough is easy to work with, and the small amount of cornmeal makes the crust sturdy and gives it a bit of crunch. You can put nearly anything into a galette that you like: This recipe calls for berries and rhubarb, but it could just as well be peaches and cherries. And galettes are so much easier to make than pies.
1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour OR white whole-wheat flour OR 1 cup all-purpose flour & ½ cup whole-wheat flour.
½ cup cornmeal
1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar (use higher amount for sweet galettes)
½ -1 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, use lower amount of salt)
½ cup cold butter, cut into ½ inch pieces OR plant butter OR vegetable shortening
½ cup cold buttermilk OR ½ cup any unsweetened milk, soured*
1 – 3 Tablespoons ice water, if needed
1 egg + 1 Tablespoon water, beaten, OR 2 Tablespoons milk, optional.
2 Tablespoons coarse sugar, optional
Filling:
3 cups sliced ripe strawberries OR other fresh whole berries, first washed, drained, and dried on paper towels.
3 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2-inch slices), washed.
2/3-cup light brown sugar OR ½ cup honey
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon OR
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (yellow only)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup instant tapioca OR all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons butter or plant butter
If making the dough by hand: combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a whisk or fork. Add the butter pieces and work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender, by crisscrossing two butter knives to cut the butter or with clean hands, until the mixture is the size of peas or smaller. Sprinkle the buttermilk over the dough, using a fork to mix everything evenly.
If using a food processor: combine the dry ingredients in the processor bowl. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the pieces of butter and process until the mixture looks like peas or coarse grains. With machine running, slowly pour the buttermilk through the food chute, and process, just until the dough begins to come together.
Dough should be moist enough to manage with floured hands, but not wet. Don’t add any more flour except to the board and your hands for shaping the dough unless it’s too wet to handle. If too dry, add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough onto a board and press together to form a disk. Wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cut dough into quarters. Roll each piece of chilled dough to about an 8-inch disk. Place rolled out disks on parchment paper squares a bit larger than disk. Place the dough disks and parchment on baking sheets. Leaving a bare edge all around spread filling evenly over center of each pastry. Turn the pastry edge up tightly, folding and partially cover the filling. The center will be uncovered and expose the filling. Chill the galettes in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Combine all filling ingredients in a large ceramic bowl, being careful not to mash the berries. Allow the mixture to sit at least 15 minutes. Stir before spooning onto the galette crusts.
Brush turned up crust edges with egg/water mixture or milk, if using. Sprinkle the moist edges with coarse sugar, if using. Bake filled pastries for 40-50 minutes. They’re done when the crust is nice and golden, and the filling is hot and a little bubbly. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. The recipe makes 4 individual galettes. Each galette is two servings. These do freeze well. Wrap individually in parchment or wax paper and place in freezer bags. Defrost frozen galettes on the kitchen counter overnight.
*To sour milk, stir in 1-2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Original: Kitchen Maven
Yogurt Parfaits
This is a healthy, quick, and delicious breakfast. Any fruits work. So do any nuts. But my personal favorites are berries and almonds.
Recipe is per serving.
½ cup plain low-fat Greek or probiotic yogurt
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup strawberries, pitted cherries, OR raspberries
½ cup sliced banana OR ½ cup sliced peach or mango, if desired
2 Tablespoons toasted sliced almonds OR unsweetened toasted coconut. *
Sprinkle of ground cinnamon, optional
Layer the ingredients in pretty bowls or stemmed glasses, topping with toasted almonds or toasted coconut. Top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if using.
*Toast almonds or coconut ahead of time. Store back in original bag once cool. Refrigerate. It will be ready when you are. To toast nuts or coconut, set oven temperature to 350 F. Place nut chunks/slices or shredded coconut on large metal baking tray. Toast 3-5 minutes, removing pan from oven and stirring to evenly brown. Return to oven for a minute or two until a golden color. Watch carefully, this will burn in a wink. Cool completely before bagging and refrigerating.
Twin Rocks Blackberry Quick Bread
Fresh Blackberries grow wildly all over the place, free for picking every August, in my rural community. I’m sure many neighborhoods, particularly in rural areas, also have their share of these healthy, sweet, and tasty, low glycemic fruits growing for anyone with the time and the gloves (to avoid thorns) to harvest them. This quick, impressive recipe will be the star of your summer dessert table.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon or lime zest (optional)
1 – 1 ½ cups fresh blackberries, well rinsed and well drained*
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or line the bottom and up the long sides of the pan, with parchment, leaving wings on those sides to easily lift baked bread from pan.
Combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well.
Add milk, melted butter, egg, vanilla and lemon zest, if using, to the flour mixture.
Stir until well mixed. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake bread in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-65 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack before cutting or bread may fall apart.
Store in foil or food storage bag.
Makes 1 loaf.
Adapted from original: International master’s Publishers recipe card.
*To freeze fresh berries, rinse well, pick over them for any debris, rinse again and drain well. Spread them in one layer on a sheet pan layered with wax paper. Dab excess moisture off with paper toweling, and freeze at least one hour, or until they’re well frozen. Transfer the frozen berries to a freezer bag or container. Store them in the freezer. They’ll be separated (instead of in a frozen clump) when you need them for a recipe. When using the berries in Twin Rocks Blackberry Bread, use frozen. If using in a pie, allow berries to defrost and drain before using.
