The many ways to use berries:

[Cerise]

Also, almost any fruit will work in a crostata - frrom apples to berries. Very simple to put together, and a nice presentation. Enjoy.

This strawberry and mascarpone crostata is almost too pretty to eat...

Recipe: Strawberry crostata - latimes.com

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Sangria with white wine and pound cake --- thanks for idea !

Margi.

 

[Cerise]

Nice list of ideas. I do several variations of trifles every so often. We've done pancakes, muffins, poundcakes, dump cakes, smoothies,mixed in yogurt (that's a staple at our house), ice cream, over waffles, cereal, oatmeal, preserves, & tarts. Haven't done blueberry cheesecake bars, pot pies, granitas, or vinaigrette but would like to.

No-Bake Blueberry (Ricotta) Cheesecake Bars

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars - Video Library - The New York Times


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/dining/231mrex.html?_r=1

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Margi the woman is Saint Delia Smith.
There are two reasons for the amount of sugar used in this recipe, one is the plain bread which absorbs the syrup, the other is the red berry is very tart think cranberry.
This is last seasons jamming strawb, damson, crabapple, rasberry jams in outhouse picture by Hvar2010 - Photobucket

Ps my wifes fav berry is the wild strawb. The grow like weeds in Serbia and in every market they sell the jam and clotted cream (kaymak) but they dont eat the kaymak with sweet food. I made some scones and introduced them to the delights of a Cornish Cream Tea.

Oh, do you have a favorite scones recipe you could share?

As for berry ideas, I wonder how a beef and blueberry stew seasoned with curry or garam masala would be. I love a strawberry glaze on pork and just about any berry seems to go well with chicken. Maybe a rice stuffing with berries, celery and black pepper stuffed into chicken breasts. I'm not really a fan of rice pudding but I think berries would be a good substitute for the raisins that freaquently end up in it. Similar to that idea would be a chilled rice salad where you cook the rice, then add a berry vinegarette, berries, cucumber, carrots or maybe even raw zucchini or shredded cabbage and then chill it. If you have a dehydrator you could make berry fruit leather. You could also make a cucumber salad with berries, sour cream and maybe walnuts. You could fill celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese and poke blue berries into them. Ants on a log blueberry style. You could try adding them to coleslaw. Maybe a pasta salad with berries, olives and grape tomatoes, whole wheat rottini all tossed with lemon and chopped fresh basil. I think that's all my head wilk come up with for the moment. A lot of this is just thinking out loud but they're all things I would try (except the rice pudding). If I think of anything else I'll return and post it.

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

I thought of something else. I've had chilled berry soups before and they were really good. Purreed berries with cinnamon and cloves, heated but not really cooked. Crush fresh mint leaves into cream and then add the cream to the berries. Another one is purreed berries with lime, a dash of corriander and allspice.

 

[Dawgluver]

Berry cordials. Wild raspberry cordial tastes just like wild raspberries, with a kick. I haven't made it with other berries, but I would bet it would work with a little smushing.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gents,

Cherry Season is here ...

I had a "Black Cherry Salmorejo", which is similar to a Gazpacho, however, without tomato ... and it was absolutely awesome ... So -- Berries work absolutely lovely as a cold soup ...

The Fruit chopped and ready for a Blender
Bread - day old baguette
Olive Oil E.V.
Jerez Aged Vinegar or Rasberry Vinegar
Sugar To Taste

Thanks for nice post.
Margi. Cintrano.

 

[Dawgluver]

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gents,

Cherry Season is here ...

I had a "Black Cherry Salmorejo", which is similar to a Gazpacho, however, without tomato ... and it was absolutely awesome ... So -- Berries work absolutely lovely as a cold soup ...

The Fruit chopped and ready for a Blender
Bread - day old baguette
Olive Oil E.V.
Jerez Aged Vinegar or Rasberry Vinegar
Sugar To Taste

Thanks for nice post.
Margi. Cintrano.

Oooh. Sounds wonderful, Margi!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Blueberry Fool

Macerate two cups of crushed blueberries with 1/2 cup sugar. Let sit for 1 hour. Butter the sides and bottom of one deep, round casserole dish. Press a layer of sweet bread, or sponge cake to coat all sides of the dish. Add a enough blueberries to cover the bottom layer. Add another layer of bread/cake, then a layer of macerated blueberries. Continue the layers until the dish is full, with the final layer being bread/cake. Place a heavy plate on top and pop it in the fridge. Let chill overnight.

This turns into a wonderful "pudding" that is great served with sweetened, whiped cream (Chantilly Cream).

You can use the same process with any kind of berry that you want to use. The resultant dish is cold and refreshing, great when the weather warms up, or to follow a good hearty stew, roast, or soup.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Oh, I've also seen blueberries added to link, breakfast sausage, inside the casings. They weren't bad.

another great use would be to make blueberry frostings, and blueberry pastry cream for filled doughnuts, eclairs, puffs, and profiteroles.

My absolutely favorite thing to do with blueberries is to pick them wild, and at the end of the picking day, gather one last bunch, enough to fill two hands, with whoever comes with me, and stuff them all into our mouths at the same time. Our wild, Michigan blueberries are unmatched for sweetness and intense blueberry flavor. When you fill your mouth with almost more than it can hold, and chomp them down, it is blueberry goodness like nothing else. You have to see the smiles on the faces of all participants. I'm so looking forward to sharing that experience again with Sprout, and for the first time with my two granddaughters.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Dawgluver: Black Cherry Salmorejo

Thanks alot ... I am going to translate the recipe to English and post it in Fruit Section over the Holiday coming ... I shall try to do before we head over to Italy --- however, in Gargano I can sit and soak up the sun and just translate a grouping of recipes ---

Have nice wkend. Where did u go for your BD ?
Margi.

 

[taxlady]

Berry cordials. Wild raspberry cordial tastes just like wild raspberries, with a kick. I haven't made it with other berries, but I would bet it would work with a little smushing.

Ooh, could I please have the recipe for raspberry cordial?

 

[Mel!]

You could freeze the berries, and put them in drinks, instead of ice.

 

[FluffyAngel]

Ooh, could I please have the recipe for raspberry cordial?

I second that. I would love that recipe also.

 

[Dawgluver]

Ooh, could I please have the recipe for raspberry cordial?

Sure! Fill one gallon jar with unwashed berries. Add one pound of superfine sugar, and fill 'er up with vodka. Close jar and let sit in cool, dark place for 6 to 9 weeks. Strain into bottles or jars. I get first squeezins and second squeezins using a colander and wooden spoon. You can make smaller amounts too. I buzz regular sugar in the FP as superfine is hard to find around here.

 

[FluffyAngel]

Sure! Fill one gallon jar with unwashed berries. Add one pound of superfine sugar, and fill 'er up with vodka. Close jar and let sit in cool, dark place for 6 to 9 weeks. Strain into bottles or jars. I get first squeezins and second squeezins using a colander and wooden spoon. You can make smaller amounts too. I buzz regular sugar in the FP as superfine is hard to find around here.

Think blueberries would work the same?

 

[Dawgluver]

Think blueberries would work the same?

I think so. I would smush them up a bit in the jar. Raspberries are more porous, so no need to smush.

 

[FluffyAngel]

AWESOME!!! I can't wait for blueberry season now for certain. THANK YOU.) ) )

 

[taxlady]

I just sent a link to that recipe for raspberry cordials to DH. He has been asking about cordials.

 

[Dawgluver]

You're welcome, FA!

Super, TL! It is really yummy. Important not to wash the berries.

Canadians may be familiar with the Anne of Green Gables books. Anne got her best friend Dianna drunk on raspberry cordial! So be careful!