Blueberry Bounty

 

The only thing better than a May or June morning spent blueberry picking might be a bowl of fresh blueberries on your kitchen table, eaten at any time of day with your fingers or with a spoon.

If you have never gone picking, there’s an opportunity less than an hour east of Oakland on Victoria Island in the San Joaquin River Delta. To schedule a picking time at the Victoria Island Farms blueberry orchard, visit victoriaislandfarms.com/upick.

While you’re there, pay a visit to Sabbatical Distillery for a guided tasting and pick up a bottle of their Blueberry Lemon Flavored Vodka to use in some of our recipes below. Read our story about the distillery and how they use the farm’s products to make a wide variety of spirits.

If you’re back home from blueberry picking with a lot more blueberries than you ever had before, you could freeze some and also try some of our recipes collected below:

 

Blueberry Cardamom Sauce

This recipe by Shahla Rashid is a quick and effortless way to highlight the season’s fresh blueberries. The enticing sauce can be drizzled either warm or at room temperature over your favorite ice cream or whipped dessert for a simple,  flavorful treat.

Serves 4

• 1 pint (about 1 pound) fresh or frozen blueberries
• ½ cup organic cane sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, combine all ingredients except the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and let simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries burst but the sauce remains slightly chunky. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Let cool, then transfer to a clean canning jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

 

Sabbatical Distillery’s Blueberry Lemon Vodka Spritzer

Located on Victoria Island in the San Joaquin Delta, Sabbatical Distillery creates their spirits using crops grown at this island’s historic farm. Come pick your own blueberries and pack out a bottle of the distillery’s Blueberry Lemon Flavored Vodka for this summer cocktail.

Fill a highball glass with ice and add 2 parts Sabbatical Distillery’s Blueberry Lemon Flavored Vodka to 3 parts citrus-flavored sparkling water. Stir and garnish with lemon slices, blueberries, and mint sprigs.

 

 

 

 

Minted Blueberry Clouds

By Francine Spiering

This wickedly luscious summer dessert is as close as it comes to eating a cloud. The meringue is a great way to use up those precious egg whites you may have on hand, and you’ll learn an Italian technique that uses a bubbling hot sugar syrup to “cook” the egg whites as you whip them into stiff peaks. Macerating the berries brings out extra flavor, but if you have fresh-picked blueberries, just keep it simple and skip the maceration step.

Serves 4–6

For the brandy-macerated blueberries

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons brandy or Sabbatical Distillery’s Blueberry Lemon Vodka (Read story on page 34.)

For the Italian meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup water

To make the brandy-macerated blueberries: Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix carefully. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

To make the Italian meringue: Combine egg whites and lemon juice in a bowl (use a stand mixer if you have one). Start whisking the egg whites until soft peaks form. Meanwhile, combine sugar, mint, and water in a small pot, stir, and bring to a bubbling boil. If you have a candy thermometer, aim for 240°F; if not, the syrup should bubble vigorously. Stop stirring once it boils. Fish out the mint leaves and discard. Be careful in the next step: With the mixer whisking at medium speed, drizzle the hot syrup into the egg whites. The meringue is ready when stiff peaks have formed.

To serve: Divide blueberries among 4 glass bowls. Reserve a few tablespoons of the macerating liquid and divide the rest among the bowls. Tower clouds of meringue on top of the blueberries and drizzle a little of the macerating juice over top. Serve immediately.

 

Blueberry Vinaigrette

By Francine Spiering

Makes about ½ cup

• ¼ cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon ground smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine blueberries, vinegar, and smoked paprika in a bowl. Blend coarsely with an immersion blender. Whisk in olive oil and season to taste.