Summery Essentials & Indulgences

A Bevy Of Berries

When the berries arrive in gardens and markets, my kitchen overflows with delicious treats. Most get eaten out of hand; between me and the grandkids, fresh fruit has a very short shelf life. Much of what we don’t enjoy fresh gets frozen or turned into jam (raspberry and blueberry are favorites), but some end up in pies and crumbles and grunts. Grunts? Yup; it’s an old fashioned New England thing that’s very tasty and doesn’t require firing up the oven on a hot day. Serve it warm dessert with homemade peach or raspberry ice cream or billows of whipped cream.

Blueberry Grunt

For this, you need a Dutch oven or heavy, covered, stove top pan.

Prepare the biscuits first:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or any)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup milk or buttermilk (or alternative milk)

Stir together dry ingredients, work in butter with fingers, then add milk a little at a time to make a soft dough. Knead gently until smooth, pat out to a circle a little smaller than your pan and about 1/2 inch thick. Cut in pieces, set aside.

In the Dutch oven or pan, combine:

4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar

Bring to a simmer, then drop the biscuits on top. Cover pan tightly and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes, then serve with ice cream. Serves at least one.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Well chilled and refreshing, this is a delightful finale for a summery meal on a warm evening.

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon coriander or grated fresh ginger
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5-6 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled (any kind)

In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, spice, and orange rind. Stir in 2 tablespoons orange juice and lemon juice and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and becomes translucent (4-6 minutes). Stir in berries and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, pour into pie shell and chill (covered with a plate or waxed paper) for 6-8 hours or overnight. Serves 6-8.

Summery Vinegars

In high summer, I make small batches of flavored vinegars, experimenting to bring out the best in whatever’s most abundant in the garden. Along with seasoned salts, vinegars are kitchen essentials, useful for adding a spoonful of summer to a meal in any season. The quality of any flavored vinegar depends on the freshness of the additions and the base vinegar you choose: save gallon jugs of harsh white vinegar for cleaning windows. Milder vinegars such as unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar will showcase the fruit and/or herbs, though mellow red or white wine vinegars can also be a good match for certain additions.

While some recipes involve steeping the fruit in the vinegar base for days or even weeks, these quickly made versions are both flavorful and stable. However, it’s important to store them properly to preserve their quality. Keep flavored vinegars in a cool, dim place (I refrigerate mine), not a sunny window, since the heat and light can cloud the vinegar and may promote bacterial growth. Also, always heat vinegar in a non-reactive stainless steel or enamel pan.

Really Raspberry Vinegar

2 cups raspberries (tart ones work best)
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low , cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Very Blueberry Vinegar

2 cups blueberries (tart ones work best)
2 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients with 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low , cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Lemon Cucumber Vinegar

2 cups coarsely chopped cucumber
2 cups plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon crushed grains of paradise
or peppercorns

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Nectarine & Lavender Vinegar

2 cups finely chopped ripe nectarines
2 cups plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
2 tablespoons lavender

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Tart Pie Cherry & Pepper Vinegar

1 cup pitted tart pie cherries
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1/8 teaspoon lightly crushed peppercorns

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out (again, save the cherries for something fun; they taste awesome). Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.