Memories of blueberry hill

Press, 20 February 1988, Page 16

Memories of blueberry hill

MAVIS AIREY

concludes her series on the sweet

fruits of summer with the American “Aristocrat of soft fruit” blueberries.

“As American as blueberry pie,” the saying goes. When the poet, Robert Frost, was in England, he felt so homesick for the blueberries growing near his New Hampshire farm, he wrote a poem about them:

"Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, Real sky-blue, • and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!"

The wild “lowbush” blueberries, Vaccinium angustifolium, flourish in the “blueberry barrens,” areas of cleared and burnt-off land, as Frost recalls:

... you may bum The pasture all over until not a fem Or grass blade is left, not to mention a stick, And presto, they’re up all around you as thick And hard to explain as a conjuror’s trick.

It must be on charcoal they fatten their fruit I taste in them sometimes the flavour of soot.

And after all, really they’re ebony skinned: The blue’s but a, mist from the breath of the wind,

A tarnish that goes at a touch of the hand ...

In her cookbook, “Cooking with Fruit,” the American editor of “Gastronome” magazine, Marion Gorman, also recalls summertime excursions to pick blueberries near Lake Huron.

“As we picked ... we were occasionally reminded of the Indians who once roamed these shores, for it was not uncommon only three or four decades ago to find a stray stone arrowhead in the sandy soil. “For them, these abundant wild fruits were a sustenance food — they ate them fresh, and they dried them in the sun for use during the winter in soups and with meats,” she writes.

“There is something enigmatic about blueberries. They are titillating while seeming as basic as home and the flag. They excite even the blearyeyed at breakfast when added to hot or cold cereal or used in muffins, biscuits, pancakes and waffles. They’re a sure hit in pies and tarts, crumb cakes, shortcakes, and bis-cuit-covered cobblers; in fruit soup and fritters; as sauces for custards and puddings. As jam and jelly, they are unsurpassed.” This is her recipe for

the New England speciality, blueberry grunt — hot blueberry dumplings with blueberry sauce and thick cream. Blueberry Grunt Dumpling dough, sauce and whipped cream can be prepared a few hours ahead. Heat sauce and cook dumplings at serving time. Dumplings 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 2 teaspoons baking powder i/ 2 cup light cream Sauce 2 cups cleaned ripe blueberries y 2 cup light honey % cup water 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup heavy cream, plain or whipped, or creme fraiche Sift flour and baking powder together. Combine in mixing bowl with light cream and stir only until batter is smooth. Combine blueberries, honey, water, and lemon juice in deep, heavy pot. Bring to a boil slowly and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a tablespoon, drop batter into hot blueberry sauce, keeping dumplings separate so they do not stick together. Cover pot with firm-fitting lid and simmer over low heat 20 minutes, or until dumplings puff and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Have ready 4 to 6 warm dessert or cereal bowls. With slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to bowls. Spoon sauce around dumplings. Serve heavy cream or creme fraiche in separate bowl. 6 servings. Blueberries are now widely cultivated, and have been exported to many other countries in the world, including New Zealand, where we are able to grow them for export back to North America in their off season. Blueberries have been grown in Canterbury for eight or nine years and restaurants and catering firms are finding a ready market for them in

cheesecakes and muftms. They are quite often available in supermarkets and greengrocers, and enjoy a longer season than most summer fruits: from December to April. They can be grown in the home garden, but be warned, the birds love them. All the small-hold-ings are netted. According to Marion Gorman, the best quality berries are plump, fresh in appearance, dry and with full colour, which may be anything from light blue to dark blue to blue-black. Overripe fruit has a dull, lifeless appearance, she warns, and is often soft and watery. Good blueberries will last up to two weeks at home in the refrigerator, and frozen berries will keep their taste and quality for more than two years in the freezer, she says. Elizabeth Norton of M.A.F. in Christchurch has sent me an American leaflet which includes this recipe for blueberry muffins: Blueberry muffins Place in a bowl: 1 to iy 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 to 2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon white sugar In a separate bowl beat: 2 eggs 2 to 3 cups milk 3 tablespoons oil Add this to the flour beating only until moistened, then add 2 to 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. Place in greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven at 215 deg. for 25 minutes. Makes 10 medium-sized muffins. But blueberries do not need to be cooked to be enjoyed. With their striking colour, they make a brilliant addition to a salad, sweet or-savoury, and a pretty garnish to a main course.

One of Elizabeth Norton’s favourite ways with them is simple to fill the cavity of a rock melon with blueberries. What could be simpler, fresher, and more appealing?