blue, blue berries: two recipes

We ended last week by completing our last class of summer swim lessons on Friday and by celebrating with a trip to our favorite orchard for some blueberry picking.

Nothing says well done like giving children the chance to be pulled by tractor to the top of a steep hill covered with blueberry bushes for as far as the eye can see and turned loose to frolic, pick and eat until everyone's mouths and fingertips are stained the bluest of blues.

There are only a few things one needs to make for a successful blueberry picking experience:
A large tractor to tow you up the hill to reach the best bushes. Sunglasses and/or hats to keep the sun from blinding you while you try to choose the plumpest, darkest-blue blueberries. Sturdy pails attached by rope to even the youngest berry picker's neck. A small pocket to hold car keys. A camera ready at any given moment to capture little blueberry picking moments. A little room in your belly for eating berries straight from the bush. Good company.

All of the above were experienced in abundance on Friday afternoon.

There is one other must when it comes to blueberry picking: a good plan to use up all the blueberries you spent the afternoon picking. We picked nearly twelve pounds. We needed more than one plan!

Here are my two favorite ways to use blueberries. I cannot tell you how many times I have made both of these recipes and the results are great every time.

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Blueberry Pancakes

1 cup flour
2 t baking powder
1 T sugar
1 T coconut oil (melted)
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Mix dry ingredients in bowl and whisk together. Add melted coconut oil, egg and milk and whisk by hand until well blended. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Spoon batter onto hot griddle that has been greased with coconut oil. When bubbles appear, drops blueberries one-by-one onto each pancakes and allow to set for another minute. Flip pancake and cook other side. Add butter and maple syrup.

Enjoy large amounts of these with your children and spouse. Be sure to make children say please before asking for another pancake. The gluttony needs to at least be set off with some really good manners.

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Blueberry Crisp

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 butter, softened
4 cups blueberries
pinch of cornstarch

Mix brown sugar, flour, oats, spices and butter until well-blended and crumbly. Add blueberries to baking dish and sprinkle with cornstarch. Mix a bit. Add topping by crumbling until every square inch of berry is covered by crisp topping.

Bake at 375' for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy with real vanilla ice cream. Be sure to place napkin on lap and avoid wearing white while eating this dessert. Those blueberries do stain and who has time for stain removal when there are so many blueberries to be eaten?

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