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Do IT this week: Layering
By Lisa Abraham
Beacon Journal food writer
POSTED: 11:38 a.m. EDT, Jun 30, 2009
You can't celebrate the red, white and blue without blueberries — our only naturally blue food.
Soon local blueberry farms will be opening their gates so you can pick these power-packed fruits.
Even now, grocery stores are stocked with blueberries from New Jersey and other states, just in time to toss into July Fourth fruit salads and pies, or to decorate patriotic cakes.
Heavy rains in late June have helped to plump up locally grown blueberries, and those that survived spring frosts are bursting on their bushes. Most will be ready for picking within a week.
Bob Stehli, who grows and sells blueberries at his Wintergreen Tree Farm in Mantua (phone 330-562-8889), said a May frost damaged some of his crop but what remains is excellent.
''The berries we have are going to be huge,'' he said. Stehli said he expects to open for picking sometime between Sunday and July 10. ''The rain helped a lot. We really needed that rain badly.''
The sunny week that followed the rain also will improve the fruit, he said. ''The more sunny weather you get, the sweeter the berry. So far, it looks good for them,'' he said.
Two or three nights in early May when temperatures dropped below freezing caused problems for blueberry farmers in Portage County.
At Abell Berry Farm in Kent, a recorded message tells customers that because of low blossom set, there is not enough fruit for public picking this year. Cold can damage the early flower buds, and lack of blossoms means lack of berries.
Stehli said how the May frost hit crops depended largely on the elevation of the particular farm. Higher elevations didn't get the damage that lower ones did, he said.
Don Wolff, who operates Wolff's Blueberry Patch (phone 330-527-2894) at state Route 700 and Hankee Road in Hiram Township, is about four miles from Stehli's farm, and he's reporting one of the best blueberry crops ever.
''The frost didn't touch my field, so we've got a bumper crop hanging on the bushes,'' Wolff said.
Wolff said his bushes were spared the worst of the frost because of a deep ravine next to his field, which held enough heat to keep his field warm.
He expects to open for picking by July 9 or 10.
Wolff has been growing berries for 32 years and said this year for the first time, he'll be selling blueberry bush plants in response to customer demand. ''They're 1-year-olds potted in 6-inch pots,'' he said.
Both Wolff and Stehli will be selling berries for $1.40 a pound for pick-your-own.
Daniel Greenfield, who operates Greenfield Berry Farm in Peninsula (phone 330-657-2924), said he may open for pick-your-own this week, depending on how quickly the berries turn blue.
''I have an early variety that is starting to turn blue right now. The rains kind of helped out; they plumped up,'' he said.
Greenfield's grows five varieties of blueberries and said picking should go well into August. He's not yet sure how they will be priced.
He said the health benefits of blueberries seemed to have sparked a greater interest in picking, particularly because his farm is organic — he uses no synthetic chemicals, herbicides or pesticides on his crops.
''I don't spray them at all. People that come here are really health conscious,'' Greenfield said.
Michelle Kaluzne, a registered dietitian with Summa Health System, said the health benefits of eating blueberries can't be stressed enough.
''They are full of antioxidants. Basically, they help the body fight against disease,'' she said.
Antioxidants in blueberries also help to neutralize free radicals, which can cause cancer. Anthocyanins, the molecular pigment in the plant structure that gives berries their blue color, are what makes them so healthful.
Other plants, including eggplants, cranberries and purple potatoes, also contain anthocyanins, but most appear more purple or red than the blueberry.
Kaluzne said blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium and a good source of vitamins A and E, and are high in fiber.
''Research is continuing with findings more and more that blueberries promote better brain health, they have anti-aging properties, they're heart healthy and they've been shown to protect against colon cancer by inhibiting cell growth,'' Kaluzne said.
Just like cranberries, blueberries also promote urinary tract health, she said.
Kaluzne said to eat fresh berries or ones that have been frozen fresh for the most benefits.
Cooking will break down blueberries' structure and lessen the health benefits, so eating a blueberry muffin won't have the health advantages that eating a handful of fresh berries will, she said. A whole cup of berries has 80 calories and is considered a single serving.
Blueberries freeze well, too. Simply wash and dry them, and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in freezer bags or containers. This should keep the berries from clumping together.
After more than 30 years of growing berries, Wolff still says his favorite way to eat them is out of hand or on top of his cereal in the morning.
Here are some recipes for other ways to enjoy blueberries, whether you're looking for the health benefits or just the taste.
For a listing of local growers who offer pick-your-own, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/OHcleveland.htm.
BLUEBERRY-ONION SAUCED PORK TENDERLOIN
3/4 to 1 lb. pork tenderloin
2 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup port wine or sweet sherry
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add sugar; cook until onions are caramelized, 3 minutes longer. Add port, balsamic vinegar, blueberries and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Thinly slice pork and serve with sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Editor's note: Tenderloin could be grilled instead. — U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
BLUEBERRY SHRIMP SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
3/4 lb. medium-size shrimp, boiled or grilled (about 20)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 cup edamame or green peas, cooked 5 oz. mixed salad greens (about 4 cups)
Lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 oz. crumbled firm white cheese, such as feta, (about 1/2 cup)
In a large salad bowl, toss shrimp, blueberries, walnut pieces, edamame (or peas) and salad greens. Evenly divide salad onto four plates; drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette. Sprinkle cheese around edge of salads.
Makes 4 servings.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Whisk together all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. — U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
BLUEBERRY ALMOND CHEESECAKE TUNNEL
For the pan:
1/2 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped
For the filling:
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. almond extract
For the cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed if frozen)
For the glaze:
11/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 to 3 tsp. milk, divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chopped almonds in greased 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan to coat; set aside.
Combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Set aside.
For the cake, combine sugar, butter and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, adding flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt alternately with sour cream, until well mixed.
Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan. Make indent about 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep into batter. Carefully pour filling into indent. Spoon remaining batter over filling; spread to cover.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.
For the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of the milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons more milk to glaze for desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings.
— Back of the Box Cooking
(Land O' Lakes butter recipe),
Barbara Greenman, editor
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
You can't celebrate the red, white and blue without blueberries — our only naturally blue food.
Soon local blueberry farms will be opening their gates so you can pick these power-packed fruits.
Even now, grocery stores are stocked with blueberries from New Jersey and other states, just in time to toss into July Fourth fruit salads and pies, or to decorate patriotic cakes.
Heavy rains in late June have helped to plump up locally grown blueberries, and those that survived spring frosts are bursting on their bushes. Most will be ready for picking within a week.
Bob Stehli, who grows and sells blueberries at his Wintergreen Tree Farm in Mantua (phone 330-562-8889), said a May frost damaged some of his crop but what remains is excellent.
''The berries we have are going to be huge,'' he said. Stehli said he expects to open for picking sometime between Sunday and July 10. ''The rain helped a lot. We really needed that rain badly.''
The sunny week that followed the rain also will improve the fruit, he said. ''The more sunny weather you get, the sweeter the berry. So far, it looks good for them,'' he said.
Two or three nights in early May when temperatures dropped below freezing caused problems for blueberry farmers in Portage County.
At Abell Berry Farm in Kent, a recorded message tells customers that because of low blossom set, there is not enough fruit for public picking this year. Cold can damage the early flower buds, and lack of blossoms means lack of berries.
Stehli said how the May frost hit crops depended largely on the elevation of the particular farm. Higher elevations didn't get the damage that lower ones did, he said.
Don Wolff, who operates Wolff's Blueberry Patch (phone 330-527-2894) at state Route 700 and Hankee Road in Hiram Township, is about four miles from Stehli's farm, and he's reporting one of the best blueberry crops ever.
''The frost didn't touch my field, so we've got a bumper crop hanging on the bushes,'' Wolff said.
Wolff said his bushes were spared the worst of the frost because of a deep ravine next to his field, which held enough heat to keep his field warm.
He expects to open for picking by July 9 or 10.
Wolff has been growing berries for 32 years and said this year for the first time, he'll be selling blueberry bush plants in response to customer demand. ''They're 1-year-olds potted in 6-inch pots,'' he said.
Both Wolff and Stehli will be selling berries for $1.40 a pound for pick-your-own.
Daniel Greenfield, who operates Greenfield Berry Farm in Peninsula (phone 330-657-2924), said he may open for pick-your-own this week, depending on how quickly the berries turn blue.
''I have an early variety that is starting to turn blue right now. The rains kind of helped out; they plumped up,'' he said.
Greenfield's grows five varieties of blueberries and said picking should go well into August. He's not yet sure how they will be priced.
He said the health benefits of blueberries seemed to have sparked a greater interest in picking, particularly because his farm is organic — he uses no synthetic chemicals, herbicides or pesticides on his crops.
''I don't spray them at all. People that come here are really health conscious,'' Greenfield said.
Michelle Kaluzne, a registered dietitian with Summa Health System, said the health benefits of eating blueberries can't be stressed enough.
''They are full of antioxidants. Basically, they help the body fight against disease,'' she said.
Antioxidants in blueberries also help to neutralize free radicals, which can cause cancer. Anthocyanins, the molecular pigment in the plant structure that gives berries their blue color, are what makes them so healthful.
Other plants, including eggplants, cranberries and purple potatoes, also contain anthocyanins, but most appear more purple or red than the blueberry.
Kaluzne said blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium and a good source of vitamins A and E, and are high in fiber.
''Research is continuing with findings more and more that blueberries promote better brain health, they have anti-aging properties, they're heart healthy and they've been shown to protect against colon cancer by inhibiting cell growth,'' Kaluzne said.
Just like cranberries, blueberries also promote urinary tract health, she said.
Kaluzne said to eat fresh berries or ones that have been frozen fresh for the most benefits.
Cooking will break down blueberries' structure and lessen the health benefits, so eating a blueberry muffin won't have the health advantages that eating a handful of fresh berries will, she said. A whole cup of berries has 80 calories and is considered a single serving.
Blueberries freeze well, too. Simply wash and dry them, and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in freezer bags or containers. This should keep the berries from clumping together.
After more than 30 years of growing berries, Wolff still says his favorite way to eat them is out of hand or on top of his cereal in the morning.
Here are some recipes for other ways to enjoy blueberries, whether you're looking for the health benefits or just the taste.
For a listing of local growers who offer pick-your-own, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/OHcleveland.htm.
BLUEBERRY-ONION SAUCED PORK TENDERLOIN
3/4 to 1 lb. pork tenderloin
2 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup port wine or sweet sherry
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add sugar; cook until onions are caramelized, 3 minutes longer. Add port, balsamic vinegar, blueberries and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Thinly slice pork and serve with sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Editor's note: Tenderloin could be grilled instead. — U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
BLUEBERRY SHRIMP SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
3/4 lb. medium-size shrimp, boiled or grilled (about 20)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 cup edamame or green peas, cooked 5 oz. mixed salad greens (about 4 cups)
Lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 oz. crumbled firm white cheese, such as feta, (about 1/2 cup)
In a large salad bowl, toss shrimp, blueberries, walnut pieces, edamame (or peas) and salad greens. Evenly divide salad onto four plates; drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette. Sprinkle cheese around edge of salads.
Makes 4 servings.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Whisk together all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. — U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
BLUEBERRY ALMOND CHEESECAKE TUNNEL
For the pan:
1/2 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped
For the filling:
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. almond extract
For the cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed if frozen)
For the glaze:
11/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 to 3 tsp. milk, divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chopped almonds in greased 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan to coat; set aside.
Combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Set aside.
For the cake, combine sugar, butter and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, adding flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt alternately with sour cream, until well mixed.
Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan. Make indent about 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep into batter. Carefully pour filling into indent. Spoon remaining batter over filling; spread to cover.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.
For the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of the milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons more milk to glaze for desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings.
— Back of the Box Cooking
(Land O' Lakes butter recipe),
Barbara Greenman, editor
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 09:33 PM, 06/30/2009
SWEET. . , BUT YOU GUYS STAINED THAT FLAG IN THE PICTURE. .C'MON. .
