Berries

 

Wandering around the open-air market is a favorite past time of mine. You know when you are not in a super hurry or when you don’t have a list! I love to cruise through the booths and check out what is fresh and new.  Summer is such an amazing time for berries! There are so many different varieties, colors and textures, and in such abundance! We all know that you can take berries and do so many simple things. Fresh from the carton, over ice cream mixed into yogurt and because I LOVE to bake so this is a great time for muffins tarts and pies. I have put together some simple and old standard berry recipes as well as a few with a twist.  So the next time you are in the market take a moment and look at the fresh berries and see if the smallest and most flavorful of fruits can inspire you.

MIXED BERRY COMPOTE

Use any mixture of berries in this simple, quick compote. It is great to have on hand and is great over pancakes, ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake or grilled salmon (Really….Try it!)

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice

3 cups mixed berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries

Melt butter in a skillet over moderate heat. Stir in brown sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add berries and cook, tossing gently (try to keep most of them from breaking up), until berries are warm and juices begin to be released, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Shrimp and Berry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

1 basket black berries

1-basket raspberries

1/4-cup pine nuts

2 firm-ripe avocados

1-teaspoon fresh limejuice

1 lb large shrimp, shelled and  deveined

2 cups each baby spinach and arougula (or your favorite mix of greens)

Quarter avocados lengthwise, then pit and peel. Cut length wise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Drizzle with limejuice and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbeque or stovetop grill (medium-high heat). Pour 1/4 cup dressing into small bowl. Reserve remainder for salad.  Brush shrimp with dressing from small bowl and grill until opaque in center, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes.

In a large serving toss together spinach, arugula, berries and pine nuts and dress lightly. Arrange avocados and shrimp on top of salad and serve.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1/4-cup fresh orange juice

Juice of one lime

1/4 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

6 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

3/4-cup canola oil

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix Berry Tart With Almond Crust

This recipe makes 2 tarts. It may seem like a lot, but they go so very quickly.

 Use what ever fresh berries that you would like. You can get as creative as you would like in your fruit placement.

Almond tart crust

1 1/2  sticks butter

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2      1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup almond meal

(in a food processor grind 1/2 cup sliced almonds with 1 tablespoon powder sugar)

pinch of salt

In  the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until well blended. Mix in the flour and almond meal. Stop when it is just mixed. Do not over mix. Wrap in plastic and chill over night. Divide the dough in half and roll each out on a well floured surface to desired size and place in well sprayed tart pans. Prick the bottom and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Filling

3/4 cup sugar

3      cups milk

4      1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

6 large eggs

1 stick butter

2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan mix  1/2 cup sugar to the milk nad bring to a boil stirring constantly. In a medium bowl whisk together1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch a nd yolks. Once the milk is boiling por 1/4 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the milk mixture and return to the heat whisking until the cream thickens and comes to a complete boil. Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla whisking until the butter completely melts.Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic untill it comes to room temperature.

1 pint raspberries

1 pint blueberries

1 pint blackberries

1 pint strawberries

(or any fruit and berry combo that you like)

1 cup red currant jelly

Spread 1/2 of the cream filling into each tart shell. And cover with berries. When ready to serve melt the jelly over meduim heat. Using a pastry brush carfully brush over fruit. Serve immediately.

Mixed Berry Short Cake

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter. cut into tiny peices

3/4 cup heavy cream

1quart fresh berries

1/4  cup  sugar

splash orange juice

Fresh whipped cream

Spray a cookie sheet with bakers joy. Pre heat oven to 450. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder salt and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly stir in cream until the dough is just blended. Drop 12  3 inch (or smaller if doing minis) rounds of batter from a spoon Bake for about 12 minutes until golden.Meanwhile, in a large bowl gently e mix berries, sugar and orange juice.  When ready to serve whip the cream. Split biscuits in half lengthwise. Cover with berries and fresh cream. Serve immediately.