What's Cooking? Not Blueberries...

So I meant to present a dish with blueberries. I really did. But, honestly, by the time I made it home from market on Sunday, there were none left. We had the first blues of the season at market this Sunday, and boy did they taste good! Our mild winter, warm weather in March and April, and rain this spring has resulted in an early blueberry season. In fact, farmer E. (with whom I work at the Sunday market) said this is the first time in all his years of farming that he has seen blueberries arrive as early as May. Goodness.

And while this unusual weather is of course a little worrisome, blueberries are definitely cause to celebrate! They are one of the few indigenous fruits, and have been used for millennium by Native Americans for sustenance, flavoring, and medicines. The cultivated domesticated blueberry industry only began in the early 1900's, but through breeding over the century has resulted in a deep blue, sweet, and firm berry found in most stores. In fact, the most important blueberry breeding program is in my backyard, with the USDA-ARS in Beltsville, MD. High in antioxidants, and oh-so-tasty, blueberries are definitely the highlight of early summer.

However, I didn't have any blueberries left. What I was planning to do was make a tasty lemon blueberry dessert, based on these old favorites I made. I guess it will have to wait until next week.

Lemony-Blue Summer Pie

Crust from I Am Rapture Pie (could also use the lemon filling)

Ice cream filling from Patriotic Trifle (but blueberries are optional)

Blueberries. Lots. Toss them into the ice cream once made. Top the whole pie. Pop a few into your mouth. Enjoy blueberry season, as spring and summer produce is ephemeral at best.

Check out some healthier treats on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekends.

Dare to Bake: Ice Cream + Cake = Tasty Failure

California fruit envy...I returned from my four days in the Bay with four pounds of stone fruit! Granted, we have better berries in the PNW.

They say that the third time is a charm, but I must politely disagree this turn around. I dream up fancy ideas for Daring Bakers' challenges all month, but when it comes to putting my plans into action and testing recipes, I come up short. The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

This time around I started early, when the friend with whom I stayed in San Francisco was overcome by a dreadful urge to use her ice cream maker! For the fourth of July (I know, only three days after announcing the challenge!), we pulled off a beautiful and tasty Red, White, and Blue...trifle. Apparently, the eggs in the Swiss roll cake recipe help hold the whole thing together! This still received rave reviews from all ten eaters involved.

My next attempt was inspired by a honey ice cream recipe in Edible Seattle. With a cornmeal cake and a plum jam filling, this should have been destined for marvels and wonders. Alas, the banana that gave the ice cream its creamy texture, overpowered all the flavors and the cake fell apart in the rolling process, again. Le sigh.

Finally, I decided to take the standard route and go with a chocolate cake (using chia seeds as an egg substitute for the first time) and espresso kahlua almond ice milk. Oh, and did I mention that you are supposed to roll the cake right after removing from the oven, while it is still warm. Yes, reading directions apparently has some merit. While this time actually yielded a dome-shaped ice cream cake dessert, it was far from attractive and not my favorite of the three. Therefore, I will not include a picture or a recipe. I will, however, pass on the outline for creating a scrumptious Patriotic Trifle, as that was truly a crowd pleaser!

Patriotic Trifle

Genoise Cake

½ cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated

1 cup blanched almonds, ground

1 lemon zested

juice of half a lemon

½ cup almond milk

½ cup water

3 tbs ground flax

1 ½ cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1. Whisk together flax meal and water. Let stand for a few minutes until it starts to gel. Add sugars, zest, lemon juice, and almond milk. Mix until well-combined.

2. Add all dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Pour batter into a shallow parchment-lined pan in a thin layer. Bake at 350 F for 15-25 minutes, until set and slightly springy.

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Blueberry Lemonbalm Ice Cream

14 oz can coconut milk (lite will obviously be less rich)

1 cup almond or other non-dairy milk

2/3 cup sugar or agave

2 cup wild blueberries

1 lemon juiced and zested

handful of lemon balm or verbena roughly chopped

3 tbs arrowroot powder

1. Heat lemon juice, blueberries, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until cooked down. Add lemon balm at the end and let sit while finishing up the milk.

2. In the meantime, heat milks in their own saucepan over medium heat, right to a low boil. Add some milk to the arrowroot to create a paste. Add back to milk in pan, along with blueberries and lemon balm. Heat until starting to thicken. Remove from heat and refrigerate until very cold.

3. Follow directions on your ice-cream churner. Note that adding a few tablespoons of some alcohol will prevent too many ice crystals from forming!

4. In a deep bowl, layer chunks of cake, ice cream, and sliced strawberries. Cut or scoop with a spoon and serve. Perhaps best with a few hours of freezing post-assembly.

S assembles the trifle! Yay collaborative baking effort!

Thus, despite rocky starts, we learn that swiss roll ice cream cake bombs look awesome, but trifles can be equally delectable!

Coming Up: Ch-ch-ch-changes...

A Seedy Affair and a Breath of Fresh Mint

The greatest joy for a backyard gardener is the sense of accomplishment you feel when those seeds you planted months ago finally start looking like the vegetables you know and love. Many moons past (ok, let's say six or seven), I constructed a raised bed garden in my parents' backyard. And while I had not planned on being around at present to reap the fruits of my labors, I now find myself reveling in the arugula and lettuces, while waiting impatiently for the peas, garlic, carrots, beans, and kale to mature. Moveover, I will be planting broccoli, rapini, beets, cucumbers, and a variety of squashes as soon as our new beds build themselves...hehe...

We purchased most of our seeds from a local nursery, or I saved them from winter squashes and the borlotti beans from the Italian farm. Seeds are little pockets of life, with the nutrients a new plant needs to get started in the world. It boggles my mind that a carrot will result from a tiny little dot of a seed or a head of garlic from a single clove! Although many large seed companies put patents on their genetically modified seeds - the genetic code falling under intellectual property rights - organizations like the Organic Seed Alliance try to promote the use of heirloom and new varieties, and perpetuate the magic of our floral diversity.

Ah, but enough of these silly, sappy, musings. Let's talk about pies and herbs. This month's theme for You Want Pies with That is Summer Drink Pie! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness - the possibilities are endless (and often intoxicating). So even though it's not sunny summer here yet, I took inspiration from a classic summery drink and the spearmint growing in a pot outside my front door.

Mint Mojito Pie

Mint Ice "Cream"

1 14oz can lite coconut milk

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup rum

2 cups packed mint leaves (spearmint is good, or another variety, but I wouldn't use peppermint)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbs tapioca starch

1. Heat milks in saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat, add mint, and let steep for at least an hour. Strain mint leaves and press out remaining mint "juice."

2. Mix a little of the milk with the starch in a separate bowl until a paste. Add back to the milk with sugar and rum. Heat over medium heat until beginning to boil and thicken.

3. Cool completely and refrigerate. Churn in ice cream machine according to the instructions and freeze until ready to use.

Lime Cookie Crust

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Juice and zest of one lime

3/4 cup turbinado sugar

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tbs tapioca starch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup cookie crumbs

1/4 cup oil

2 tbs applesauce

2 tsp lime juice

2 tbs agave nectar

1. Mix wet ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Add in dry ingredients until well-incorporated.

2. Scoop golf-ball size bits of dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until just starting to brown.

3. Food-process cookies until very crumbly. Continue to process with oil, applesauce, lime juice, and agave until beginning to stick together.

4. Press crumb mixture into pie or tart pans. Fill with slightly softened ice cream. Freeze until very firm. Dig in, and enjoy this refreshing dessert with a nice, cool, mojito!

Coming up: rhubarb season and some gluten-free baking adventures!