National Blueberry Festival
August 12-15
South Haven, MI
(800) 764-2836
www.blueberryfestival.com
To purchase a copy of Laura's cookbook:
Fabulous! Food That Makes You Feel Good; Vol. 1: Desserts
For more blueberry recipe ideas with nutritional information visit: www.laurakurella.com and information about the National Blueberry Festival in South Haven, MI, southhaven.org or visit www.michigan.org.
Tips for Cooking with Blueberries:
Many people like toss blueberries into recipes without realizing that its ingredients can affect the look of the finished product.
In an acidic environment -- lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt -- the blue in blueberries can turn red.
In an alkaline environment -- batter made with baking soda -- the blue in blueberries turns an ugly brownish-green.
To avoid, try substituting baking powder for baking soda and regular milk for buttermilk.
To reduce color bleeding or streaking, stir blueberries in at the very end of a recipe and directly from freezer, if using frozen.
You can wash blueberries before freezing, as long as you are gentle and allow them to dry completely before freezing.
Rinse gently under cool running water then spread berries out in a single layer on newspaper-lined cookie sheets. Let them air dry then place the sheet in the freezer. When berries are frozen you can pour them out like marbles into a thick freezer bag where they will be safe to use directly from your freezer for up to a year if kept totally frozen.
Basic Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Directions:
In a saucepan combine berries and sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. In a small cup whisk lemon juice and arrowroot powder until liquified. Add to berry mixture while stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute then remove from heat.
Blazin' Blueberries 'n' Brie
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 whole jalapeño peppers, seeded
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon arrowroot flour
8 ounces neufchatel cheese
16 water crackers
Directions:
In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine peppers with vinegar and pulse until desired smoothness. Add pepper mixture to berries and cook for about 5 minutes. In a small cup, whisk together lemon juice and arrowroot powder until it liquefies then whisk into berry sauce. Cool slightly before pouring over brie or neufchatel cheese. Serve with water crackers.
Indigo Pork
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 whole granny smith apple, peeled
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm. In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine apple with lemon and vinegar and pulse until desired smoothness. Add apple mixture to berry mixture and cook for about 5 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Serve either over or on the side of the pork tenderloin.
Baby Blue Tarts
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon arrowroot flour
24 mini tarts
Directions:
In a saucepan combine berries and sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. In a small cup whisk lemon juice and arrowroot powder until liquified. Add to berry mixture while stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute then remove from heat. With a spoon, place a generous dab of berry filling in each mini tart shell. Top with a fresh berry, if desired, then chill before serving.
Frost-Bitten Blue Tinis
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka, frozen
1/4 cup Basic Blueberry sauce
4 ice cubes
4 drops blue food coloring
Directions:
In a blender, combine all ingredients and pulse until slushy. Pour into 2 chilled martini glasses and serve with fresh berries, if desired.
August 12-15
South Haven, MI
(800) 764-2836
www.blueberryfestival.com
To purchase a copy of Laura's cookbook:
Fabulous! Food That Makes You Feel Good; Vol. 1: Desserts
For more blueberry recipe ideas with nutritional information visit: www.laurakurella.com and information about the National Blueberry Festival in South Haven, MI, southhaven.org or visit www.michigan.org.
Tips for Cooking with Blueberries:
Many people like toss blueberries into recipes without realizing that its ingredients can affect the look of the finished product.
In an acidic environment -- lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt -- the blue in blueberries can turn red.
In an alkaline environment -- batter made with baking soda -- the blue in blueberries turns an ugly brownish-green.
To avoid, try substituting baking powder for baking soda and regular milk for buttermilk.
To reduce color bleeding or streaking, stir blueberries in at the very end of a recipe and directly from freezer, if using frozen.
You can wash blueberries before freezing, as long as you are gentle and allow them to dry completely before freezing.
Rinse gently under cool running water then spread berries out in a single layer on newspaper-lined cookie sheets. Let them air dry then place the sheet in the freezer. When berries are frozen you can pour them out like marbles into a thick freezer bag where they will be safe to use directly from your freezer for up to a year if kept totally frozen.
Basic Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Directions:
In a saucepan combine berries and sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. In a small cup whisk lemon juice and arrowroot powder until liquified. Add to berry mixture while stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute then remove from heat.
Blazin' Blueberries 'n' Brie
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 whole jalapeño peppers, seeded
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon arrowroot flour
8 ounces neufchatel cheese
16 water crackers
Directions:
In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine peppers with vinegar and pulse until desired smoothness. Add pepper mixture to berries and cook for about 5 minutes. In a small cup, whisk together lemon juice and arrowroot powder until it liquefies then whisk into berry sauce. Cool slightly before pouring over brie or neufchatel cheese. Serve with water crackers.
Indigo Pork
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 whole granny smith apple, peeled
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm. In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine apple with lemon and vinegar and pulse until desired smoothness. Add apple mixture to berry mixture and cook for about 5 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Serve either over or on the side of the pork tenderloin.
Baby Blue Tarts
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon arrowroot flour
24 mini tarts
Directions:
In a saucepan combine berries and sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. In a small cup whisk lemon juice and arrowroot powder until liquified. Add to berry mixture while stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute then remove from heat. With a spoon, place a generous dab of berry filling in each mini tart shell. Top with a fresh berry, if desired, then chill before serving.
Frost-Bitten Blue Tinis
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka, frozen
1/4 cup Basic Blueberry sauce
4 ice cubes
4 drops blue food coloring
Directions:
In a blender, combine all ingredients and pulse until slushy. Pour into 2 chilled martini glasses and serve with fresh berries, if desired.
