Berry Oregon Summer. Crostata and memories.

It is still summer and there’s still berries galore. Plus ripe fragrant stone fruits, juicy tomatoes and colorful greens. The farmer markets are the biggest event of the week, and anyone without a dog or a kid feels a bit left out, but secretly lucky to be lacking. Being overwhelmed by the sheer amount and variety of produce is definitely understandable. My first summers in Vancouver I would be hesitant over each piece of fruit or vegetable, what if I don’t use it? What if it spoils tomorrow? I’m sure apricots will be in season next week right? I would leave the market with my usual pound of apples, an apricot scone and a burning desire to own a bulldog to show off.

This year has meant a lot for me, I have made a lot of changes to my life that have resonated who I am. Small changes in your ordinary life, like getting those 4 dollar raspberries don’t seem like such a drastic difference, but I have learned that big rewarding moments come from the smallest of indulgences. That first raspberry you taste in the summer might make you smile like you haven’t in years; making that pie or jam might give you the amount of peace and control you have been looking for; and sharing your finished product could make you feel like Santa in the middle of summer.

Finding a reason or moment to eat your produce is a lot easier than finding these such produce in a moment of craving; and it’s even harder when that craving hits a couple weeks later,  and you find out there is no one fresh tomato to have in the county. Summer is all about adventuring in my mind, taking advantage of the long hours and making memories; henceforth, I am always attempting to make significant memories for each summer. The summer of the 6 pounds of strawberries (lots of jam), the summer of juices (I juiced everything in my sight), and now, the summer of the berry.

I am afraid summer will be over any second now, and here I am, buying any produce I fancy and stuffing my face with glee. There will always be salt to season those tomatoes, a napkin to wipe that plum juice off your chin, and a great recipe to use up those berries in. This week I have a beautiful crostata recipe I found online.

Crostatas are basically the fancier, skinnier and European cousin of pie. It is an open faced dough disc that gets topped with fresh fruit and then crimpled back to seal the juices while baking. The contrast of golden dough to vibrant baked fruit looks divine on a white plate, and for the decadent audience, vanilla ice cream could not ask for a better date.

This recipe made enough for two good sized pies, enough to feed four comfortable sized adults or 6 models. The pies will fit in one baking sheet. I made a blueberry and a basil peach one. The possibilities are infinite though, off the top of my head I can imagine a mint blackberry, apple bacon, tomato brie or mushroom gruyere. If I had some prepared dough in the fridge, there would be a guarantee no summer produce would go to waste. Good thing memories last a lot longer than crostatas do on the plate.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten

Filling:

About 2 cups of fruit

1-2 T sugar

1 -  Macerate fruit with sugar. Add herbs and a pinch of salt if desired. Set aside.

2  -  Combine flour, sugar and salt.

3   - Cut in chilled butterpounds of strawberries (lots of jam), the summer of juices (I juiced everything in my sight), and now the  until it resembles coarse sand.

4    -Add ice water a T at a time and keep cutting in. Use your hands to make a ball. It should be moist but not sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to a week.

5    -Once chilled, preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough to a circle and transfer to buttered baking sheet.

6    -Layer fruit in middle, leaving about an inch of outside rim.

7    -Crimp up outside dough making sure it is sealed.

8    -Use the egg to brush dough.

9-Bake for about 20 minutes. It will be golden, bubbly and delicious looking when ready.

10-Let cool and enjoy with ice cream, creme fraiche or a glass of sweet wine. 

                                                         Make memories happen. 

Cream Cheese and Berries. Cheesecake.

I have a terrible secret to admit. I like cream cheese. I like cream cheese a little too much. I have memories from very long ago of some Mexican cenas depending of cream cheese quesadillas and a good 2 inch sized block of pure cream cheese on the side. Just by itself, cream cheese has a perfect combination of creaminess, saltiness and tanginess that makes my taste buds want to party. Adding sugar and lemon to the guest list is creating a dramatic contrast that takes this regular party to one of Gatsby’s level.

So this summer, when I got carried away picking berries, I Knew this was the right time to attempt one of  my most ambitious ideas, cheesecake. Lemon Berry Cheesecake. The initial recipe is from SmittenKitchen lime cheesecake. I made a few changes to adjust to my ingredients and palate. I was immensely impressed by the simplicity of the recipe and the end result. It is a very straightforward cheesecake that delivers everything you want from a summer sweet. I used blueberries and raspberries, but I bet any mix of fresh berries will be great. I will keep this recipe in mind for the rest of the year, maybe use some cranberries and pecans for fall, mint and chocolate for Christmas. Cheesecake, I am ready for your party.

Cheese n Berries Cake

Crust

-          1 ¼ cup graham crackers crushed

-          3 T sugar

-          ½ stick butter, melted

1)      Mix all ingredients and spread over heavily buttered springform pan.

2)      Bake at 350 F for 8 minutes and let cool.

Cake

-          2 packages cream cheese at room temperature

-          1 cup plus 2 T sugar

-          ¾ c lemon juice plus its zest

-          ½ c sour cream

-          ½ t vanilla

-          2 ½ T flour

-          ¼ t salt

-          3 eggs

-          About 3 cups of mixed berries

-          1 T apricot jam for glaze

1)      Set oven at 350 F

2)      Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sugar and mix

3)      Add lemon, sour cream, zest, vanilla and beat to smooth.

4)      Mix in flour and salt at low speed until just incorporated.

Time for art! 

5)      Add eggs all at once and mix until just incorporated.

6)      Pour into pan and bake for about one hour. Once you jiggle the pan and the center doesn’t move its good!

7)      Let cool on rack until completely cool!!! Now its time to decorate

8)      Arrange your berries as artistically as you would like, go crazy! Just remember no one wants to be the person with no berries in their slice, unless you are a mouse.

9)      Heat up the T of jam with a T of water in the microwave and glaze your cake with a brush, if the mixture is too goopy just add more water.

10)   Let set in fridge for about two hours and you are good to go!

-           

Berry Oregon Summer. Muffins and such.

Summer starts and I am pumped. It seems people have multiplied like rabbits over the winter and once the sun is out, everyone is a runner, hiker, kayaker, gardener and/or professional BBQer. One of my favorite aspects is the produce. I try and keep a seasonal diet, and summer is the cornucopia of seasons; when I get to indulge in my favorite fruit family: berries.

Muffins with whipped cream cheese

The Pacific Northwest is known for its extensive array of berries. Once the caviar of fruits in Mexico, now I pay next to nothing (or nothing, when they grow in your own backyard) for this most exquisite candy Mother Nature makes. By the handful fresh from the vine, in a pie a la mode, over cheesecake, in baked goods, or just thrown in my morning cereal are my favorite ways to gobble up pounds upon pounds of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and marrionberries all before you can say Labor Day.

This summer, after an extensive berry picking session I created about four different desserts I would like to share with you.  The summer is almost over, so you will either have to hurry to the farmers market soon, or keep this in your mind for next year. Believe me, I will be anticipating the next berry summer berry berry much.

Blueberry Cherry Muffins 

-5 T soft butter

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 egg

- ¾ cup yogurt or sour cream ( I used half and half because that’s what I had around)

- ½ t lemon zest

- 1 ½ cup flour

- 1 ½ t baking powder

- ¼ t baking soda

- ¼ t salt

- ¾ cup blueberries (I used blueberries and cherries!)

How beautiful are these?!

1) Oven at 350 F.

2)Beat butter and sugar first. Add egg and mix. Add yogurt and lemon and mix.

3)Mix dry ingredients, sift in half, mix in. Then sift the other half and mix.

4)Fold in berries

5) Batter will be thick. Its ok!!! Scoop with an ice cream scooper or two spoons and top with brown sugar for extra tempting muffins.

6)Bake for about 30ish minutes? Just do the toothpick method, check them around 20 minutes depending on the size of your tins, but once toothpick comes out clean, you are good! 

Enjoy them fresh from the oven or warmed up later with salted butter, cream cheese or Peanut butter. Oh yeah.