Berry Season is Here

"What's in Season" article from the last week in June:

Last week my not-quite-two-year-old nephew came from Cincinnati to stay with us for a few days.  My mother brought him to see me at Farmers’ Market so I shelled out a pea for him to taste.  Much to my disappointment, he looked at the little round green pea with disdain and would not even try it.  The vendor next to me had a table full of beautiful blueberries.  As soon as she held out her sample box his eyes lit up and he went right for a berry.  Once he got one in his mouth he couldn’t get enough and started shoving them in as fast as he could.  We decided he would have made the cutest commercial for her blueberries.  I definitely would not have used him in a commercial for my peas!  Isn’t it funny how toddlers instinctively know how much better a berry is going to taste than a veggie?

            In addition to blueberries, raspberries are coming into season right now.  Last Tuesday I tagged along with my friend Becky who sells produce at Columbus farmers’ markets.  She had eight pints of wild black raspberries to sell that her husband had picked on their farm.  She quickly sold out and got a good price.  I don’t think I would have been able to part with them if they were mine.  I have had just a handful of black raspberries so far this season and I’m not sure I’m going to have time to go out and pick any more.  Black raspberry jam is my favorite and I would love to get enough to make a batch.  If you want to purchase any berries, especially black raspberries, I would plan on arriving at market early.

            My grandmother made really yummy muffins this week to which she added her leftover blueberries and raspberries.  If your berries get a little overripe this is a great way to use them up.  If you are lucky enough to get a variety of fresh local berries I would recommend making a trifle with them.  Trifle is just a fancy name for a layered dessert that includes fruit, sponge cake, and whipped cream.  I have a special trifle bowl that is a deep straight-sided glass dish on a pedestal, but if you don’t have one of those, a clear glass bowl will work just fine.  You can find very fancy trifle recipes, but this is the way I like to do it because it’s quick and still tastes great.  The layers of red, white, and blue in this recipe make a perfect Fourth of July dessert.

Patriotic Trifle

·        1 Pint Blueberries

·        1 Pint Red Raspberries (and/or sliced strawberries)

·        1 Angel Food Cake or Pound Cake

·        1 Tub of Whipped Cream

·        Sugar

·        1 container berry yogurt

In two separate bowls, sprinkle blueberries and raspberries with sugar and let stand.  Before you mix them with sugar save out a few of each to use as a garnish on the top layer.  Cut the angel food cake into 1 inch squares.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the cake squares.  Spread some of the berry yogurt over the cake.  Add a layer of blueberries.  Top the berries with a layer of whipped cream.  Add another layer of cake and yogurt.  Top with a layer of raspberries then another layer of whipped cream.  Continue in this manner until you reach the top of the bowl, ending with a whipped cream layer.  Put the reserved berries in the center of the top layer of whipped cream for garnish; a mint leaf also looks nice.