If you already love blueberries, you’re going to love Jennifer Trainer Thompson’s “Very Blueberry ($5.95, Celestial Arts),” a lovely little paperback with more than 35 worthy recipes, from fish with blueberry butter to a goat-cheese tart with caramelized onions and blueberries.
Surely by now there is no one left who doesn’t know about the blueberry’s antioxidant powers. These guys are at the top of the heap when it comes to possessing disease-fighting compounds – in addition to being low in carbs, high in vitamin C and rich in fiber.
“True Blueberry” ($22.50, Stewart, Tabori and Chang), by Linda Dannenberg, is more extensive and has a mouth-watering collection of recipes for soups, salads, relishes and jams. If you could eat blueberries for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you won’t go wrong with either of these books.
Dannenberg’s blueberry-lime salsa sounds lusciously summery. And at 80 fat-free calories per cup, how could you go wrong with blueberries in any combination?
– Ellen Sweets
Grilled Swordfish with Blueberry-Verbena Butter
For a change, use red snapper or salmon in place of swordfish. The best lemon verbena comes freshly picked from the garden. From “Very Blueberry by Jennifer Trainer Thompson.
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh or partially thawed frozen blueberries
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup young lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 (6-ounce, 1-inch-thick) swordfish steaks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
With the back of a fork or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend the butter, blueberries, and salt until completely blended. This may take up to 2 minutes in the food processor. Transfer the butter mixture to a bowl. Fold in the verbena and shallot. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. (Store the butter in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze it for up to 3 months.)
Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill of preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Rub the fish with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the fish on the grill rack and cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes on each side. The swordfish is ready when it has turned from translucent to opaque throughout. Transfer the fish to plates. Place 1 tablespoon of the blueberry verbena butter on each steak. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onions and Blueberries
Perfect for a light lunch, this tart goes well with a green salad or as part of a larger buffet. Make the tarts a day ahead, cover in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. Always bring them to room temperature before serving. From “Very Blueberry” by Jennifer Trainer Thompson.
Crust
1/3 cup walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Filling
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
5 ounces soft goat cheese
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
To make the crust, roast the walnuts in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Stir often until they begin to color and become aromatic. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Place the flour, sugar, salt, thyme, pepper, baking powder, and roasted walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Place the egg and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add to the flour mixture in a steady stream while pulsing. Pulse until just combined and a ball of cough forms.
Coat a 10-inch tart pan with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Sprinkle the cough lightly with flour. With floured hands, press the dough into the pan. Refrigerate the crust for 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the crust to cool.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are deep brown and reduced in volume by at least two-thirds. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Place the onions, coat cheese, cream cheese, thyme, pepper, and salt in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. When smooth, add the eggs and heavy cream, and pulse just to mix well. Place the berries evenly over the crust and cover with the filling mixture. Sprinkle the chives over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the surface is slightly brown and the filling is completely set. Remove form the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 10 to 12
Blueberry-Lime Salsa
Spicy, sassy, and succulent, this berry salsa is a lively enhancement to grilled chicken, pork, or duck. You can make it up to a day ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. When grilling chicken breasts to serve with this salsa, I marinate them for about 30 minutes in lime juice, a clove of coarsely chopped garlic, and coarse salt. Serves 6 to 8. From “True Blueberry” by Linda Dannenberg
1 small jalapeno
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 small red onion
1/2 small red bell pepper, cored and seeded
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup loosely packed finely julienned fresh basil
1/3 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the broiler. Place the jalapeno under the broiler and char on all sides. Remove, place in a brown paper bag, close, and set aside. In a bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cups of the blueberries, the onion, and red pepper. Process until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the lime juice and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
Using a paper towel or rubber gloves to protect your skin if it is sensitive to hot peppers, trim the stem and peel off skin of the jalapeno. Slice it in half, remove and discard the seeds (unless you like your salsa really hot), and finely chop the jalapeno. Add the jalapeno to the blueberry mixture, along with the basil, cilantro, the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries, the oil, ginger, and several turns of the pepper mill, and stir well to combine. Set aside for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Spoon a little bit over individual portions of grilled chicken, pork, or duck, and serve the rest in a bowl, passes at the table.
