I'm Not Ready to Have Fall Yet!

There are apples in the store now.  And not just a few.  Nooooo!

Yes, I do like apples.  As a matter of fact, I had a Honeycrisp at the store this afternoon.  And it was delicious.  The problem is, when the first apples start coming in, it's a harbinger of the end of summer fruits.  Soon the berries will end.  And the peaches.  And plums.  And my favorite, nectarines.  Waaaaah!!!

Well, I'm just not ready yet.  As I've said before, I'm not a baker but I'm trying to learn.  And I've got a long checklist of things to make before the fruit is gone.  Let me give you a peek at my list.

Photo via Epicurious

Cobblers
This is something I've been comfortable baking since, well, Cooking Merit Badge from eons ago.  Cobbler is essentially pie filling with biscuits on top.  There are options as to what kinds of biscuits, though.  This one most closely resembles what we used to do at Scout Camp back in the day.  This one has a sweeter biscuit that's really divine.  Of course, any cobbler is much better when made in a cast iron Dutch oven with decades of seasoning on it, and baked in the embers of your campfire.

Photo via Oprah.com

Simple Tarts
I think what makes me shy from baking is the detailed decorating involved.  And when some intricate design is required on a couple of dozen cupcakes or something, well, I guess I don't have the patience for it.  But one level more difficult than cobbler would be rustic tarts, no fancy-pants decorating involved.  Here's a simple fruit tart.  It's just a simple pastry dough, formed into a rough circle-ish shape, with fruit piled on and the edges rolled up.  Right up my alley.  Here's another one with a slightly different crust.

Photo via Smitten Kitchen

It's All in the Bundt
Now we have to go up to the level of a real cake.  Uh-oh.  I think bundt cakes are probably the easiest, as there's little to no decorating, or lining up layers straight.  It's the one-pot stew of the cake world.  Just remember to let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so prior to trying to invert it onto the plate.  This one I've made before and it's really amazing.  The buttermilk gives it such a rich flavor.  This one is way yummy too.  I know, you normally don't think of strawberries and carrots in the same, well, in the same anything.  But trust me, you won't be able to argue with the results.

For-Real Cakes
Before we get super-serious, this pound cake sorta straddles the line between a bundt cake and a real layer cake.  The lemon really highlights the blueberries, and the ricotta makes it SO rich.  Speaking of ricotta, have you looked in the dairy case lately?  You'll find local ricotta there now!

And lastly, that brings us to a layer cake.  I haven't worked up the courage to try yet, but I've sworn to myself I'm going to try before the blueberries are gone.  I'm thinking that the lemon-blueberry combo should be fantastic once again.

Photo via Sally's Baking Addiction

So, what are you planning to bake before the berries are gone?

Cherry Berry Spritzer

Inspired by the Blackberry Gin Cocktail from Crop Share member Bethany Duffy, I had to try my hand at infusing gin with fruit.  So I took a handful of blackberries from the Crop Share two weeks ago and infused the heck out of some gin.  I followed Bethany's directions to muddle the berries and then add gin, but I allowed mine to steep for about 4-5 days before straining out the blackberries and reserving the blackberry gin.  And then as I was strolling through the grocery I came across a sale on black cherry seltzer, which was pretty much my favorite beverage as a kid (I know, I was a strange kid).  And thus was born in my mind, the Cherry Berry Spritzer!

Cherry Berry Spritzer

Ingredients (for 1 cocktail):
1 shot blackberry infused gin
10-12 oz black cherry seltzer
juice of half a lime
handfull of ice

In a highball glass add blackberry gin and ice, then top with seltzer until glass is nearly full.  Add in juice of half a lime and stir to mix well.  Serve immediately and enjoy the bubbles!

Take Another Little Piece of My Tart!

Back in March, I posted my no-fail tart crust recipe.  At the time it was for a Cinnamon Apple Tart, but now it's summertime and that means stone fruit is coming out of our ears!  So with this weeks nectarines, you'll be well on your way to wowing those around you with a chic nectarine tart.  Below are some past versions of nectarine tarts I've made, and you already know how incredible the local blackberries are, so if you're already afraid of blackberry withdrawal for this week, go ahead and snag a pint to create a Nectarine & Blackberry Tart.

Nectarine & Blackberry Tart

Nectarine, Plum & Cherry Tart

Now that I have you drooling, click through to view the No-Fail Tart Crust recipe and get ready to be crowned the queen of tarts!

Blackberry Infused Gin Cocktail - Member Recipe from Bethany Duffy

Apparently, I'm not the only one who's been enjoying drinking my Crop Share fruit lately.  And no, I don't mean in smoothies or juicing...I mean mixed with booze.  Because I'm classy that way, and so is Crop Share member Bethany Duffy.  Based on her amazing Instagram feed, I'm not sure she ever emerges from her kitchen, other than to pick up her weekly Crop Share.  I know if it's a Duffy recipe, it has to be amazing.  So check out how she utilized her blackberries to make an infused gin as the base to this sparkling summer cocktail.  Bottoms up!

Ingredients:

1 cup blackberries
4 oz gin
1 (750 mL) bottle rose wine
2 lemons, juiced
1 L club soda

Muddle berries in gin, allow to steep for 24-48 hours.  Add blackberry-gin, rose and lemon juice to a pitcher.  Pour in soda and stir right before serving.

Blackberry Cobbler via The Pioneer Woman

This blackberry cobbler from The Pioneer Woman is a HUGE hit around here.  So if you can somehow resist the urge to eat all of the blackberries in this weeks share before you even get out of the parking lot, then we highly suggest giving this recipe a try.  To really knock it out of the park, consider adding in sliced peaches to turn this into a blackberry & peach cobbler.  With the local peaches we have in store right now, we really can't think of a better way to celebrate Eat Local First Week in DC than with this cobbler chock full of local goodness!

Blackberry Cobbler via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

2 cups blackberries (or 1 cup blackberries & 1 cup sliced peaches)

Click through to view the rest of the recipe...

Black & Blue Gin Fizz

When Crop Share hands you blackberries...you add gin.  Okay, well at least I do.  You know, after I also add butter.  I'm a big fan of gin and I'm also a sucker for cool packaging.  So when hunting in the ABC Store for a reasonably priced gin to go into these blackberry gin fizzes, I was completely transfixed by the Bombay Sapphire East.  Notes of Vietnamese black peppercorn and Thai lemongrass?  Yes please!  So what started out as just a blackberry gin fizz, quickly became...the Black & Blue Gin Fizz.  Think of these as juice for adults.  If you put yours in a sippy cup, I won't judge.

Black & Blue Gin Fizz

Ingredients:
1/4 cup blackberries, heaping
2 Tbsp sugar
3 shots Bombay Sapphire Gin, plus a splash for good measure (use East or regular label)
2 limes, juiced
6 ice cubes, divided
20 oz club soda, divided
2 sprigs basil, sweet or Thai, for garnish
2 blackberries, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, add blackberries, sugar and gin.  Muddle blackberries until they are well mashed (alternatively you can blend them up with the sugar and then strain to remove the seeds, but I like bits of blackberry floating in my cocktail).  Stir in lime juice and blend well.  Add strainer cap to the shaker and strain equal amounts of liquid into two tall glasses filled with 3 ice cubes each.  If like me you want more blackberry yumminess, spoon some of the muddled blackberries (discarding pits) into each glass.  Top both with equal amounts of club soda until glasses are nearly full (won't use all 20 oz, maybe about 15-16 oz).  Slice into two blackberries, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Garnish each glass with 1 sprig of basil and 1 blackberry.

Makes 2 tall glasses.

Sip away!


Adapted from Smitten Kitchen: (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/blackberry-gin-fizz/)

Blackberry Butter

Despite a sizable portion of my genetics being of the French variety, I'm not all that big a fan of butter.  However, if that butter is flavored, I will eat it like its a dessert and likely gross everyone out.  There's a reason why I haven't tried the Maple Brown Sugar Butter we carry in store from Great Harvest.  Because I know once I start down that path, my co-workers are going to find me hiding in the store cooler, with a spoon, surrounded by empty containers of butter.  So I've been doing very well in the not-eat-an-entire-crock-of-flavored-butter department.  That is until I came across...blackberry butter.  That's right, say it with me now...BLACKBERRY...BUTTER.  It has fruit in it, so that makes it a health food, no?  And it includes local honey, so really a spoonful, or two, or three of this today is good for keeping my allergies at bay.  Did I mention the butter is also dairy-free and soy-free?  Oh well, if it's for my health, then I guess I must.

Blackberry Butter

Ingredients: 

15 oz (1 container) Soy Free Earth Balance Margarine, room temperature (or use whichever butter strikes your fancy)

1/8 cup, plus 1 Tbsp local, raw, unfiltered honey (Now back in stock in our store!  Look for the yellow tops!)

1 cup fresh blueberries

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer beat together butter and honey until light and fluffy.  Add in blackberries and beat on medium speed until blackberries are pretty well broken up.  I wanted to still have some bits of blackberry in mine, but you could certainly whip these until it's completely smooth.  Pour into small jars or back into empty Earth Balance container.  Chill in fridge until ready to slather on all sorts of goodness.

Adapted from The Lazy Daisy Kitchen: (http://www.thelazydaisykitchen.blogspot.jp/2012/12/blackberry-butter.html)

Blackberry, Banana & Peanut Butter Smoothie

It might seem a little blasphemous to throw these delicious blackberries into a smoothie, but let's face it, it's HOTTT! Hot coffee in the morning just doesn't seem appealing, so why not have a refreshing and protein-rich smoothie to kick off the day? 

Ingredients:
Milk 1% - 1/2 cup
Ice Cubes - 2
Banana - 1 medium
Blackberries - 1/2 cup
Peanut Butter - 1 dollop 

Click here to view the rest of this recipe: http://www.honeywhatscooking.com/2010/06/purple-smoothie-banana-blackberry.html