It's National Blueberry (Popsicle) Day

How did this food holiday get its start? Who knows? And...does it really matter? Here's a theory that's as good as any other. Since we all went crazy in June during National Blueberry Month and spent tons of money buying fresh blueberries, baking pies and cakes (well - I'm sure some people baked), and freezing the tiny blue blobs of goodness for the dark days of winter, perhaps September was chosen as 'use up all those frozen blueberries before they get freezer-burn month.' Hey - it sounds good on paper. Whatever the reason this month was chosen, we all can celebrate the goody-ness of blueberries. Here's a quick and easy recipe for a frozen treat to cool us as we go through these last long, lazy, gloriously hot and beautiful days of summer:


Intense Blueberry Popsicles (Makes 6-8 popsicles depending on your mold)

• Stir 2C (1 pint) fresh blueberries, 1C water, and 1/2C sugar in a pot on the stove over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring the mix to a boil until the berries pop, about five minutes.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Take the pot off of the stove and let the mix cool.
• Pour into popsicle molds or waxy paper cups and freeze.

If you'd prefer a more grown-up dessert, you can't go wrong with blueberries and chocolate. This recipe serves two people but is very flexible; it can easily be modified to serve as many as you need. Keep this as a go-to recipe because the fruit, yogurt and even chocolate choices (dark, milk, white) can be matched to fit your mood.


Blueberry Delight

• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 8 oz yogurt (plain, blueberry, french vanilla - your choice!)
• 2 oz dark chocolate
  
• Divide blueberries into two bowls
• Top each with 1/2 half of the carton of yogurt
• Top with shaved chocolate or chocolate pieces

While fresh or frozen blueberries can’t be beat in all things sweet – such as cakes, puddings, muffins, and pancakes -- they’re pretty impressive on the savory side, too. Their fresh, fruity flavor perfectly complements pork, chicken and game, and they’re dynamite in fruit salsas and fresh or cooked sauces. Check these ideas from the US Highbush Blueberry Council and click here for more blueberry inspiration:

• Blueberries love spices; try them with cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fresh, ground or crystallized ginger, mace, nutmeg, black pepper and vanilla
• Kick up some new sweet or savory combos with blueberries and herbs such as cilantro, lemon verbena, bay, chives, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, parsley, mint, basil and hot fresh peppers
• Dairy foods are a natural mate for blueberries – heavy cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sherbet, sour cream, mascarpone, ricotta, Brie, Camembert, mozzarella, cheddar and mild blues
• Almost any fruit or dried fruit teams up well with blueberries – apples, apricots, bananas, coconut, papaya, dates, figs, melons, plums, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, mangos, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and all other berries
• All kinds of nuts and seeds go with blueberries: almonds, almond paste, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pignolis, macadamias, cashews, peanuts, and poppy, sesame and sunflower seeds
• Liqueurs, such as almond, coffee, chocolate, melon, orange or raspberry, are good companions; also rum or port
• Add dried blueberries instead of raisins to your next granola mix, oatmeal cookies, scones, rice pudding or quick breads
• Blueberry juice and concentrate add flavor and color to lemonade, hot or iced tea, other fruit juices, smoothies, yogurt shakes, milk shakes and mixed drinks
• Use canned blueberries for velvety-smooth shakes and smoothies

Until tomorrow,

BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe!
You ought to have seen!
Robert Frost