Summer is here at last, and so is a superfood far tastier than kale – berries! Fresh strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are finally available and are often less costly than frozen varieties. Brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, berries are a nutritious and tasty superfood with a relatively low calorie count. Although food prices in general have risen quite noticeably, berries are certainly worth splurging on.
Decorate a cheesecake, flan or pavlova with them, eat them with yogurt, cereal or ice cream. A bowl of blueberries or strawberries on your table will disappear quickly when your family tastes this wonderfully healthy snack. And if they’re past their prime, you don’t have to make huge amounts of jam, you can make a quick and simple jam with a cup or two of berries, a bit of sugar and some water in a small pot. Add a tablespoon or so of cornstarch and you’ll have a delicious addition to breakfast or dessert.
Somehow, freezing fresh berries yourself makes them tastier than those in store-bought packages, maybe because it reminds us of long-awaited lovely summer days. Blueberries in particular freeze well, and are very tasty tossed with cubed mango or other stone fruit.
The best fruit salad I ever had originated in Hungary. At the height of summer, pit some cherries and add an equal amount of raspberries to sliced ripe peaches and apricots. You have to taste it to believe it.
And finally, picking berries yourself is a pleasant summer experience. Wild raspberries won’t be plentiful enough to take home, but in many areas there are pick-your-own farms where you can take the family, enjoy the fresh air and bring home nature’s bounty.
For a easy and light summery dessert after a barbeque meal, bake or buy tartlets or a large pastry shell, add a layer of custard (boxed or “from scratch”) and top with raspberries or any combination of your favourite fruit. Ah, summer!
Lithuanians love blueberries – they even use them in their “koldūnai“ (or “virtiniai“, usually meat- or cheese-filled dumplings). Then they’re called “šaltanosiai” or “cold noses” because of the purplish colour from the berries. There are many recipes available online for blueberry cakes, usually simpler coffee-cake types.
A loaf cake is a quick and easy treat, and we can pretend it’s healthier because we add yogurt and oats…
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar (or honey or maple syrup – if using, add to wet ingredients)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
½ cup butter (1 stick), coconut oil, melted, or canola
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon zest + 1 tbsp juice (optional)
½ cup oats
1 to 1½ cups blueberries (tossed with 1 Tbsp flour)
½ cup chopped pecans or other nuts (optional)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350oF, spray or line pan with parchment. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, beat wet ingredients with a fork and add to the dry. Then fold in oats, blueberries and nuts (if using). Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Make a glaze with 1 cup icing sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice if desired, and pour over the top of the cake after poking holes in it with a skewer.
