It's The Berries (And Cherries)
This is peak cherry and berry season, according to author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie. Did you think you can make only pies with these delicious fruits? Well, The Early Show, along with friends at Williams-Sonoma in New York City, is offering some alternatives that are certain to wow your friends and family.
Before cooking or eating your berries, you should consider what to look for when selecting them at your grocery store or farmers market.
For berries: Look for berries that are firm, plump, and vividly colored. Sniff the carton to check for that fresh berry smell. Avoid buying berries that are in a damp container or are too soft, because they will get moldy.
For cherries: Cherry season peaks in June and July. Many kinds of cherries are on the market. Remember that the darker the cherry, the sweeter the taste. Bing cherries are traditionally the darkest and sweetest, although Ranier or Queen Annes are also quite sweet (despite their yellow-to-rose color). Sour cherries are used for pies and jams. These are hard to find fresh.
Look for firm, plump cherries with pliable green stems. Dry stems mean old cherries. Don't pull off the stems until you're about to eat, because removing the stems promotes spoiling.
Now that you've bought them, you might ask how to store them until you're ready to use them.
- You should use your berries within a day or two of buying. Store them in the carton in the refrigerator. Don't rinse berries until right before using them, because doing so encourages molding. Pat berries dry with a paper towel very gently. Berries also freeze very well, if you want to use them a few months down the road.
- Store cherries in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. You should eat them in about three days. Rinse and dry the same way as you would the berries. You will need a cherry pitter if you intend to cook with your cherries. Pitting them with a knife is incredibly tedious.
Blackberry Milk Shake
On a hot summer day, this pale purplish milk shake is a rich yet refreshing drink or dessert to enjoy outdoors. Pass a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to eat alongside.
Ingredients:
Serves 2
2 ice cubes
1 cup blackberries
2 Tbs. sugar
4 scoops vanilla ice cream, about 1 1/2 cups total
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Place the ice cubes in a blender or food processor and process to crush. Set aside 4 of the blackberries and add the remaining berries to the blender or food processor along with the sugar. Puree until smooth.
Add the ice cream and milk, and process until smooth or to the desired consistency.
Pour into 2 tall glasses and garnish with the reserved berries. Serve immediately.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Casual Outdoor Dining, by Georgeanne Brennan (Time-Life Books, 1998).Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry clafoutis is a classic French dessert. Clafoutis originally hails from the Limousin region. It is made by topping a layer of fresh fruit with batter. After baking, it is served hot, sometimes with cream.
Some clafoutis have a cakelike topping, while others are more like pudding. It is simply fresh cherries baked in a light batter, very similar to a souffle. It's a great thing to do with cherries because you don't have to pit as many cherries as you do for a pie and it is so simple to prepare.
Although traditional clafoutis is made with unpitted whole cherries, said to add extra cherry flavor, this luscious pit-free version does not lack for flavor but is a little easier to eat.
Ingredients:
Serves 6 to 8
3/4 lb. sweet cherries, pitted and halved
3 Tbs. dark rum
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
Method:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a shallow 9-by-14-inch baking dish with a 2-quart capacity and dust with sugar. Tap out any excess.
In a small bowl, toss together the cherries and rum and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and whisk until the batter is smooth. Slowly pour in the cream, whisking constantly. Stir the cherries and their juices into the batter until just blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until puffed and golden, 33 to 35 minutes.
Serve the clafoutis hot and puffed, or transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving. It will deflate as it cools but will still be delicious.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Simon & Schuster, 2002).
Individual Cherry Clafoutis
Here, we use a silicone baking mold to create individual desserts that taste as delicious as the classic version. They make an impressive presentation for a dinner party or buffet.
Ingredients
Makes 6 clafoutis
2 Tbs. blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds reserved
6 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 Tbs. kirsch
24 canned cherries, drained, or pitted fresh cherries
Method:
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 6-well silicone demi-sphere baking mold and place on a baking sheet.
In a food processor, process the almonds until finely ground. Add the vanilla bean seeds, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, cream and kirsch and pulse until just blended.
Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the cherries among the prepared wells. Pour the batter over the cherries, dividing evenly, and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Immediately invert the mold onto a wire rack and remove the clafoutis, using a toothpick to gently loosen them, if needed. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Hubert Keller, Chef/Owner, Fleur de Lys Restaurant, San Francisco.Berry Cobbler
What's the difference between a cobbler and a pie? A cobbler does not have a bottom crust, and it also biscuit-like dough that is "cobbled" across the top of the fruit.
This is the perfect recipe for using a mix of the summer berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries) in any combination with cherries, or with peaches, nectarines, apricots, or plums.
The variety of berries and the amount of each type you use for this cobbler will depend on what looks good at the market. This basic recipe can also be used for other seasonal fruit cobblers: Use 6 to 8 peeled and sliced apples in autumn or peaches in midsummer.
Ingredients:
Serves 8
2 lb. mixed berries
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
For the cobbler topping:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
Method:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a bowl, combine the berries, lemon juice, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, cinnamon and ground ginger and toss to coat the berries evenly. Pour the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
To make the topping in a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Pour the egg mixture into the food processor and pulse just until the topping mixture holds together. Remove the blade from the food processor and stir in the crystallized ginger.
To make the topping by hand, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring and tossing with a fork until the topping mixture holds together. Stir in the crystallized ginger.
Using a soup spoon, place dollops of the topping evenly over the berries, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered around the edge of the dish. Sprinkle the 3 Tbs. granulated sugar over the top. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the cobbler until the top is golden and the berry filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a large spoon or spatula, scoop out the cobbler onto individual plates. Accompany with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining, Edited by Chuck Williams (Oxmoor House, 2004).Blueberry Crisp
A crisp is a catch-all term for fruit baked with a topping of flour, sugar, and butter and, sometimes, with chopped nuts or rolled oats or crumbs mixed in. Some people will call this "crumbles" because the mixture is "crumbled" together by hand.
Tart blueberries and a slightly crunchy, sweet topping come together in this easy-to-make dessert. For maximum taste, try to find wild berries (fresh or frozen), rather than the cultivated ones. The crisp is terrific served with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
Serves 6
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature, cut into pieces
3/4 cup rolled oats
Method:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish with butter or margarine, or spray with vegetable cooking spray.
Spread the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and rolled oats until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.
Bake until the top is golden and the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve hot or warm.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Healthy Cooking, by John Phillip Carroll (Time-Life Books, 1997).