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Eat Berries, Be Merry

Donated photo

From black and blue to goose and dew, berries sweeten summer in the mountains. Perhaps most delicious when eaten fresh by the handful, the fruit stars in desserts as well as it does as the secret ingredient in savory surprises. Next time your basket of berries overflows, try these local recipes.

Easy Blueberry Crisp

When talking blueberry recipes, it’s wise to go straight to the source, such as the you-pick bushes at A Blueberry Farm in Whittier, North Carolina. “We freeze several gallons of berries and make blueberry crisp all winter,” says owner John Boaze. His recipe is as easy as can be: Put four cups of fresh blueberries (with 1/4 cup sugar, if you like) in a 9x13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle a box of yellow cake mix over the top. Cut one and a half sticks of butter into pats and space out evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit bubbles.

Blackberries in Sweet Basil Syrup

In Farmer & Chef Asheville, professional eaters Debby Maugans and Christine Sykes Lowe assemble more than 200 recipes demonstrating the creativity and talents of the progressive Southern farmers and chefs who make their home here. A chapter on “Mountain Mornings” highlights several recipes from local inns, including this blackberry treat from Carolina Bed & Breakfast. “We usually serve this as a first course at breakfast in an antique champagne glass or a martini glass,” says inn owner Susan Murray. “It’s also great with ice cream or on yogurt.”

Makes 4 to 6 servings

For the syrup:

Combine the sugar, water, and wine in a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean, if using. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, if using; press down on the solids to submerge the leaves. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about two hours.

Strain the cool mixture through a wire mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract the syrup. Add the blackberries to the syrup; cover the bowl and refrigerate at least eight hours and up to two days.

To serve, spoon the berries and syrup in stemmed glasses or small bowls; spoon ice cream, yogurt, or mascarpone cream over the berries, and top each serving with a little candied ginger.  

—Recipe courtesy of Farmer & Chef Asheville (Farmer and Chef, $29)

Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

One of Asheville’s busiest lunch spots, 12 Bones Restaurant serves ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and turkey smoked long and slow over hardwood. The new 12 Bones Smokehouse cookbook divulges the secrets behind the restaurant’s recipes, which run the gamut from classic Carolina to unconventional Asheville, such as this unique BBQ sauce.

Makes 5 cups

In a food processor or a blender, puree the berries and the chipotles. Then transfer the berry mixture to a saucepan, and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer this mixture over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and cool. The finished and cooled sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

For the 12 Bones Tomato “Q” Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size saucepan and simmer on low heat until all the dry ingredients have dissolved, stirring occasionally with a whisk. 

—Recipe courtesy Quarto Publishing Group USA

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