Strawberries wild in new cookbook

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COOKING WITH WILD BERRIES OF DOWN EAST MAINE, Bar Harbor Jam Co., Bar Harbor, 2001, 224 pages, $12.95.

Nothing compares to the tongue-tingling joy of a berry still warm from the summer sun.

Unless it’s a steaming slice of bread (or cake or pie) filled with said berries straight from the oven.

The folks at the Bar Harbor Jam Co. have compiled an impressive cookbook covering some of Maine’s finest crops: blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and strawberries. From beverages to entrees to desserts, the recipes offer an astonishing array of ideas for making use of the summer’s bounty from season to season – and beyond, thanks to the miracle of the deep freeze.

The recipes are no-nonsense and a few are, perhaps, for the more adventuresome palate (Blueberry Onion Sauced Pork Tenderloin, Pasta with Cranberry Pesto and Grilled Trout with Strawberries). Not that I don’t go for different dishes, mind you, but some things just don’t appeal together that I might enjoy separately.

If you are looking to add more fruit to your diet, this is the cookbook for you. From a range of smoothies to salads to salsas, this collection offers ways to incorporate fruits into every aspect of every meal.

The recipes I tested, however, were a little less healthy (think butter) than straight fruit, but the results were mouth-watering.

Since we’re on the fringes of blueberry season, that berry was my fruit of choice. I baked Blueberry Tea Bread and Blueberry Bundt Cake and found two excellent recipes to add to my repertoire.

The tea bread didn’t act quite like the directions said it would. The batter wasn’t thin and lumpy; it was thick and the only lumps were the blueberries. And it said it only would make one loaf. I made it into two and both were a respectable size.

The bundt cake was missing the amount of sugar in the ingredient list, so I guessed at 1 cup. It turned out perfectly sweet.

Blueberry Tea Bread

Topping:

2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons chopped almonds

Bread:

1/2 cup butter

3 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Combine the topping ingredients and set aside.

Combine the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of the flour, toss carefully and set aside.

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

In separate bowl, combine egg, milk and vanilla, mixing well. Add to flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened.

Add blueberry mixture, stirring carefully.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to continue cooling.

Hints: I would prefer to not use flour in the topping mixture again since the final result was a powdery topping. Instead, I might use only sugar, cinnamon and nuts, or you could keep the flour and add a bit of softened butter to make it more crumblike.

If you decide to use two loaf pans, cut the baking time by about 20 minutes.

Blueberry Bundt Cake

Cake:

21/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

Filling:

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan.

In small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind with an electric mixer until well mixed.

Slowly beat in eggs one at a time.

Add the sour cream, mixing well. At low speed, add the flour mixture and blend.

In small bowl, gently mix the blueberries and the sugar. Set aside.

Spoon about half of the batter into the bundt pan, spreading it to cover the bottom. Make a slight trough with the tip of the spoon.

Into that trough, spoon a ring of blueberry mixture, trying to keep the berries from the edges.

Spread the remaining batter on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Loosen edges and turn onto a rack to cool.

Hints: I slightly changed the directions on this recipe when it comes to adding the filling. The original recipe divided the berries in half and split the batter into thirds. I didn’t think this would mimic my favorite bundt cakes since the berries would get lost in all that batter, so I put all the berries into one ring. It cooked perfectly, and the little pocket of blueberries in each slice is a nice look and taste.

I didn’t have any fresh lemons, so I used 1/2 teaspoon of dried grated lemon rind. I also substituted vanilla yogurt for the sour cream (although I plan to try the sour cream version in the future).

A dash of nutmeg in the blueberry filling mixture might add another dimension of flavor, and a light lemon sauce drizzled over individual slices would be a treat as well.

Copies of the berry cookbook are available in gift shops on Mount Desert Island. Copies may be ordered by phone at 1-800-453-0883 or 207-288-9685, by fax at 207-288-8033, by Internet at www.barharborjamcompany.com, or by mail to Bar Harbor Jam Company, 59 Cottage St., Bar Harbor 04609.