Color this weekend blue for all the blueberries that will be eaten at local festivals.
Peddler’s Village in Lahaska will host its annual Bluegrass and Blueberries festival on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., with plenty of country music and blueberry favorites to sample. The festivities will continue weekends through July, which is the main month for harvesting local blueberries.
Also this weekend is the annual Blueberry Bash at Terhune Orchards located outside Princeton, N.J. Held on the farm it will feature activities for children, blueberry picking, live music and a variety of blueberry foods. For tickets see the website terhuneorchards.com/blueberry-bash/
Burnside Plantation in Bethlehem will host its annual blueberry festival next weekend, July 15 and 16, with lots of food and music, crafts and a variety of blueberry foods. The Blueberry Brewery is for those ages 21 and up. For more information see discoverlehighvalley.com/event/annual-blueberry-festival-%26-market-to-go/65430/.
Nutrition-packed blueberries are in season locally through July and into August. Farms that offer pick-your-own berries include Manoff Market Gardens and Solebury Orchards in Solebury, Wildemore Farm in Chalfont and Terhune Orchards outside Princeton.
Blueberries are versatile and can be used in sauces and salads, but most of the time we bake them in desserts. If you don’t feel like making a pie, a buckle is a simple cake that can be put together in a few minutes. This recipe comes from the website foodnetwork.com.
For the cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
5 ¼ ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
1 large egg
½ cup whole milk
15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups
For the topping:
3 ½ ounces sugar, approximately ½ cup
1 ½ ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 9- by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add one third of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
For the topping: In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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