Blueberries!

Today was my annual blueberry-picking date with one of my former students at what I like to think of as my secret blueberry orchard.

So many students have passed through my classroom over the years, and I hear from many of them every so often, and with some I have even developed an “adult” friendship.

Kim first came into my classroom back in the fall of 2008, though I’m sure that’s not when I first learned about her family’s blueberry orchard. But by the time I did, probably a few years later, I was already frequently making Hank’s favorite flavor of pie (blueberry, of course), so I was thrilled to know where I could pick my own.

Hidden away, not visible from the road, I like to think of this spot as a place only known to a select few – and this year, with covid-19, it is truly a secret spot, but this did not stop us from meeting there, standing far apart at different high-bush plants, and catching up on each other’s lives, and the craziness of doing it all during a pandemic.

My blueberry repertoire has expanded since my first expedition to Kim’s family’s orchard, to include many favorites, besides blueberry pie, that I’ve posted about such as Tarte Robert, my grandmother’s blueberry crumb cake, blueberry-rhubarb crumb pie (and I froze rhubarb back when it was in season), blueberry jam, and rugelach with said jam, as well blueberry barbecue sauce, which I’ve not given in a post because it’s not my recipe, but can be found here. (Note that this “blue-b-q” sauce is great not only on chicken but on other meat as well, including duck and lamb. I usually make a double batch and freeze it in small containers to use throughout the winter! Sometimes it gets a bit thick after freezing, so I use an immersion blender to smooth it out.)

And there are four wonderful recipes with blueberries in The Berkshire Farm Table Cookbook, all of which I tested!

And with two huge buckets from today’s harvest, I think it’s time to get cooking!