When summer peaks, so does our interest in fruits. Suzen’s interest in vegetables also peaks but, frankly my dear, I don’t give a … No, I care. I do. It’s just that I’m focused on the fruits of the season. One thing at a time.
I’ve written here about the difficulty of some fruits: peaches and pears come to mind. At the other extreme are creatures like blueberries. They seem wondrously robust with a uniformity of flavor and sweetness. Even if the exterior of that blueberry is a little less than spectacular, the berry is fine to taste, sip, bake, or preserve. A bruised peach has to be examined like an ebola suspect: is it already a gonner, how deep is the distress, can it be saved?
Blueberry sauce has infinite uses. Almost infinite: you really should not just eat it by itself. It deserves some kind of marriage: ice cream, fruit salad, pound cake, cake of almost any order.
This recipe comes from a new book, Bakeless Sweets, that has many expedient treats. You’ll soon seen a review of the book and more recipes. In the meantime, should blueberries cross you path, here is a wonderful way to enjoy that very berry bite.
This recipe calls for a teaspoon of vanilla. You can experiment here, substituting brandy for example. And the picture above has blueberries sitting on a bed of mint. Adding some diced mint leaves to the pot is certainly an interesting option. Lastly exotic as it sounds, blueberries do have preferred mates. Just a dash of chile powder will make that ice cream sizzle in your mouth and amplify the blueness of the experience.
This post is appearing on a Monday, the start of our work week. We have a busy days and not much time to think about a complex dessert during the week. This sauce is an expressway towards a lovely yet easy dessert experience.
Blueberry Sauce
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced [about 2 tablespoons juice]
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Preparation:
Stir the blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest together in a 2-quart saucepan and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the lemon juice until smooth, then stir the mixture into the blueberry sauce. Boil for a full minute, or until the berries begin to pop open. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Chill.
Source: Bakeless Sweets by Faith Durand
Photo Information [bottom shot]: Canon T2i, EFS60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for1/30th second at ISO‑1250