Every year, as the lazy days of summer move into August, one crop in particular fires the imagination and tantalizes the taste buds: wild blueberries. Grown right in our own backyard, these summertime delights are a succulent, versatile, seasonal ingredient - with the added bonus of health benefits.
I recall a trip I made to the Ontario Food Terminal where I was buying produce for Splendido. Among the local growers' stalls, I happened across a gentleman from Freskiw Farm Produce in Coldwater, Ont., selling baskets of perfectly small and intensely flavoured Ontario wild blueberries. I engaged him in conversation and offered him what I thought was fair market value for his four remaining quarts.
He flatly refused, saying his berries were already spoken for (it was 8 o'clock in the morning!).
He continued to rebuff me, even as I offered him more and more money.
Chef David Lee prepares blueberries for a pie at his restaurant Splendido. It may be summer fruit, but wild blueberries lose little taste when frozen. (Ryan Carter/The Globe and Mail)
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I was intrigued by his continued refusal to part with his wares, and realized the value of those berries exceeded any money I could offer him.
I made sure I got to the terminal much earlier the following week, in order to beat the wild blueberry rush.
Low bush wild blueberries are perfectly suited to the summer climate and growing conditions in Eastern and Central Canada, and have grown here since before the settlement of the New World. An important foodstuff and medicinal ingredient for first nation peoples, their versatility is apparent in the seemingly infinite variety of preparations they are suited to.
Whether in vinegar, pies, sauces, compotes or preserves, wild blueberries are a delight for the palate. Recently, however, scientists have discovered an added benefit of this fruit: Wild blueberries are very high in antioxidants (specifically, anthocyanidins, found in the skins). Called a superfruit for their exceptional antioxidant properties, they may play a role in slowing the effects of memory loss, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Wild blueberries are also prized among bakers for their density and yield per pound; unlike regular blueberries, wild ones rarely explode during baking and hold their shape well.
Last January, one of my sous chefs, Geoff O'Connor, had me over to his house for dinner. As soon as I arrived, I smelled wild blueberry pie. His mother, Maureen, an accomplished home baker, had sourced the berries the previous August and frozen them. I learned that day that wild blueberries hold up very well in the freezer, with little or no detriment to their quality.
Now in January, I make pies for my wife, Jennifer, with the blueberries of August, and I think of this recipe Maureen kindly passed along to me.
So, if you have the opportunity to buy wild Ontario blueberries this summer, do so - you may even enjoy this warm, wild blueberry pie some cold, wintry evening, and with it, a small slice of summer.
MUSKOKA BLUEBERRY PIE
WHAT YOU NEED
¾ cup sugar
2½tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water
4 cups fresh wild blueberries, divided 1 cup, 3 cups
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, grated rind and juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 baked pie shell
whipped cream
WHAT YOU DO
Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, and one cup blueberries in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add butter, lemon rind and juice and liqueur.
Mix well. Chill at least one hour.
Remove sauce from refrigerator about one hour before serving.
Fold in remaining berries. Spoon into pie shell. Chill one hour.
To serve, top with whipped cream, or serve each piece with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or maple walnut ice cream. Serves 6 to 8.
Beppi's wine matches
Stick with rich, dark sweet wines if you can. A splendid choice would be Quady Elysium Black Muscat (about $16 for a half bottle), an inky dessert wine from California made from the rare black muscat grape. Rosenblum Cellars, also from California, makes a black muscat that is occasionally available in Canada.
Another choice that would put a blue exclamation mark on this dessert would be the excellent Southbrook Blueberry wine from Ontario (about $15 for a half bottle). Another good choice: any Vidal icewine from Canada.
David Lee is co-owner
and executive chef
at Toronto's Splendido.
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