8 very berry recipes

By Jan Roberts-Dominguez

Special to The Herald

At last week’s farmers market, the berries were bountiful. From gigantic loganberries and big fat blueberries, to elegant raspberries and chic-chic Marionberries. I was experiencing the blessing and the curse of seasonal produce. It’s just so darned seasonal. Swooping in and tantalizing, then faster than a falling star disappears from a summer sky. Poof! A delectable but fading glow on my mind’s palate.

Evanescence aside, we’re a lucky lot here in the Pacific Northwest. Our berries are exquisite, plentiful and affordable. Blueberries arrive early often. And because there are over 50 varieties, they just keep arriving for weeks and weeks, depending on the variety. But very soon into the blueberry harvest, on come the caneberries. For the uninitiated, caneberries are, quite simply, berries that grow on a cane. They fall into two basic categories, raspberries or blackberries, and if you can get a look at their innards, it’s easy to tell the difference. Blackberries come with their center core still attached. If the berry has a hollow center, indicating that the core was left behind on the vine, it’s a raspberry.

Then there are the hybrids, which are berries resulting from the crosses made between the raspberry and blackberry. Not sure which ones you encounter are hybrids? Well, the three most common hybrids (and popular!) are the marionberry, loganberry, and boysenberry.

So with berries coming on like gangbusters for the next few weeks, I found myself going from booth to booth at the market seeing just how many varieties there were, plotting my approach to taking advantage of their abundance. I spotted chef Brian Parks lugging an armload of fresh greens, presumably back to Bellhop, the new farm-to-table restaurant bellhopcorvallis.com he and opened a couple weeks ago in downtown Corvallis. I asked if I could tag along if I promised I wouldn’t interrupt their lunch prep.

Well, interrupted meal preparations and I almost got away with one of the gorgeous three-berry pies Parks had just finished filling. These beauties were sitting on the back counter, awaiting the final glistening touch — a Lemon Pelligrino glaze! Below the mountain of fresh and juicy fruit, explained Parks, was a cream cheese-styled filling.

That pie was so inspirational I thought you all would love to have a few similar recipes in order to celebrate our incredible berry bounty before it goes away for another year.

Triple Berry Pie with Cream Cheese Filling

Let’s be clear on the fact that this is not the same triple-berry pie chef Brian Parks has been making at Bellhop. For the time being, Parks and his co-owner are not sharing recipes for their house specialties — and who can blame them? But certainly we can find inspiration in this exquisite use for a plethora of berries.

Crust:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup well-chilled vegetable shortening

1/4 cup ice water (you won’t need all of it!)

Filling:

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups marionberries (or boysenberries, blackberries, or hulled and quartered strawberries)

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blueberries

Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until crumbly. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water and mix with a fork just until dough forms a ball (you may need to add a splash more water). Form the dough into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out into an 11-inch round. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edge. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights (or rice or dried beans). Bake for 6 minutes, then remove the foil (and the weights) and bake until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer (hand held or stand mixer), beat the cream cheese with the sugar and lemon zest on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and blend in the cream and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl. Continue beating until well blended and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, gently mix the berries. Spoon two-thirds of the cream cheese mixture into the crust, spreading it out to be smooth and even. Spoon two-thirds of the berries over the cream cheese mixture. Mound the remaining cream cheese mixture into the center and then top with remaining berries. Chill up to 4 hours.

Three Berry Oven Preserves

Makes about 5 cups.

This is the recipe I developed after a morning at the farmers’ market. It’s simple to make and produces a very soft-style preserve, which works equally well as a topping for ice cream or even creme brulee or custard. If you don’t feel like processing the jars in a boiling water canner, simply ladle the jam into appropriate sized containers and refrigerate or freeze.

2 heaping cups raspberries

2 heaping cups marionberries

2 cups blueberries

2 1/4 cups turbinado sugar

2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the freshly rinsed and drained raspberries, marionberries and blueberries. Add the turbinado sugar, granulated sugar and lemon juice. With very large spoons or rubber spatula, gently toss the berries with the sugar to evenly distribute the sugar. Before the juices begin to run, divide the berry/sugar mixture between two 9 by 13 inch glass baking dishes. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through when the mixture begins to bubble and foam around the edges. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, stir the fruit again and continue baking for 20 minutes.

Remove the baking dishes from the oven and let stand until they have cooled slightly and the fruit has stopped bubbling. Carefully scrape both dishes of jam into a bowl. Once in the bowl, it is easier to ladle the preserves into individual containers for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.

For long-term storage at room temperature: Have five half-pint canning jars washed and ready for filling when the jam is through baking. After the jam has been poured into a bowl, but while it is still hot, ladle into one clean and hot canning jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process for 15 minutes; 3,000 to 6,000 feet, for 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, for 25 minutes).

Fresh-Frozen Oregon berry puree

Equally delicious over ice cream and under cheese cake! Use fruit that is ripe and colorful for its variety. Do not use overripe, or moldy fruit. Two pounds raspberries or blackberries will yield approximately 3 scant cups of seedless puree.

Gently wash fruit in colander; drain well, then place in a large, heavy pot. Crush the berries with a potato masher. Heat to a boil, stirring often to prevent scorching, to soften the pulp, then remove from heat. Work the berry pulp through a sieve or food mill into a large bowl. Discard the seeds.

Sweeten to taste (if desired) with granulated sugar, and add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice per 3 cups of puree (this is both a flavor and color enhancer).

To freeze, choose from the following options:

– Pack into freezer containers, leaving 3/4-inch head space for pints and 1-1/2 inches for quarts.

– Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, release the cubes from their trays, pack into recloseable freezer bags and store in freezer. Remove the cubes as needed and return the rest to the freezer.

– When ready to use, simply thaw

Prizewinning orange scones with summer fruit and cream

I’m always looking for the perfect vehicle on which to serve fresh Oregon berries, peaches, and nectarines. This lovely scone recipe is really delicious. Keep the recipe handy for the entire summer, since it works just as beautifully for any of the berries as well as our succulently sweet peaches and nectarines.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 extra large egg, beaten (or one large egg, with 1 tablespoon of a second large egg)

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

6 to 8 cups fresh local berries, washed and sliced or gently mashed, unsweetened, or sweetened to taste

1 to 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped and lightly sweetened with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Add the 5 1/2 tablespoons of butter, cutting it into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives. In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg and 1/2 cup whipping cream and add to the flour mixture. Using a fork or knife, mix just until blended together (do not over-mix or the scones will be tough).

Turn the batter out onto a lightly floured board and gently knead a few times, just to make sure the dough is sticking together. Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 4 inches by 8 inches.

Brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the sugar and orange zest, then starting with the 8-inch end, roll up, jelly roll fashion, and seal the long seam by pinching it together lightly with your fingers.

Cut the roll into eight 1-inch thick pieces. Lay slices down with cut-side exposed on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until scones are golden.

Meanwhile, combine the strawberries with the 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. To serve, heap berries over each scone and top with freshly whipped and sweetened cream. Makes 8 scones.

Recipe from “Berries,” by Sharon Kramis.

Berries Romanoff

Serves 4

2 cups Marionberries, or other caneberry, such as blackberries, loganberries, or raspberries

Sugar to taste

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

1/3 cup orange-flavored liquor (such as Grand Marnier, Harlequin, or Cointreau)

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Whole berries for garnish

Gently smash the berries with a potato masher or back of spoon, leaving about one-third of the berries whole. Sprinkle with granulated sugar to taste. Place the ice cream in a large bowl; stir to soften and smooth out the ice cream. Reserve one cup of the berries and stir the rest into the softened ice cream, along with the liqueur. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Quickly divide the reserved cup of berries among four dessert glasses (clear glass is the most elegant because you will be able to see the layers). Spoon the cream mixture into the glasses, top each serving with one or more whole berries and serve.

Brown sugared and roasted white nectarines and raspberries

Makes 4 servings.

This is a wonderful way to jazz up a simple ice cream dessert!

3 or 4 ripe white nectarines

1 pint fresh raspberries (or other seasonal berries, such as marionberries or blueberries)

2 tablespoons cassis (a black currant liqueur), or other liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream

Halve the nectarines to remove the seeds, then slice. Toss the nectarines and raspberries with the liqueur, and the granulated sugar. Scrape the mixture into a small baking dish (or individual gratin dishes). Sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Preheat the broiler. Broil the fruit mixture for 2 to 5 minutes or just until the brown sugar melts. Serve immediately with ice cream, or let cool to room temperature.

Alternatives: When local apricots and peaches are in season, substitute them for the nectarines (or add them to the mixture); use fresh pineapple slices; use pitted sweet cherries, and instead of broiling, bake them in a 400 degree oven until softened and the brown sugar has melted, stirring once to coat the cherries (they get slightly plump and juicy in the oven).

Cherry-berry clafoutis

Clafoutis is a simple dessert; a rustic puddinglike offering that originated in Limousin, in the center of France

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup half & half

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons dry sherry, or brandy, or orange juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pint of pitted sweet cherries (such as Bing, Van, Lambert, or Rainier)

1 pint of fresh berries (such as raspberries, Marionberries, or blueberries)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round or square cake pan. Melt the butter over medium heat and gently cook until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, flour, sherry (or brandy, or orange juice), salt, and cooled butter. Layer the cherries and berries in the pan. Sprinkle and lightly toss them with the brown sugar. Pour the prepared batter over the fruit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Recipe from “Wildwood, Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest,” by Cory Schreiber.

Blueberry butter cake with fresh strawberries and cream

Yummm! This is a very upscale strawberry shortcake. The great part is that you can make the batter up to three days prior to baking it. Makes one 11-by17-inch cake.

2 cups unsalted butter

5-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1/2 cup coarse yellow cornmeal

2 cups egg whites (about 16

grated zest of 1 orange

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

2 cups of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped

2 cups fresh caneberries (your choice: raspberries, blackberries, or one of the popular hybrids)

Sugar to taste

Freshly whipped cream, sweetened to taste as you whip it

Additional fresh or frozen blueberries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to let the butter cook until some of the milk solids fall to the bottom of the skillet and turn a rich hazelnut brown.

Strain the browned butter through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and discard the solids.

Sift together the confectioners’ sugar, cake flour, and cornmeal. Place the sifted ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On the lowest speed, add the egg whites and zest; mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium-low and stir in the browned butter. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the blueberries. (Note: The batter can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.)

Butter and flour a rectangular baking pan (approximately 11-by-17 inches). Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown around the edges, and the cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

At least an hour before serving, combine the strawberries and caneberries in a bowl and sweeten to taste with granulated sugar.

To serve, cut the cake into appropriate-sized squares. Place a serving of cake onto each dessert plate. Top the cake with some of the sugared berries, then a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream, and a small sprinkling of blueberries.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.comwww.janrd.com.

Berry hybrids explained

Here’s a brief description of how some of the more famous hybrids came to be:

Marionberry: Introduced in 1956, after years and years of cross-breeding. The creation of the Marionberry began with the pairing of a blackberry with a raspberry, which produced a Loganberry. Many different crossings sprang from the Loganberry, and ultimately, two of those breeds – the Chehalem and the Olallie – were crossed to produce the Marionberry.

Grown almost exclusively in western Oregon, it has become the most widely planted blackberry variety in the world since it is considered the perfect berry for pies, cobblers and hand-to-mouth consumption. The seeds are small and not too numerous, making the Marionberry an excellent choice for home-made jam.

Loganberry: Thought to be a hybrid between the Red Antwerp red raspberry and a trailing blackberry; developed by plant breeder Judge Logan of Santa Cruz, California, in the 1880’s.

Boysenberry: Developed by Rudolph Boysen in the 1920’s. It was the result of blackberry, raspberry, and Logan crosses.

Tayberry: First released in 1977, in Scotland, near the Tay River, after a successful cross between a raspberry and Aurora blackberry. Similar in flavor to the Loganberry, with a bit more zest and earthiness.