Kitchen Korner

 

Have a Berry Healthy Summer

by Karin LaRonde

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Summer, the season when you can have fun and be creative in the kitchen with the large variety of fresh produce. Berry are a wonderful treat and the summer is also berry season. There is a good feeling about gathering and foraging so we can enjoy these summer treats while the wind and snow blow about outside. Here are some ideas for fresh or frozen berries.

BRUSCHETTA WITH BERRIES

1 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 baguette, sliced
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
6 strawberries, sliced
4 Tbsp brown sugar
sprig fresh mint

Mix the ricotta and orange juice together. Spread the cheese on the bread, topping with fruit and sprinkled with sugar. Toast under a broiler for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar starts to caramelize and the fruits juices start to run. Serve garnished with mint leaves.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (about 11 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375°F. In an 8-inch square or other 2-quart baking dish melt butter. Then into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and stir in sugar until combined they are well. Add milk and whisk batter until it is just combined. Pour batter into melted butter; do not stir. Pour berries over the batter; do not stir. Bake cobbler in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until cake portion is golden and berries exude juices. Serve cobbler warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 4 to 6.

VERY BERRY STRUESEL BARS

Crust
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling
1 12-ounce package frozen blueberries, thawed
1 cup fresh cranberries
2/3 cup raspberry jam
5 tsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp minced lemon peel

For crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter; rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press half of crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until light brown, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly.

For filling: Mix blueberries, jam, flour and lemon peel in bowl. Spread filling over crust. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over. Bake until topping is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into squares and serve. Makes about 24.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN, MANGO, AND RASPBERRIES

For dressing:
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon balsmatic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast (3/4 pound), halved
1 bunch spinach (about 3/4 pound), coarse stems discarded and leaves washed well and spun dry
1 firm-ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
2/3 cup raspberries, picked over
4 scallions, chopped fine
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse

Make dressing: In a bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients except oil. Add oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk until emulsified. In a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag coat chicken with 3 tablespoons dressing. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled, 2 hours. Heat an oiled, well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and grill chicken, drained, until cooked through, about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and cool. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch-thick slices and in a large bowl combine with remaining ingredients. Drizzle remaining dressing over salad and toss gently to combine well. Serves 4

STRAWBERRY & PEPPERCORN CHICKEN

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
flour
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chopped shallots
¼ cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp Balsamic or white wine vinegar
2 tsp pink peppercorns
1 cup strawberries, halved Dredge chicken with flour.

In large skillet over med-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp butter and oil. Cook chicken, turning once for about 7-9 minutes or until golden brown and no longer pink inside. Remove to serving platter and keep warm. Pour off excess fat from skillet and melt remaining butter. Cook shallots, stirring for 1 or 2 minutes until tender. Add stock, vinegar, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up browned bits from the pan. Boil about 2 minutes until thick. Add strawberries, stir just to coat. Pour over chicken and serve.

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