Berries, Berries &

More Berries!

This time of summer is my favorite: the garden is productive and all the berries are ripe at once. "Bumbleberry" is a word to describe any combination of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries in a pie, ice cream or crumble. Freeze as many as you'll eat and come February you'll be glad you did! Here's a few ideas using fresh, or frozen, berries — enjoy! Blueberry-Peach Cobbler 1/2 cup sugar 2 T. flour 1/2 t. grated lemon rind 3 cups peaches, peeled & chopped 2 1/2 cups blueberries 1 T. fresh lemon juice 1 1/3 cups flour 1/3 cup sugar `/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 3 T. cold butter, cut up 2/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/2-&-1/2) 2 T. brown sugar (for topping)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sugar, flour, lemon rind and salt in a bowl. Toss the blueberries, peaches and lemon juice with this mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the topping: combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl —stir with a wire whisk. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender — until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir until just moistened. Remove the fruit from the oven and drop the dough by spoonfuls to form eight rounds. Sprinkle with brown sugar and then return to the 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes —until bubbly and golden. Serves eight. (*Nectarines can be used instead of peaches and you don't have to peel them.)

Blueberry-Almond Buttermilk Pancakes 1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup toasted almonds, sliced 1 1/4 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/4 t. nutmeg Dash salt 1 1/3 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/3 water 2 T. oil 1 egg

Combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl —stir with a wire whisk. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, sugar, water, oil and egg, and then add this to the flour mixture —stir until smooth. Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce: 1 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 t. butter 1 t. fresh lemon juice 1/2 t. vanilla 1/8 t. nutmeg

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, heat over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes or until the sugar dissolves —stir constantly. Add the blueberries, butter, lemon juice, vanilla and nutmeg. Return to a boil —reduce the heat slightly and cook until the berries begin to pop, and then remove from the heat. Make the pancakes on a griddle. Serve hot with warm blueberry sauce. Serves six.

Upside-Down Two-Berry Cake 1 cup nectarine slices 1 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries 1 t. fresh lemon juice 1 T. butter, melted 1 cup & 1 T. sugar, divided 1 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 5 T. butter, softened 2 eggs 1 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a nineinch pan or skillet. In a bowl, toss the berries, nectarines and lemon juice to coat. Melt one tablespoon of the butter and add to the greased pan. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar. Pour in the fruit in an even layer — set aside while you prepare the cake. Combine one cup of the sugar and five tablespoons of the softened butter in a bowl —beat until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time —add the vanilla last. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt —stir with a wire whisk. Add this to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Spoon carefully on top of the fruit mixture. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool in the pan or on a rack for five minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 10.