Summer's Bounty: Blackberries

Hooray, summer is unofficially here!  

The much awaited days of warm weather, white pants and fireflies are upon us at last. With the weather warming up, hearty stews and heavy meals are put on hold in favor of fresher, lighter cuisines like salads, fish and fruit. 

One of my favorite summer season fruits is blackberries. I have fond memories of hot lazy days playing in the backyard of my childhood home in Upper Dublin, picking wild blackberries in the open field just over the back property line.

Those brambles were removed when a developer created Friends Lane, but sweet juicy blackberries, warmed from a day in the sun, have been forever emblazoned on my palate. 

Blackberries are available in the grocery store almost year round, flown in from Mexico, and we pay a premium for them. Even last week, I paid $5.89 for 12 ounces at the grocery store. As they come into season locally, I hope to find them at farmers markets or pick-your-own farms at better prices. 

In recent years, I have even been trying to grow my own in hopes of saving a little money, and to give my children similar summer memories.

Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb. I frequently joke that my last name should be Brownleaf instead of Greenleaf because I kill any pitiable plant doomed to my care. Blackberries, however, are native, prolific and require zero maintenance. In other words, they are perfect for my skill level. 

I bought a thornless blackberry bush at Lowes three years ago, and the first summer green shoots and leaves exploded, doubling the plant in size. But, it didn’t produce any fruit. 

Before you jump to conclusions, this is standard behavior for a first-year blackberry bush, and not a reflection of my mistreatment. The flowers usually show up in the second year of the plant’s life, when it is established enough to bear fruit. Here’s a quick botany lesson: Flowers bloom, bees pollinate, fruit develops.    

Last year, we got flowers, but true to form, I didn’t get any blackberries. They appeared, but disappeared just as quickly. The birds picked them off before I got to them. Typical.

If you don’t have a blackberry bush, or it feeds all neighborhood birds like mine does, but still want to enjoy the blackberries on the cheap, here is the shopping list for a simple summer menu. 

Check your pantry first, though, because you likely already have most of these items on hand. The only specialty item is the crème fraiche. 

Crème fraiche is a thick dairy product that tastes halfway between sour cream and butter. It is popular in France, but can be found in a cream cheese-like tub in the dairy section of Trader Joe’s for $3.99.    

• 1 pint blackberries
• Salad greens
• Your favorite salad add-ons (tomatoes, carrots, avocado, croutons, grilled chicken, nuts, etc.)
• Shallots
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive or salad oil
• Crème fraiche

 Ok, now you have all the ingredients to make the following menu:

Summer Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette followed by Fresh Berries with Crème Fraiche and Reduced Balsamic Vinegar

Let’s start with the salad. 

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• Water to cover 
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup olive or salad oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Place the blackberries in a small sauce pan, and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil, and boil rapidly for about 12 minutes. The berries will turn red, and the liquid will reduce to about 2/3 of a cup.
3. Mash the berries in the pot.
4. Combine the shallots, balsamic vinegar and blackberry reduction in a bowl.
5. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve over crisp cold greens with your favorite salad additions.

This garnet dressing gives nice color and a tarty sweetness to any salad. If you don’t want the seeds, feel free to strain the reduced blackberries before combining them with the vinegar and shallots. 

On to dessert—the combination of sweet berries, slightly sour crème fraiche and tangy vinegar makes a simple, elegant and indulgent treat that couldn’t be easier to make. It can also be done ahead and kept in the fridge. 

1. Pour ½ cup balsamic vinegar into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for five to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Let it cool.
2. Place some blackberries in individual serving dishes.
3. Top with a dollop of crème fraiche.
4. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar. 

If you want to spend a little more for a sweet treat without the guilt (or work), try Caio Bella’s Blackberry Cabernet sorbet, available in the organic section of the Willow Grove Giant. It is fat free, made with all natural ingredients, blackberries being the first listed, and for $4.49 a pint, this frozen delicacy tastes like the best glass of red wine you have ever had—and probably the sweetest!  

Dress the soft ruby red sorbet up with a few fresh blackberries, and you’ll have a dessert for under 150 calories.

As I write, my blackberry bush has lovely flowers with delicate white petals, and I can see that some of the flowers have already been pollinated. With some carefully placed netting to deter the birds, and a few more weeks of patience, I may just be able to reap what I sowed ... three summers ago.

I’ll wait and hope that this year’s harvest is more fruitful than last, but in the meantime, I’ll have some more sorbet. It doesn’t rely on my gardening prowess.