Taste FOOD / WINE / DINING OUT
True Blue
THE EASYGOING BLUEBERRY FINDS ITS PURPOSE IN BOTH SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES.
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By Jaime Lewis
hough blueberries are native to North America and have grown wild here for centuries, it wasn’t until just over 100 years ago that they became domesticated (and delicious). In 1911 the daughter of a New Jersey cranberry farmer teamed up with a USDA botanist to breed the best qualities of wild blueberries and began marketing them as a commercial crop five years later. The result was a dark, sweet, and earthy little berry, delectable on its own or suspended in any number of baked goods, from muffins and pies to pancakes. Today, it’s hard to believe that domesticated blueberries are barely a century old, especially in July, when they hang heavy on bushes across the Central Coast. Five miles south of Buellton on Highway 101, Santa Barbara Blueberries (santabarbarablueberries. com) sees thousands and thousands of people every summer wander its rows of blueberries to pick their own. “It was just a hobby for my dad,” says Shay Seaman, whose father, Rolland Jacks, first conceived the idea to plant blueberries on the family’s ranch. After purchasing the 955-acre property in 2002, Jacks had the soils tested and found that they were perfect for the sweet little fruit. Then he planted a whopping 30,000 plants (eclipsing “just a hobby”), and Santa Barbara Blueberries was born. Like so much produce, blueberries are at their most fragrant and sweet straight from the plant. And while store-bought will work in a pinch, nothing compares to the flavor of ripe, farm-fresh fruit. So get picking, and add a blue note to salads, cocktails, and sandwich wraps to discover a whole new way with this iconic summer fruit.
BLUEBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD When it comes to blueberries, “I like the smaller berries, which have a more intense floral note,” says Pascale Beale (pascaleskitchen.com), a cookbook author, cooking instructor, and purveyor of kitchen goods out of Santa Barbara. “They are versatile and can be used as accents in everything from salads to garnishes for grilled poultry, or more commonly showcased in desserts.” As the author of Salade and Salade II: More Recipes From The Market Table, Beale has a knack for composing harmonious salads. In this recipe, she uses blueberries as a base for the vinaigrette and in the salad itself, tucked amid the greens. Topped with
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SUMMER 2020 / 805LIVING.COM
warm goat cheese rounds covered in a sweet pecan crumb, this lunchtime or first course dish is decadent enough to serve as a fruit and cheese dessert. Serves 8 VINAIGRETTE 4 tablespoons fruity vinegar, such as white or aged balsamic ¼ cup fresh blueberries 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup olive oil PECAN CRUMB 1 cup pecans ¼ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt 1 8-ounce log excellent quality goat cheese SALAD 16 ounces mixed salad greens, cleaned and dried 1 pint fresh blueberries To make vinaigrette: Place the vinegar, blueberries, mustard, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. With motor running, slowly pour in olive oil. Refrigerate vinaigrette until ready to dress salad. (Can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours prior to serving.) To make pecan crumb: Grease a sheet pan and set aside. Place pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large sauté pan >
