HUNTLEY MEADOWS CONTINUED - THE ALLEGHENY BLACKBERRY

 On our visit to Huntley Meadows I was happy to see these pretty flowers.

They were all along our walk through the wood. It is the Allegheny blackberry. Its other names are Common blackberry, Sow-teat blackberry, American blackberry and Mountain blackberry. Botanical name Rubus allegheniensis.

It is a deciduous shrub native to Eastern Canada and the USA, and is commonly found on clearings and woodland margins. The blooms are seen in late spring or early summer. Its fruit is edible and has a sweet, mildly spicy taste. Those fruits are most commonly eaten raw, but they can also be cooked or dried. 

In the garden, Allegheny blackberry is an ornamental shrub commonly cultivated for its edible berries. This shrub makes an excellent natural privacy screen when used as a border or hedge. It is commonly planted in butterfly gardens, pollinator gardens, meadows and more. The nectar and fruit of the plant attracts birds and a variety of pollinators, while providing valuable nutrients to local wildlife.

While this species of allegheny blackberry is commonly found in North America, it belongs to the larger genus of Rubus blackberries. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is considered unwise to eat blackberries after Old Michaelmas Day in the middle of fall. The legend goes that one should not eat blackberries because the devil has befouled them. It's thought that this myth originated because cool autumn weather can facilitate mold growth on blackberries.

The bark of this plant is dark red in color, and the leaves are green in summer and turn orange, purple or red during autumn. Its fruit is similar in appearance as a raspberry, but it turns black when it matures. Its specific epithet, allegheniensis, refers to the Allegheny Mountains, and that's why it is called Allegheny blackberry.

Indigenous peoples would eat the ripe berries fresh, ground with wild game meat to make pemmican cakes (recipe here), or dried and stored for later consumption. It was also used as a medicine for various ailments, whooping cough, colitis, toothache, anemia and sore throats to name just a few. An infusion of the roots was used as a wash for sore eyes. The blackberry canes were used for making baskets woven with the stems once the thorns were removed. You can read much more if you click on this link. It is all very interesting to find out about these plants.

I expect many of us have memories of picking wild blackberries along the hedgerows in our childhood.  For us it was part of our Sunday outings, and that evening my mother would make a blackberry pie. Blackberries even today are still an all-time favorite fruit of mine.

DID YOU EVER GO BLACKBERRY PICKING?

 This was taken by Gregg when we were at the pond at the beginning of last month.

I was taking lots of photographs of the blackberries.  The bushes were laden with them, and they looked pick-worthy.  Many years ago I collected them from the hedgerows, but I couldn't do that now.  I could but didn't want to as I just wasn't sure if these were edible blackberries.  They looked like them but it has been 60 plus years since I picked and ate them before they got to the bowl, unwashed and all....ewww. I get mine from the store now, not as fresh as these no doubt and they always get a good rinsing before I put them in the refrigerator.  I still love blackberries.

When we came back the following week, they were all gone, picked clean.  I think the birds had a feast. 

I certainly don't think it was this little fellow.

Or this one.  He is generally too busy dealing with wood.

Perhaps deer?  I didn't see any that day but they like to come out when there are no people around and the pond is always busy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

BLACKBERRY ROLL BY MARTHA ELLEN

Martha Ellen's recipe which you can find by clicking here brought back a memory of my mother's rolls very similar to this one.  After wrapping the roll with a muslin cloth, she would steam them over hot water, and make the pastry using suet instead of butter.  She used blackberries and strawberries, sometimes on their own and sometimes together.  Dad grew rhubarb in his garden but these were used in Mum's baked pies.  Or he would cut us a stick, washing it thoroughly first, put sugar on a small plate and we would dip the stick of rhubarb into the sugar for a sweet and sour taste, biting off a piece until it was all gone.  This was something Nanny, his mother, used to give him as a child.  He also had a huge gooseberry bush and those would go into a pie also, but I liked to eat those on their own, one by one.  They were very sour but I liked them. Whenever we could smell blackberries cooking, we knew we were in for a treat, just as I did when I made Martha Ellen's recipe.

My photos aren't quite as pretty looking but it sure tasted delicious!  Thanks Martha Ellen!  You can read and see her photos at the link above, and I recommend you take a look at her recipe in case I have missed anything out.  I'm sure you will enjoy all her posts And great photos.   

Blackberry Roll by Martha Ellen

1/4 cup of sugar or more to taste

2-3 cups of blackberries

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 cup of cold butter  

2/3 cup of whole milk, or more if needed to make soft dough

2 or 3 tablespoons of melted butter

1 tablespoon of sugar

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  

Mix together your blackberries and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl mix together, flour, salt and baking powder.  

Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is mixed in and the flour looks crumbly. 

Add as much milk as you need to form a soft dough.  Don't over mix as dough will become tough.

(Martha Ellen uses a muslin cloth and sleeve that goes over her rolling pin to roll out dough for biscuits or pie crust.  These can found in any good baking department, and she has had hers for over 30 years.  Martha Ellen keeps them in the fridge to make sure they are cold, and adds that they can be washed in your washer when needed.)

Roll your dough in a rough 12 by 15 or so rectangle.  Brush the melted butter on the rolled dough.  Then place your berry mixture on the rectangle.

Roll in jelly roll fashion, from the long side and seal the edges of the dough.  With seam side down, place your roll onto a baking dish.

Work quickly as the juice will want to escape. Make slits on the top of the roll and sprinkle It all over with sugar.

Martha Ellen baked hers for 25 minutes until it was lightly browned on top.  It can be topped with whipped cream or ice cream, but she said her Mama never did, and indeed it tastes great just as it is.

I made a simple sauce using a can of coconut milk, sugar to taste and a little cornstarch, heating all of this in a saucepan stirring constantly until it thickened slightly.  The next day we ate a slice on its own and wouldn't bother with the sauce again.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - MIXED BERRY CROSTATA

This Monday's recipe comes from Saving Room for Dessert, hosted by Tricia.  You can find it here. Thank you Tricia for not only a delicious but very pretty dessert.  Always encourage you to read the original recipe just in case I have missed anything out.  Also there are great recipes to enjoy.

Mixed Berry Crostata

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

4 cups mixed berries, (blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon (I also used the zest)

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Egg wash

Coarse sugar for topping

Instructions

To prepare the pastry dough:

Combine the flour, salt and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor.

Add the butter and pulse until it forms a coarse meal.

Add the egg yolk and ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together.

Gather the dough together and divide into two equal size pieces.

Form each piece into a disc and place on a piece of plastic wrap.  

Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. If chilled overnight allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling out.

To assemble the crostata:

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.

Place the berries in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar and pour over the berries.

Add the lemon juice and toss to combine (if you are using lemon zest add this also).

Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured, clean work surface, roll each half into a 10-inch round. 

You can freeze the extra round.  As there was just  the two of us we didn't make the extra crostata.  We adjusted the filling ingredients accordingly.

(I found a page here to refresh on freezing dough and it said:

"Pie dough is a great keeper in the freezer.  As long as it is tightly wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer-weight plastic wrap and sealed in a freezer bag, it should keep up to 6 months.  Pie dough freezes so well, in fact, you'd be wise to make some extra to keep around for whenever inspiration strikes. For extra convenience you can freeze pie crusts in the pan.  This allows you to roll-out the dough ahead of time, and best of all, the crusts need no thawing prior to baking.  A little extra cooking time is the only adjustment necessary.")

Back to our recipe. Transfer the disc to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough if you are using and forget about freezing the extra disc of pastry.

Mound half the berry mixture in the center of a dough round leaving a 2-inch border.

Fold the edges of the dough up, overlapping as needed, covering part of the fruit.

Scatter half the diced butter on top of the fruit.

Brush the dough edges with a lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake the crostatas until crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 45–50 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

Do not make the dough rounds any larger than 10 to 11 inches. The dough will be too thin and not hold together well.

My crostata did not come out as pretty as those in Tricia's photos, but it tasted delicious.  It is the first time I have made anything like this that wasn't in a pie dish and I need practice.  I found a  YouTube video here.  It is very close to Tricia's recipe and it is good to have those pointers.  

I not only juiced the lemon but I also used its zest.  

I bought ready-made puff pastry, the kind that is frozen and comes in two sheets to the box.  

I only needed one sheet and when thawed I placed it on a flour-dusted board.  As they are oblong shapes I used a dinner plate roughly the size needed, and used it as a template to cut out the round shape.  I rolled this out a bit but had to be careful as I didn't want to get it too thin as it will break.  I've used these puff pastry sheets before and have always been pleased with them.  

I used fresh blackberries and strawberries for the filling.  

There are a few slices left for the next couple of days.  

I think that's about all I can think of on the changes I made.

Did anyone ever go blackberry picking?  I would love to hear your story.  On Sunday drives in the countryside when I was very young, my family and I would often find a pretty place to stop and have a picnic.  This was in the 1950's/60's.  Mum sometimes packed sandwiches, but mostly always included cold sausages, hardboiled eggs, and carried a knife for thick slices of fresh bread with butter and cheese, probably a few other things I can't remember, and pop.  On the way home Dad would find a farmers gate to tuck the car into, read his newspaper while Mum, my sister and I walked along the lane and searched the hedgerows looking for wild blackberries.  These quiet country lanes which barely fit one car width, rarely had any traffic and we were quite safe but you know, always aware with eyes and ears.  Sometimes we would collect enough to make a pie and sometimes just enough to fill a small bowl topped with cream for that night's dessert.  Another nice memory from childhood.

Writing this on the 4th of July, I am listening to the sound of fireworks and firecrackers as we enter the twilight hour.  We opened our patio door, stepped outside for a while and watched at least two families, and listened to the giggles of small children. The heat had gone out of the day and it felt very pleasant.  I would gladly sit outside if it were not for the humidity and worst of all the mosquitoes. We are not very fond of each other.  (How on earth did they get on Noah's ark?)  Well, I should say they are fond of me but I definitely don't return the feeling.  The first time they arrive they always take me by surprise and I start swatting.  It isn't long before I have a dozen or so bites. The next day I am itching like crazy, tormented by the fact that I can't scratch while reaching for the magic ointment to calm the fire.  Occasionally one gets inside the house and I wake up with my feet or elbows on fire.  They leave hubs completely alone.  Noah, for crying out loud?

Enough of the jest, we spent our day quietly just the two of us, the first time in many years on Independence Day.  The introvert in us is okay with that and we both enjoyed it, though we obviously thought of our family and friends.  God willing, as my dear old Dad used to say, there is always next year.  He was also introverted but always optimistic.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - BLACKBERRY COBBLER

Looking for a dessert recently, I came across this one at a food blog called Real Housemoms, hosted by Aubrey.  I chose it because they are baked in individual ramekins.  I also wanted to try freezing a couple for another day.

I bought the blackberries first to eat as a snack, but there is another person in this household to take care of, and I thought he would prefer a dessert. Searching through several recipes online, this seemed to be just what we needed.

Blackberry Cobbler

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooling time: 45 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 369

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 cups blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar.

Pour in the milk, butter and vanilla, and stir to combine.

In a smaller bowl toss blackberries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Evenly divide berries into 6 ramekins.

Cover berries with an equal amount of the milk and flour batter.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and blackberries are bubbling.

Take out and let cool for about ten minutes, or however long it it needs so that you don't burn your mouth on those hot blackberries.  I prefer mine warm but my sweet other half said it tastes great straight out of the refrigerator.

We topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream or English Custard (Crème Anglais as you might see it on restaurant menus), or even Clotted Cream would be good choices.  

I found a recipe for Crème Anglais if you would like to give it a try.

I didn't change much to this recipe.  I didn't have an entire set of six small ramekins.  I used four of the next size up, and had to cook the larger individual cobblers for a few minutes longer.  

Also the larger ramekin contained more than enough for two servings.

If you don't have any ramekins, I'm sure a small baking dish would do just as well.  

Next time I would like to use more blackberries. 

I put the remaining cobblers in the freezer.  

It was delicious and has become another keeper.

Enjoy!