297284 Mon May 31 02:23:32 -0700 2004 16 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1639957 If you read my post below, in addition to all the great veggies I got at the farm, I was able to pick several cups of fresh, sweet blackberries. So sweet, in fact, that by the time I got home, some of the berries were already melting and turning into juice. So now what do I do with them? I don't know how to can or make preserves (unless someone has a really easy inexpensive recipe), so I am looking for ideas other than putting them on top of ice cream or in a smoothie. Also, what's the consensus on seeding them? It seems time consuming and messy, but should I press them through a sieve before using in any recipes? Or should I try a cobbler or pie (except that I can't eat wheat/gluten and have yet to find an alternative pastry recipe that uses other types of flour or meal). Any suggestions welcome! Mon May 31 02:23:32 -0700 2004 0 ChefLisa 1 1639965 You can make kind of a "cobbler" (sans flour) with them. Moethod below is for one serving, but multiply by persons. Just be sure to bake in individual serving-size dish. Cook berries down slightly on stove top with some tapicoa powder (just like using cornstarch, except a little stickier and does not thin after cooking twice). (I assume you don't need to add any extra sugar or any lemon juice, but you be the judge to your taste and sweetness of berries) Put mixture in a single-serving (6-8 oz.) ramekin-style (flat sided) dish that's been sprayed with cooking oil. Fill about 1/3 with berry mixture. Then mix 4 oz. of ricotta cheese (whole milk) with one egg, 2 tbsp. sugar (fake or super fine sugar is actually better because it mixes smoother), 1/8 tsp vanilla (or more if you like it), dash of salt. Pour mixture over the berries. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes - more if more ramekins. The ricotta mixture will set and slightly pull from the edge of the dish. It's done. Have it for breakfast or dessert warm is better, but room temp is okay, too. Not too sweet, so don't expect a pie. It should taste vanilla creamy and full of berries. Mon May 31 10:08:11 -0700 2004 1639957 0 kc girl 1 1639967 I'm not sure how much you have, but if you're desperate, preserve them by freezing. Simple and easy. Just use what they call a "sugar pack" (mixing berries with sugar. http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~foodsaf/pdfs/he39500.pdf http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HE/HE39500.pdf http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~foodsaf/freeze2.html As far as seeding them goes, like with raspberries, you usually wouldn't bother unless you want a clear jelly/syrup/whatever. Mon May 31 10:40:39 -0700 2004 1639957 0 Colleen 2 1639968 I hit the "send" button too soon. Below is a URL for a page featuring gluten-free recipes. You can easily make a type of crisp or crumble from the blackberries. There's also a recipe on this page for gluten-free pastry. A one-crust tart could be made from the blackberries, either filled with a pastry cream, then blackberries, and topped with a glaze, or just filled with thickened, sweetened, blackberries. http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/rec/desindx.html Mon May 31 10:44:15 -0700 2004 1639967 0 Colleen 3 1639984 Thanks, Colleen, I had no idea such a resource existed. As I am also not supposed to have dairy and sugar, some of these recipes are excellent for me as I was beginning to feel very deprived of eating some of my favorite foods, especially now that summer and fresh fruit are here. Gracias! Mon May 31 12:59:52 -0700 2004 1639968 0 ChefLisa 4 1639986 No problem. I have a sister-in-law with similar problems, and we've been working around her dietary needs for some time. Mon May 31 13:32:01 -0700 2004 1639984 0 Colleen 4 1639994 Here is a company that specializes in gluten and dairy free products - hope it will be a help to you and others with the same food intolerances. Link: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/index.asp Mon May 31 14:37:19 -0700 2004 1639984 0 LBQT 1 1639969 On top of a cheese cake. Mon May 31 11:08:44 -0700 2004 1639957 0 wolf 1 1639973 Blackberry liqueur has a heavenly flavor and color and makes a great gift. Link: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=91061 Mon May 31 11:52:12 -0700 2004 1639957 0 snackish 2 1640007 Sounds positively yummy -- I'll try it. And these blackberries were soooo cheap, I could drive out there and pick them every week! It's in Moorpark, CA, off the 23 Hwy. Mon May 31 17:09:01 -0700 2004 1639973 0 ChefLisa 3 1640022 We are in the same neighborhood, apparently - I am in Thousand Oaks. What is the place called? And how much were they? Mon May 31 20:56:31 -0700 2004 1640007 0 snackish 4 1640031 It's called Underwood Family Farms, located in Moorpark and another one in Somis. Address is 3370 Sunset Valley Road in Moorpark, phone 805-529-3690. Take 101 toward Ventura to the 23 North, exit Tierra Rejada Road and turn left on Tierra Rejada then left at Sunset Valley Road. Farm is on the left side of Sunset Valley approx. 1 mile up. I can't remember exact prices but it was around $1 something per pound for greens, a little more for berries but not much. I bought/picked a bag of swiss chard, 2 heads of butter lettuce, 1 head of red leaf lettuce, a huge bag of tatsoi, a dozen white radishes, a dozen beets, a HUGE zucchini, some yellow squash, a dozen squash blossoms and two full containers of blackberries and the entire bill was $12! By comparison, I had stopped at the Encino Farmers Market earlier and bought some strawberries/raspberries ($5), some fingerling potatoes ($2), 5 peaches ($3), 4 nectarines ($3), rainier cherries ($4) and dropped $17. So I am definitely planning to return to the Underwood Farm. They also do kids parties, tours, etc. and have a little petting zoo, etc. Quite a find and it's blissfully a little cooler in Moorpark than the heart of the valley. Go and enjoy! Mon May 31 23:54:07 -0700 2004 1640022 0 ChefLisa 1 1639996 I don't know if you can get any gluten free soft breads, but you could make a variation of an English summer pudding, which is essentially sweetened berries and bread layered together in a dish, then scooped out and served with whipped cream or ice cream (though it would be excellent with a lemon sorbet.) Mon May 31 15:09:32 -0700 2004 1639957 0 Caitlin Wheeler 2 1640001 Fabulous idea--I'd forgotten about Summer Pudding, changing out regular bread for gluten-free. Also has the advantage of not being very sweet and letting the flavour of the fruit shine. Mon May 31 15:56:31 -0700 2004 1639996 0 Colleen 1 1640020 Make blackberry cobbler. Fill up a baking dish with berries. Put about a cup of sugar on top and stir around. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup butter or margarine by rubbing it together with your hand until it's all mixed up. Stir in 1/3 cup milk. Spread this on top of the blackberries. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake at 350* for about an hour. Eat warm with vanilla ice cream. PS If you don't want it running over in your oven and making a mess, set the dish on a large piece of aluminum foil on the oven shelf. Mon May 31 20:37:16 -0700 2004 1639957 0 N Tocus 1 1640052 My daughter and I go blackberry picking every year and make blackberry sorbet. It uses a lot of berries and is easy to do. Tue Jun 01 17:52:43 -0700 2004 1639957 0 Marilayne 2 1640056 I will have a gazillion blackberries in the beginning of August when they are ripe here in CT. I make a lot of jelly usually, but would love a good recipe for sorbet, if you could share it. Thanks! Tue Jun 01 20:35:47 -0700 2004 1640052 0 TrishUntrapped