Ripe blueberries are delicious on their own, requiring nothing else to make them palatable — clean them and eat. Sometimes I pour them into a bowl like cereal, add milk, and spoon them up with greedy pleasure. But I also never forget the pleasure of blueberries baked into muffins or tossed into salads, and the opportunities suddenly become endless.

Below are five spectacular recipes, tried and true, that are sure to please.





Blueberry Salad with Blue Cheese and Blueberry Vinaigrette

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

  • 1 bag mixed greens
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 3 oz. Gorgonzola cheese
  • 2 cups blueberries

(vinaigrette)

  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl or on a platter. To make dressing, pulse blueberries in a food processor for about 10 seconds, then whisk them together with the oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Our blueberries were very sweet, but you can add sugar if necessary.

Recipe courtesy of Two Fat Als.






Red, White and Blueberry Fruit Salad

(Serves 6-8)

This simple fruit salad can be served alone or aboard ricotta cheese... perfect, of course, for Independence Day.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups hulled, roughly chopped strawberries
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 2 bananas, peeled and thickly sliced
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Method

  • Wash and clean the berries and add them to a large bowl. Add the bananas, and squeeze lemon juice over them to keep them from getting brown. Drizzle honey and gently toss to combine.
  • Serve immediately. Or cover and chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

Recipe courtesy of my mother.





Blueberry Banana Bread

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Method

  • Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 medium size loaf pans.
  • Mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
  • In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add 1 egg in at a time, then add vanilla.
  • Add in bananas and then flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
  • Carefully fold blueberries into batter, pour into loaf pans.
  • Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in comes out clean.
  • Cool on wire pans for 10 minutes, then cool thoroughly on wire racks.

Recipe courtesy of Passionate Penny Pincher.





The Awesome-est Blueberry Muffins

  • 3 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Heavy pinch of salt
  • Dash of Nutmeg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 generous cup plain, unflavored yogurt
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Softened Butter, for muffin tins
  • Brown sugar (optional)

Method

  • Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
  • In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In another large bowl whisk together sugar, oil, cap-ful of vanilla, egg, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients and stir to a count of 10.
  • Add blueberries, reserving 1/2 cup, to mixture and stir 3 times.
  • Add mixture to well-buttered muffin pans. Sprinkle remaining berries on top and press down lightly. (Optional: sprinkle brown sugar on top.)
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes and allow to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.






Mom's Blueberry Pie

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

Crust:

  • Top and bottom pie crust (your recipe or mine)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (a stick and a half) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup of all-vegetable shortening (8 Tbsp)
  • 6-8 tablespoons ice water

Method

  • Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the butter and shortening and blend. Keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to clump together. Dump out the dough on a clean surface.
  • Divide the dough and knead into two balls. Do not over-knead, just enough to form balls. Dust the disks lightly with flour, wrap each in foil or plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days before rolling out.

NOTE: To retain my love of baking pie, I never make the crust and the filling on the same day. It sounds silly, but by making the messy crust in advance and then storing it in the refrigerator until I'm ready, it feels easy-as-pie to pull it out on a new day, fill it, and bake. Voila, pie.

Filling:

  • 2 to 3 pints of fresh or 6 cups of frozen blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
  • Dash of salt
  • A few pats of butter (sweet, unsalted)

Method

  • Heat oven to 425°F.
  • Fit bottom half of the pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan.
  • Pour the blueberries on top of the crust. Add lemon juice, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and dash of salt. Dot with pats of butter. Roll out remaining dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Place on top of the berry filling and crimp the edges with your fingers.
  • Puncture the pie crust a few times with a fork (so steam can escape while cooking). Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a cookie sheet positioned on the lower rack to catch any filling that may bubble over. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°.
  • Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Recipe adapted from my mother's recipe.