One of the draws of the wild blueberry is a flavor that can only be described as “true blue.” This certainly describes the flavor of the Dryland Blueberry, recently harvested on our farm and currently in production for fall 2017. These bushes are self-fertile and very productive, with loads of smaller-sized fruit growing in clusters. Although most blueberry plants on the market come from swampy, wet areas, this blueberry was found growing on a sand dune. After fifty years, the bushes are about 3 feet tall. When harvesting, I stood in one small area nearly the entire time and ended up with 6 cups of beautiful fruit.
As I have noted in Part I and Part II of this series, my goal with any high-quality, fresh food is always to highlight the flavor. For that reason, I never make anything too complicated. Instead, I consider what dish would highlight the taste of that ingredient. In the case of the blueberries, I decided a pie with a simple crust would be the best way to show it off. I used this basic recipe for the filling:
6 cups blueberries 3/4 cup organic sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon butter (cut into small pieces)
The day I made this I was pressed for time, so I went to the local market and bought a pie crust. On another day, I may have used this recipe.
The filling was so dark I had trouble photographing it, but you can see the color in contrast with the crust:
After combining all the ingredients for the filling and pouring them into the shell, I let them bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. The filling was still a bit runny, but that didn’t bother our taste tester who seemed to enjoy it just fine.
