Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Summer Berries for a Breakfast with Friends

Imagine my surprise when I found three cups of summer in the freezer - hidden behind the frozen edamame was a container of wild black raspberries I had completely forgotten about.

We picked them as kids and called them blackberries - but now I'm older and wiser, and know that if they have a concave shape inside, and leave that raised white button ("rasp") on the canes they are technically wild black raspberries. From our house my sister, brothers and I would cut behind the Thompson's yard, and up the hill into the sunny fields where the berries grew along the trails. When searching, we'd look for a glint of pale blue-green from the canes; easier to spot from a distance then the berries themselves. Then we'd pick in heat of the sun - only the ripe sweet dark ones from the clusters of pink, red and black. If we could fill a measuring cup my mother would make muffins for us four kids when we got home.

Where we live now there are some wild berries within walking distance of our house, but to find the more you have to take a short drive to the old train tracks behind the Elks Club. Last summer Husband, Evie, Rosie, Son H and I went with plastic buckets and water bottles to get our loot, have our fingers stained crimson red, and collect quite a few scratches from the canes.


My amazingly creative friends Kevin and Rosanne were coming over for breakfast last week, and the thawed berries got baked up into everything. First muffins, of course, then rolled in cinnamon rolls. Dropped into pancake batter next.

Just three good friends from Columbia High School, (and I knew Kevin from birth since he had lived across the street), deep snow outside, and summer berries for breakfast. We were laughing over creativity, life, and loves lost, and at one point I was tearing up remembering the lines from the song Same Old Lang Syne. Frozen food in that song, by the way.

No alcohol served, but I must have been drunk on conversation.  As the old friends were heading out the door and I was leaving to pick up my son at preschool, I couldn't find the keys I was holding in my own hand.

Loretta

13 comments:

  1. That was one berry-delicious feast! And sounded like a fun way to spend a cold winter morning.

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  2. sounds like a lovely day with old friends:)

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  3. Jesse- It was a great way to start the day! For those who don't know, Jesse writes the one food blog I follow regularly - semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com - so her comment on this post means a lot!

    The lowdown on the recipes - I'm working on a non-butter cinnamon roll and am getting very close to what I'm dreaming of. This was okay, I've made more cinnamon rolls since with a filling of ground walnuts, canola oil, cinnamon and sugar and they are even better. Still working on this one...

    The pancakes are from the amazing Curtis Stone House Beautiful Blueberry Pancake recipe, substituting black raspberries, of course! I've linked the recipe to the word "pancake" in my post. The secret ingredient - ricotta cheese. They are dreamy!

    Loretta

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  5. Loretta, what an awesome post! Thank you for sharing those special moments and adding a bit of sunshine to this chilly morning. By the way, I'd love to see a picture of those old train tracks.

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  6. Sounds like a simply lovely day. Now that you describe them, I'm not sure I've ever actually had a black raspberry but I am certainly inspired now to try them. And what a lovely surprise in your freezer - like finding money in your pocket!

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  7. Looks heavenly! The berries look delicious! Enjoy the gorgeous weekend, Kellie xx

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  8. I have to say, I am really wishing I didn't stop by here today...now I am craving black raspberry pancakes! They looks soooo deliciously decadent! I will just have to make them tomorrow! Hope you're well! xx Danielle

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  9. So thrilled to see your black raspberries!! I grew up w/those in central NY and my husband and I brought bushes from NY to plant here in VA. They have thrived beautifully - we have about 15 now. We ate our last frozen berries up a few months ago. So wish I would find some forgotten about ones hidden in my freezer.

    Also - do you have a Trader Joes near you. They actually sell black raspberries. Pretty good ones though not quite as good as you grow yourself.

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  10. Michelle- So cool you transplanted your black raspberry plants! They are just so good, seedy but so sweet. I always wonder why the birds don't eat them up in the fields, first.

    Sadly, no Trader Joes near me. I am so sad.

    Loretta

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  11. Loretta, you are the most faboulous hostess, these look sooo yummy. As kidds in New Zealand we used to stop on the side of the road and scramble up the hill to pick those little beauties - which we called blackberries too! And I love your little tale about finding the rasberries behind the edamame! Isn't that always the way with freezers? Have a great weekend!

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  12. Wow. The picture alone is enough to make me want to cheat on my diet. Mmmm.

    Leigha

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