Even if you aren’t eating gluten-free it’s easy to entertain gluten-free guests without having to buy a lot of specialty items.

Although most of the people I know who eat gluten-free truly don’t mind if there are certain items on the table that they can’t eat, it’s nice to make the extra effort and have all the food able to be enjoyed by everyone. It’s just more fun if all your guests can partake in every part of the meal – that way there are no temptations and nobody feels left out.

It doesn’t have to be stressful to cook gluten-free. With these few quick tips, you can have a great meal on the table in no time.

1. Make naturally gluten free foods

The easiest way to cook for someone who is gluten intolerant, without worrying about messing around with new ingredients, is to simply make foods that naturally don’t have any wheat. That way you don’t have to try out new recipes or figure out how to adapt a favorite.

Here a couple of ideas of foods to serve at different mealtimes.

For Breakfast

• homemade sausage, bacon, eggs
• fruit salad, fruit cups, fruit bottom yogurt
• homemade granola, roasted pear crisps (both made with gluten-free oats)

For Lunch

• butternut squash and apple soup
• quesadillas made with corn tortillas
• main salad

For Dinner

The main is easy – meat is, of course, naturally gluten free. Turkey, ham, lamb, etc. are all great options

sides

• risotto or other rice side dish
• side salad
• vegetables such as roasted squash or stir-fried brussels sprouts
• cranberry jelly/sauce
• mashed potatoes
• gravy made with cornstarch

appetizers

• appetizers with fruit, nuts, cheese and vegetables
• bean dip or hummus served with vegetables
• guacamole or taco dip served with corn chips

For Dessert

• truffles and bark
• ice cream, semifreddo or sherbet
• mousse
• baked or poached fruit

2. Get Your Bake On

If you really want to bake something for everyone to enjoy, you don’t have to worry about running around town searching for different flours or things such as xanthan gum. Just buy one pre-made all-purpose mix and you’re ready to go. It will mean one purchase and no stress. Just make sure that it can be substituted straight over for flour and needs no other additives to make it work.

Martha Stewart’s number one recommendation for gluten-free flour mix is Cup4Cup from Williams-Sonoma. And based on it’s high star reviews, it sounds like a winner. It will definitely be joining my shelf soon in preparation for gluten-free guests.

Of course, there are many great options out there so use what’s available to you. Why not ask your guest for a trusted recommendation?

3. Watch out for Hidden Wheat

Gluten can show up in some pretty surprising places so it’s best to do a quick scan of your ingredient labels before starting. Condiments and sauces are the most common culprits and many of them are used for other pre-packaged foods as well, so make sure to always check the back first.

Besides the obvious words such as flour, multi-grain and whole grain, here are some other words to look out for:

• durum
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• kamut
• malt
• miso
• semolina
• soy sauce
• spelt
• textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• vegetable starch
• wheat germ

This isn’t to scare you off. You just want to make sure there are no mishaps. You can always ask the person you’re cooking for too, if you have any questions. I’m sure they would appreciate the effort and not look at it as an inconvenience.

And remember, if you cook with as many raw ingredients as possible, there should be no “oops”.

The point is – don’t be afraid of cooking gluten-free. It doesn’t have to be scary. And don’t stress, because this season is all about peace and happiness. And, the most important thing is that we savor our time together – stress free.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Do you eat gluten-free or ever cook for someone who does? Do you have any tips to share?

All Photos by Cheri Neufeld

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Written by Megan of Stetted.

I am nowhere near a bread expert. I have trouble achieving the proper rise and crumb, especially when it comes to sandwich bread. Yet that doesn’t stop me from practicing my kneading or remove the thrill that comes from seeing a bowl full of puffy dough.

Of all the breads I’ve tried making, the one I always come back to is challah. I not only love the flavor, but the methodical technique of braiding the loaves. I know many people hate the work that is involved with making bread, but the process relaxes me and is a great way to center my concentration. And let’s face it – we all need a little bit of relaxation when the holidays are fast approaching.

If the thought of kneading keeps you from making bread, remember that a stand mixer with a dough hook can take care of most of the work. Little hands can also pitch in. Sticky, squishy dough is a delight for kids, who can’t believe they are allowed to get messy on purpose.

In this version of challah, the pumpkin stands in for the eggs. Adding eggs will make for a richer dough, but of course remember that you’ll need to add flour to balance out the additional liquid.

Also, this pumpkin challah is only lightly spiced – I wanted to be able to have the bread fit as both breakfast and sliced alongside a savory dinner.

Tips:

• Use a kitchen scale to ensure equal division of dough. I’m just as bad at dividing sections for braiding bread as I am for braiding hair.
• I add 3 cups of flour to start with and then add the rest slowly. Due to different moisture levels, varieties of flour, and measuring methods, it’s easier to start out with less flour and add what you need rather than adding all at once and finding your dough is too dry.
• On the second rise I preheat the oven and set the dough nearby. My kitchen doesn’t maintain enough heat for bread to rise well on its own most days, so this helps tremendously.

Recipe: Pumpkin Challah

Yield: This recipe makes 2 smaller loaves. We like to eat one sliced and unadorned, and use the other loaf for French toast.

ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cups flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
• 1 egg
• Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

method:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Stir in pumpkin puree, salt, and spices. Add three cups of the flour and mix until well incorporated. Add remaining flour, a little at a time, until dough is only slightly sticky to the touch.
3. Dust counter or wooden board with flour and turn out dough. Knead, adding flour as needed, until you have a smooth, springy dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise two hours, or until doubled in size.
4. Punch down dough and turn out onto flour-covered counter. Divide dough in half; set one half aside. For each half, divide into three approximately equal pieces.
5. Form pieces into long snakelike strands, about 12 inches long. Braid together strands and tuck both ends under the loaf. Carefully place on a flour-dusted board, greased baking sheet, or in a greased loaf pan. Repeat for remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using a baking stone, start your preheat when you begin the second rise. Beat egg and brush over the bread, and sprinkle on seeds, if using. Put loaves in oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until tops are golden brown.

Do you have a favorite fall baked good?

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When developing this particular recipe I had two goals in mind: to create a healthy cookie as equally desirable to my children as their beloved (yet overly sugar-filled) gingersnap, and to make a prettier pumpkin cookie than the standard lumpy brown drop cookie versions.

These pumpkin spice snaps are a success on both accounts.

I’ve eliminated the white sugar, reduced the butter, added whole-wheat flour and incorporated pumpkin for extra flavor and beta carotene. Raw ginger and freshly ground cinnamon kick in to make these spice snaps live up to their name.

These cookies are soft on the inside, thanks to the pumpkin purée, but are not cakey; they still have that chewy factor that is always desirable in a cookie. Still, don’t expect the same texture as a traditional gingersnap, as the caramelizing of all that white sugar is what give the gingersnap its ‘chew’.

Still, these cookies snap with flavor, and most importantly, my kids are crazy about them. As a bonus? They’re kind of pretty in an old-fashioned way.

Do Ahead: Here’s an interesting observation about these pumpkin spice snaps – they were better on the second day. Warm from the oven, I didn’t love the flavor of the whole wheat flour that came through. But after several hours in an airtight container, the spices and the pumpkin really took over the cookie.

The cookies remained moist for up to three days after baking, and also froze beautifully. So go ahead, make a big batch and store them for a snowy day. After all, winter is just around the corner.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Snaps

If you’re really crazy about spicing up your cookies, replace the cinnamon in the recipe with 1 1/2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Spice Blend – a homemade mix of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.

Yields: 3 dozen, 2-inch cookies.

ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup organic cane sugar plus 1/4 cup for rolling the cookies
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 inch cube of fresh ginger root, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flours, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until creamy, about three minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula a few times to be sure that everything is incorporated.
4. To the butter mixture add: molasses, pumpkin purée, white vinegar, and egg. Beat well.
5. Using a microplane or rasp, grate cube of fresh ginger over the wet ingredients so the pulp and juices fall into the bowl. Mix batter to combine.
6. Add dry ingredients and stir on low speed to combine. Turn off mixer and remove paddle.
7. Roll the dough into 36 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in whole cane sugar and place on a baking sheet, 12 per tray. (This is a good job for kids.)
8. Bake for 8 minutes on the middle and lower shelves of the oven, rotating the pans once midway though the baking time. Cool on a wire rack.

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Are you thinking about holiday baking yet?

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This post is going to be brief as I am literally heading out the door to catch a flight. I’m headed to my fourth and last blogging conference of the year – this time on home soil!

Blissdom Canada runs from October 13-15 in Toronto and I’m thrilled to be speaking (topic: Using Social Media for Social Good) at the conference, as well as partnering with Karen to be ‘Tribe Leaders’ for the food bloggers in attendance. The agenda looks amazing and I’m looking forward to getting to know more Canadian bloggers.

If you’re headed to Blissdom yourself, be sure to find me and introduce yourself. (PS. Look for girl with the baby bump. I’m officially halfway!)

Now, as you know, last weekend was Thanksgiving and we enjoyed a gloriously warm long weekend. We also enjoyed time with family and friends, a break from school and work for Danny and Noah, and plenty of pie.

I stuck to my Unprocessed plan for my contributions of pie to the family dinner, and, as I expected, no one noticed a difference. A massive apple pie disappeared with the help of its accompanying whipped cream, and every crumb of my maple pecan pie was devoured. Hit the jump for the recipe…

Here’s what’s great about this maple pecan pie: there is no sugar or corn syrup inside, it’s not overly sweet, and contains plenty of nuts – no skimping! It also travels well, and if your husband happens to toss a hefty camera bag on top of it in the trunk of the car, it will survive.

Oh, and did I mention my three year old could pull it together? Well, the filling anyway. I took care of the crust, which, before baking was an adorable procession of turkey cutouts, and after baking resembled a pile of misshapen snails.

Bottom line? This pie is going in the handwritten family cookbook and going to be around for many Thanksgiving celebrations to come.

Rustic Maple Pecan Pie

ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, I use  1/2 a recipe of Rich Pie Crust and freeze the other crust.
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons organic white flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup halved pecans

method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Beat eggs in a bowl. Add maple syrup, flour, melted butter, vanilla and salt. Mix well.
3. Add pecans and stir filling to coat the nuts.
4. Pour pie filling into the pie shell and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until crust is brown and the middle of the pie has puffed up.
5. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Pie will be puffed up quite unnaturally, but will sink as it cools.
6. Serve warm with whipped cream.

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Are you nuts over pecan pie? Would you try this version?

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Written by Diana of Spain in Iowa.

The temperatures are dropping and school has officially started.  This is my first time as a parent with a child at school and I have to admit, the first couple of weeks I was heartbroken.  I missed my little guy during the days and what made it worse, he was having a rough time being away as well.

Now that he’s adjusted and quite happy to be in kindergarten, I’ve been on the upswing. I have found myself with more time on my hands and, in this season, there is nothing more relaxing than baking an apple pie.

All photos by Diana Bauman

With my 3 year old at home, we’ve been able to turn up the music, dance and bake. There’s so much freedom and peace in listening to good music and playing in the kitchen.

What’s even more rewarding is that the older boys are happy to see what you’ve created after a long day of school and work. I’m starting to enjoy these school days and the season in which I have found myself.

So, with fresh local apples at every farmers’ market (or your neighbor’s tree) let’s have some fun. Let’s bake an apple pie!

First Things First, Let’s Make Our Own Pie Crust

With only a few simple ingredients and a food processor, making a pie crust can be simple and quick to make.

This is my go-to recipe for a buttery, rich, flaky crust.  A traditional French Pâte Brisée.

For a perfect crust every time:

• Keep all ingredients cold
• Do not over process the dough
• Use ice-water
• Allow your finished dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour

For my pie crust, I grind my own whole wheat grain using soft white wheat berries.  This is what you would find at the store called Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.  In my opinion, store bought whole wheat flour does not compare to milling your own grain at home.  It’s much heavier and in my opinion, gritty.  If you do not grind your own grain, I would suggest using an unbleached all purpose white flour.

**For a video tutorial for this pie crust, head over to A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa and join me in my kitchen as I mix it up!**

Ingredients for a two crust pie:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 6-10 tablespoons cold water (This is quite a gap in measurements, however, since I use freshly milled grains, it’s much lighter and I only need around 6tbls of water.  If you’re using store bought flour, you will most likely need anywhere from 8-10tablespoons)

Method:

1. In a food processor combine the flour, salt and sugar.  Blend to incorporate.

2. Cut the butter in small pieces, making sure to not handle it too much.  Your hands will give off quite a bit of heat and it’s important to keep your butter as cold as possible.

3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse 6-8 times or until the mixture resembles a coarse grain. Do not over process.

4. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of water and pulse. Continue to do this until the dough just begins to hold together without being wet or sticky.  Again, do not over process.

5. The dough should not stick together in a ball-shaped form.  It should just begin to hold.  Once you’re at this stage, empty the dough “pieces” onto the counter and shape quickly into a rounded ball.  Divide into two balls.

6. Quickly shape each piece into a disc and wrap in plastic.  Do not overwork.

7. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.

The dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or frozen for up to a month.

Let’s Bake a Naturally Sweetened Apple Pie

Now that our pie crust has been made, putting together a filling for apple pie is a breeze.  What’s great about this version is that it uses real maple syrup as the sweetener.  Its sweet maple flavor lends itself beautifully to the apples and cinnamon; no one would ever guess that a granulated sugar wasn’t used.

Ingredients:

• 7 large local apples, (Some prefer tart, others don’t. It’s up to you which variety to use), peeled and sliced thinly
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsps melted butter
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 3 tbsps flour

Method:

1. While peeling and slicing your apples, place in a large bowl and add the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Make sure to toss the apples in the lemon juice as you keep adding them to the bowl to prevent from discoloring.  Once all the apples have been peeled and sliced, add the butter and maple syrup to the bowl.  Mix well.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.  Add to the apples and toss to incorporate.

3. Roll out one pie crust and line into a pie dish.  Add the apple mixture into the pie crust, making sure to drizzle any remaining liquid on top.

4. Roll out the top pie crust, cutting out any decorations into the crust.

5. Carefully, lift the top pie crust and cover the pie.  Pinch the sides of the pie closed and sprinkle with organic sugar.

6. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

Allow to rest for at least 1 hour before you cut through.  The liquids will thicken as it cools.

What’s your favorite dish to make or treat to bake while jamming to your favorite tunes in the kitchen?

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My neighbor has given me carte blanche with his handsome rhubarb patch, although at the time he probably had no idea just how close of an affection I have for rhubarb. While most of you have moved on to strawberries, blueberries and other summer fruits, I’m still hung up on puckery stalks of pink.

I tend to like this late crop of rhubarb best; it may be just my imagination, but it has a more pronounced flavor than its watery spring equivalent. Perhaps the summer heat contributes to a more intense flavor? All speculating aside, I’m still pushing back the leaves to get at the tender red shoots.

For this pie, I decided to marry the saucy rhubarb with the sweeter raspberries and the result, I am convinced, is a seasonal pie to rival any other. It is reminiscent of one of my favorite simple desserts, rhubarb compote with custard, only served up much more elegantly in a rich pie crust.

The words Cream Pie by themselves bring a smile to my face; couple them with the season’s most delicate berry and a brazen vegetable and you have a perfect pie. While some may argue that a classic strawberry-rhubarb pie can’t be beat – and indeed it is not a simple conquest – after this pie, I think I new classic should be established.

Why pie?

Why not? Actually, several hundred (thousand?) other food bloggers and bakers are all baking, eating and writing about pie today, July 5. It’s a pie party.

Lead by Shauna of Gluten Free Girl (who I’m going to meet this month at Big Summer Potluck), we’re making pie because, well, as Shauna puts it, “pie makes people happy”.

So join us. Follow the #pieparty hashtag on Twitter, check out the Facebook group for some sweet pie inspiration, then bake a pie of your own and enjoy it with friends. It’s summer. What else do you have going on?

Tips for success with your rhubarb-raspberry cream pie

1. Choose the reddest rhubarb you can find to give the pie a lovely rosy color.
2. Use a glass pie pan and you won’t have any problems with soggy bottom crust. Glass is a wonderful heat conductor – plus you can always take a peek at the bottom and see if it is getting too dark – or not dark enough.
3. If a pie crust is indeed getting too dark, place the pie onto a baking sheet and finish the baking time on the middle shelf.
4. I use organic cane sugar, but you can substitute white sugar, if that is what you have. It will result in a truer cream-colored pie.
5. Be sure to cool the pie (chilled is best) before slicing.

Recipe: Rhubarb-Raspberry Cream Pie

Adapted from Mama’s Minutia.

ingredients:

• 1 9-inch pie shell. I use my reliable Rich Pie Crust, and freeze half of the recipe.
• 1-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup 35% cream (whipping cream)

method:

Roll pie crust and fit into 9-inch glass pie pan. Crimp the edges and refrigerate while you prep the filling. This rest period is important to the overall flakiness of the crust.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash, dry and chop rhubarb to measure 1-1/2 cups. Place in the bottom of the pie pan and sprinkle raspberries on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and flour, followed by the eggs. Beat well, then pour in the cream and mix to combine.

Pour cream mixture over the fruit and place in the center rack of the oven. Bake, rotating once or twice, for 35-45 minutes. The center will jiggle just slightly, but it will set up as the pie cools.

Cool pie on a wire rack until room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Best enjoyed on the same day it is baked.

What’s your favorite summer pie?

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This is a guest post from Sofya of The Girls’ Guide to Guns and Butter. Welcome, Sofya!

Growing up in Baku, the capital of then-Soviet Azerbaijan, I was spoiled by an easy access to some irresistibly delicious fresh bread – always made the day you bought it, often still quite hot. From factory-made French loaves to traditional naans that emerged from the tandoor ovens of street-corner operations, these bore no resemblance to the days-old, preservatives-laden packages I was faced with in my Wisconsin town of 4000.

It didn’t take long to realize that to enjoy the quality and the freshness I was used to, I would have to bake bread myself. Since great bread was widely produced and very affordable back home, it was uncommon for a city dweller like myself to know how to bake their own, so I had to learn from scratch.

Over the years, I have experimented with many different recipes – from wild sourdough to various yeasted varieties, but it wasn’t until I came across no-knead that I was finally able to reliably churn out great bread with regularity and ease.

No-Knead Bread: the Method

The simple method involved mixing all of the ingredients, letting the dough rise for a rather flexible stretch of time (anywhere between a few hours to overnight), and baking it at a really high heat after some minimal shaping and some extra rising time in a preheated dutch oven.

The steam trapped by the pot’s lid contributed to the crispy, chewy crust, while an extremely hot pot assured that the loaves would rise high and fast.

To streamline this process even further, I began to omit both the shaping of the dough into a loaf before baking and the second rise, cutting down on time, work, and, most importantly, the mess. I have also nearly doubled the original recipe to accommodate my family’s hearty appetites.

I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am to be sharing my simplified adaptation of this excellent, fail-proof recipe here at Simple Bites.

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Adapted from the New York Times.

ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour (you may substitute up to 2 ½ cups with whole-wheat or other kind of wholegrain flour)
• 3 ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ teaspoon active dry yeast, sprinkled over ½ cup of warm water between 110 and 115 degrees
• 3 cups of 110 to 115-degree water

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (I always start at the slowest speed to avoid flour flying into the air, and once most of the flour is incorporated, I switch to the second-slowest speed to finish).

Alternatively, use a wooden spoon to mix everything in a large bowl. When you are done, your dough will look like this:

ALL photos by Sofya

Next, use a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and to compact the dough neatly on the bottom:

Cover the bowl with a plate and allow the dough to rise at room temperature from between 4-5 hours to overnight.

I usually make my dough in the evening and then bake it the following morning, but I’ve also been known to increase the amount of yeast to 2 teaspoons for a quick two-hour rise in a pinch.

The dough is ready to bake as soon as it has doubled in bulk and the surface has become dotted with air bubbles:

Half-an-hour before you intend to bake, place your dutch oven into the oven and set the temperature to 500 degrees F. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

TIP: No dutch oven? No problem! This bread can also be successfully baked in a stock-pot, as long as your lid isn’t glass and doesn’t feature a plastic handle. If your only suitable pot does not have an oven-safe lid, use a cookie-sheet as a makeshift pot cover.

Both an enameled and a non-enameled dutch oven will work. Since I bake nearly daily, I keep a dedicated Lodge 5-Quart Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven specifically for this purpose:

Once the timer goes off, pour your dough directly into the hot pot, using a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula to make sure all of it goes in. Note that it won’t have much of a shape at this point:

Set your timer for another 30 minutes. If your loaf appears a little pale upon emerging from the oven, keep the lid off and return the bread to the oven for the additional 3-5 minutes, or until the loaf is browned to your liking.

Just keep in mind that, if you keep it in there for too long, the loaf might stick to the bottom of the pot and be difficult to remove. If this happens, allow it to cool in the dutch oven as the loaf will pull itself from the bottom as it cools and shrinks.

A word of caution: Your pot will become incredibly hot in the 500-degree oven, so be sure to double-up your pot holders!

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Now wasn’t that simple? Give it a try and come back and tell us what you think.

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Written by Megan of Stetted.

Luscious, sun-warmed berries might be the greatest food around. Every spring and summer my family heads out to a nearby farm to pick as many berries as possible. For only 30 minutes of work we end up with enough berries to make jam, pie, muffins, cake, turnovers, and more. And don’t forget all the berries just for snacking – it’s hard to resist filling your belly as you grab the fruit off the bush.

U-pick farms are a great economical option for fruit-loving families. Because you’re doing all the work and no packaging or transportation is required, farmers can charge less for their produce than in stores or even at the farmers’ market.

To find a local U-pick farm, either ask around at your local market, or try the Pick Your Own website. It’s a great resource, not only for finding farms but with recipes and tips for what to do with your haul.

ALL photos by Megan

Plan Ahead

• Most U-pick farms charge by the pound, but some use bushels or buckets as their measurement.
• Berries stain, blackberry brambles have thorns, and fields can be muddy. Dress accordingly!
• Decide how you’ll use the berries before picking. It’s easy to over-pick, so be prepared to have freezer space when you get tired of eating berries (it happens). A batch of jam generally uses about 5 pounds of fruit.
• Call the farm before you visit – picking conditions can vary from day to day, and the farmer will let you know the best time to visit.

Picking Tips

• Ripe berries squish easily, especially in eager little hands. Don’t try to pick by grabbing the berry; instead hold the stem just above the berry and pull down with a twist.
• Push aside leaves to get to berries other people might have left behind.
• Only pick berries that are ripe – unlike some other fruits, berries do not continue to ripen once picked.
• Don’t neglect smaller or “ugly” berries that don’t match what you see at the grocery store. They are just as delicious, and smaller berries are often sweeter than their big brothers.

Recipe: Blackberry Vanilla Clafouti

Clafouti is a great showpiece for fresh berries, and it requires hardly any work at all. It can pull double duty as dessert one night and then as breakfast the next morning, and is delicious hot or cold. I like just a little bit of powdered sugar on top, but you can top with maple syrup, ice cream, or a berry sauce.

• 2 cups blackberries
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar, to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Grease a 9-inch square pan or pie dish and scatter berries across the bottom.
2. Whisk together flour and sugar, then beat in eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla.
3. Pour over berries, redistributing them as needed.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Clafouti will sink as it cools.
5. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Do you visit U-pick farms? What’s your favorite way to use summer fruits?

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