Five Berry Good Things to Make This Summer
Yogurt Panna Cotta, A Jar of Jam, Shortcake for a Crowd, Muffins, and an easy Fruit Crumble Let’s pick (or pick up) some summer berries!
When my son, now grown, was little we had many berry-picking excursions. It was a strategy to both entertain and wear Luke out for the nap that he was beginning to resist, but that I still needed. I made buckets from quart-sized yogurt containers, with holes punched on two sides and a long string looped through them. The buckets hung around our necks, convenient for depositing the berries that didn’t go into our mouths. We kept them in the car for impromptu berry-picking stops along the road—I should have had a bumper sticker that said, “I Brake for Berry Picking.”
We enjoyed our hauls for snacks and on breakfast cereal. I made jam with some and froze whatever was left for colder days ahead, even though no one wanted to think of snow when we were in the middle of a blueberry field on a bright July day.
Those days were so full of moments-after-moments—it was hard to imagine the future. Each moment was swiftly replaced by another, and then one day I looked at my smooth-skinned baby and his legs were hairy, his voice cracked, and suddenly my squeaky, gurgly baby’s voice had turned manly. How did that happen?
The truth is, I never saw it coming. In some ways, I’m glad of it. It would have spoiled the delicious everyday adventures. “Keep me in a hazy bubble of motherhood,” I say. But despite my best efforts to savor those moments with Luke as a young child, the future arrived and my baby grew up, went to school, made his own friends, married a great girl, and has an exciting new life. I stood by and watched with pride.
Summer brings out nostalgia in large doses. As I look back and wistfully sigh, I also celebrate the ‘now moments’, which include an abundance of berries right now. Like you, I hope, I am determined to seize the day—here are some ideas for you! If you can, go out and pick those delicious morsels so you can eat them with abandon, and don’t forget to put some by in your freezer.
Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberries
Panna cotta has the consistency of custard with two distinctive differences: There are no eggs, and the custard depends on gelatin to set it. In Italian, panna cotta means "cooked cream." You dissolve sugar and gelatin in hot cream to start the custard. Here half-and-half and plain whole-milk yogurt replace the cream; honey barely sweetens it. Local strawberries macerated in a little sugar and lemon juice complement the tangy custard. While panna cotta is often made in lightly oiled molds and then turned out onto dessert plates, it's much easier to pour it into cups and top them with the berries. Assemble the panna cotta at least four hours before you plan to serve it. It's a dreamy make-ahead dessert with a beautiful, smooth white custard.
Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberries Recipe
Makes four (6-ounce) servings
FOR THE STRAWBERRIES
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
A squeeze of lemon juice
1. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
2. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves.
FOR THE PANNA COTTA
3 tablespoons cold water
1 packet (2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored, powdered gelatin
1 cup half-and-half, divided
2 tablespoons honey, or more, ot taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain, whole-milk yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
1. Have on hand 4 (6-ounce) serving dishes and a small tray that will fit in the refrigerator.
2. In a large bowl, pour the water and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Stir briefly with a fork or small whisk to immerse the gelatin in the water. Let it soften for 5 minutes.
3. In the microwave, heat 1/2 cup of the cream for one minute (or heat it in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan.)
4. Stir the hot cream into the bowl of softened gelatin. Stir for about 30 seconds to melt the gelatin. When you rub a few drops of cream between your fingers you should not feel any graininess. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream, honey, and vanilla. Whisk in the yogurt until smooth. Taste and add more honey if you like. The panna cotta should be tangy and not too sweet.
5. Divide the yogurt cream among the dessert dishes. Set them on a tray and cover lightly with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set.
6. Spoon the strawberries and their juices over the panna cotta and serve.
Berry Good Jam in the Microwave
Who knew? It’s a revelation! While I still like to think I’ll make jam in batches, I probably won’t. But I can handle one jar, and so can you. I know, I know. People whine that it goes against everything unique and precious about jam-making, but let’s be practical. Would you rather just think about making a batch of jam but never get around to it? Or do you have ten minutes to make a solo jar and repeat that all summer long.
Cook the berries, sugar and lemon juice in the microwave briefly to dissolve the sugar, stir, and return to the microwave for a few more minutes until the jam looks thick, rather than syrupy. That’s it. You can swap out half the blueberries for other berries, such as strawberries, blackberries or raspberries to vary the recipe.
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