How to Care for Berries 101

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries…I love them all, especially when they are freshly picked and tasting like sunshine. However, few things are more discouraging than spending money on fresh berries only to have them go bad before you use them up. Thank goodness this method on how to care for berries I read in Cooks Illustrated magazine keeps them fresh as long as possible. It also works for other fruits and vegetables as well.

Wash the berries in a bowl with three parts water and one part white vinegar. Then drain and rinse. (For other fruits and vegetables, fill a spray bottle with the water-vinegar solution, give them a spritz, and then rinse.)

           

I typically let my berries air-dry, but you can also place the more sturdy ones like strawberries and blueberries into a salad spinner lined with three layers of paper towels. Then spin until dry. Delicate raspberries can be laid out onto a paper towel-lined counter or baking sheet and allowed to dry. (A fan blowing on the berries will speed up the process.)

           

Once cleaned, place the berries in a container lined with paper towels and keep them in the refrigerator. Leave the lid opened a bit to allow any excess moisture to escape.

           

The extra berries I purchase are headed straight for my freezer to enjoy the rest of the year. How to freeze your berries? After the berries are cleaned and dried, place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Then pop the sheet into the freezer. Once they are completely frozen, remove the berries from the baking sheet and place them into a zippered freezer bag.

           

Both fresh and frozen berries work well in so many recipes, from smoothies to pancakes. When using the frozen ones, most recipes will tell you if they need to be thawed out first. When in doubt, thaw the berries.

Krista Davis Comes Through Again with Diva No. 14

 

Falling in love with a cozy mystery series can be the proverbial double-edged sword. On the one hand, I get all excited when I get the latest edition. It’s like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in a long while. 

However, there is always the risk of the newest installment not living up to the previous books. We cozy mystery fans have all experienced the decline in a well-loved series. It starts when we come to the end of a book and think, “Hum, that wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped.” 

Thank goodness that hasn’t happened with Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series! 

I just finished reading The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit, number 14 in the series, and I loved it! In this edition, event organizer and domestic advice expert Sophie Winston is in the middle of Old Town Alexandria’s Home Decorating Festival. Still, she has time to pick up her best friend, Nina, at the airport after she returns from a trip to Portugal. However, when Sophie finds one of Nina’s traveling companions dead the following morning, she wonders just what went on during that trip. Perhaps the clue scratched into the soil by the victim before dying will hold the answer. 

While the story takes place in the well-known Washington D.C. suburb, it has some international intrigue and a possible smuggling operation woven into the plot. When another traveler turns up dead, Sophie worries her friend is next on the list. 

The book was enthralling from the first paragraph to the last. There was a surprise at the end, which made me both laugh out loud and cheer. Plus, it was lovely to catch up on all the goings-on with Sophie, Nina, Mars, Bernie, Humphrey, and of course, Natasha, the other domestic diva in the book who antagonizes everyone. 

Natasha doesn’t have as prominent a role in this book as the previous ones, which I found to be a relief. She is pretty annoying, though Davis is good at giving her some redeeming qualities to keep us from wondering why Sophie remains her friend. Still, it was nice to only have her pop in from time to time as part of an entertaining subplot to the main story. 

Of course, the book also ends with some tasty recipes. I can’t wait to try the Mango Peach Salsa, Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes, and Pear Upside-Down Skillet Cake. 

Since it’s the start of berry season, I made the Berry Pecan Coffee Cake. Buttery and full of blueberries, it’s the perfect partner to my morning cup of coffee. 

To learn more about Davis, visit her website here. She also has a Paws and Claws series that is perfect for animal lovers, and a Pen and Ink series for the artist in all of us. 

You don’t have to read the Domestic Diva series in order, but if that’s your style, the first one is The Diva Runs Out of Thyme.

Other recipes from Krista Davis's mysteries I have posted about in the past include:

Garden Veggie White Pizza from The Diva Digs Up the Dirt

Sunset Boulevard Cocktail, also from The Diva Digs Up the Dirt

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins from Murder, She Barked

Yield: 9

Author: Linda Ditch

Berry Pecan Coffee Cake

Adapted from a recipe found in The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis, who gave permission for me to share this recipe. It is easy to make and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon tea break. Make sure to take the butter and eggs out of the fridge ahead of time to allow them to reach room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup blueberries
• For topping:
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3 Tablespoons softened butter
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 6 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit but with the sides long enough to lift the finished cake out of the pan.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Mix with a whisk or a fork to combine. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars with a mixer. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Then alternate adding the flour mixture with the applesauce, beating between each addition, until smooth. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish.
5. To make the topping, chop the pecans and combine them with the butter and brown sugar until combined. Sprinkle in lumps over the top of the cake batter. (The topping will melt and sink while baking.)
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove it to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes or so. Serve the cake warm.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Breakfast Crumble

This morning I was going through the refrigerator looking for breakfast when I came across a bowl of very ripe peaches and plumbs purchased a couple of weeks ago at the farmers market. You know how that happens—you put something in the refrigerator, then other stuff gets put in front of it, and before you know it, the lovely fruit you wanted to enjoy is forgotten and almost too far gone to eat. I also came across a small bag of fresh cherries left over from a blog two weeks ago, and a partial container of blueberries.

I didn’t want to throw out the fruit, but I knew it wouldn’t last much longer. Plus, I was hungry!

So I decided to make a Breakfast Crumble. I love crumbles, crisps and pies for breakfast, even more so than dessert. And history shows that the early Americans agreed with me. They served fruit pies for breakfast, too.

Since the fruit I used was so ripe, I cut back on the sugar a bit so the dish wouldn’t be too sweet. If your fruit is tart, like Granny Smith apples or even not-so-ripe plumbs, feel free to add more sugar. Just be sure to pile-up the fruit since it will shrink as it softens while baking. I also added oatmeal and walnuts to the topping because, well, it was breakfast! And I decided to use lime juice instead of lemon because I like the smoother taste of lime better than the sharper lemon. However, feel free to use lemon if you have it.

This peach, plumb, blueberry and cherry crumble was a warm and satisfying meal. I poured a little bit of heavy cream on top, which acted as a nice balance against the warm, sweet, fruity treat. I think vanilla yogurt would also be a nice topping, as would whipped cream and, if you’re really naughty, ice cream.

Enjoy! By the way, if you haven’t done it yet, be sure to follow this blog on Facebook. Just click the link on the right side of this page to take you to the A Sunflower Life Facebook page, and then click “like!” Or follow me on Twitter at @LindaADitch and Instagram at linda_ditch.


Breakfast Crumble

8 to 12 cups fresh fruit of choice, cut into slices or chunks (see note on frozen fruit below)

Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup flour
About 1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)

Topping:

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the fruit with lime juice, flour and sugar. Pour into a baking dish and set aside.

To make the topping: In a large bowl, mix together the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the butter pieced and break up with your fingers until the butter is mixed well with the other ingredients and broken into small bits. Add the walnuts and mix together.

Sprinkle a heavy layer of topping over the top of the fruit until completely covered. (Freeze the leftovers, if any, for next time.)  Place the baking dish on top of a cookie sheet covered with foil to catch any juices that might bubble over. Put into the oven and bake until bubbly and the topping is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. (Mine took 50 minutes.)

Remove the dish from the oven and allow the crumble to sit until it cools, approximately 10 minutes. Serve as is, or top with heavy cream, whipped cream, yogurt, or ice cream.

(Note: If using frozen fruit, up the oven temprature to 375 degrees. It will take longer to bake. You'll know it's ready if you stick a toothpick into the middle and the filling is hot.)