A Blueberry Charmed Life

I found my thrill … on Blueberry Hill, as the song goes. (And cue Louis Armstrong’s rendition of “Blueberry Hill.”) Though I suppose—if we are being technical—I really found my thrill on Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester.

Gloucester is America’s oldest seaport town. It screams Americana with its quaint bed and breakfasts, flag-garnished porches, and beaches filled with oversized striped umbrellas. Thrill-ing.

What was also thrilling was stumbling upon a new blueberry recipe entirely by accident. Well, by accident and by dreadful hearing. On this blue-skied beach day in Gloucester, my mother and I were surfing through food magazines. She mentioned she wanted to try Martha Stewart’s recipe for blueberry salad dressing.

Or so I thought. At least, that was what I heard. What she actually said was blue cheese dressing. My hearing is embarrassingly bad and I must have had blueberries on the subconscious.

Can you really blame me? Like the iconic beaches in Gloucester, blueberries conjure up Americana sentiment. I’d even argue they are more American than apple pie. These little blue berries are part of a highly select group of fruits actually native to North America. (I’ve got news for you apple pie: your apples originated in Asia. Hmm. “As American as apple pie” is a little misleading, don’t you think?)

Blueberries will always hold a special place in my heart. During my childhood, blueberry pie was eaten at grandma’s, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Blueberry muffins were downed two at a time, typically after the family went blueberry picking. And pancakes were studded with them, served up on a lazy summer mornings. Kid, you led a pretty charmed life. Or perhaps a blueberry charmed life, if your hearing is a little faulty like mine.

And thank goodness: that night an impromptu blueberry vinaigrette was born. There was no turning back. The blueberries had been bought and the blue cheese hadn’t, due entirely to an auditory error. I had to deliver. Maybe it was the sight of the fishing boats in Gloucester. Maybe it was the spell of the blueberries. Maybe it was Louis Armstrong. In the interest of all things American, my can-do spirit went straight to the pantry: and came back with a dressing to serve with goat cheese, instead of the blue variety.

And boy was this salad swell. The blueberries, goat cheese and walnuts sang brilliantly together. Maybe I really do lead a blueberry charmed life. Cue the music, Louis.

Blueberry Vinaigrette Over Goat Cheese and Greens

Blueberry Vinaigrette

1.5 cups blueberries

1 lime, juice and zest

1.5 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp hazelnut oil

About 1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

Pinch of red chili flakes

2 lavender flower buds (about 1/4 tsp)

Makes 1/2 cup (about enough for 2-4 salads, depending on if they are starter or entree salads)

Blend blueberries, lime juice and zest, and sherry vinegar in a food processor. Strain out blueberry skins using a strainer, pressing down on the blueberries with a rubber spatula to release all of their juice. Whisk blueberry juice, maple syrup and oil together and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and lavender.

For the salad:

Simply pour the blueberry vinaigrette over greens, sliced goat cheese and fresh blueberries; top with walnuts.

Notes:

I strongly dislike coming up with recipes for meals that are approximations. Use your judgement regarding how much of each of the salad components you use. You can't go wrong.

I added lavender because I had it around; you don’t need it, but its floral quality worked well with the goat cheese.

The nuttiness of the hazelnut oil really makes this dressing. If you don’t have it around you could try adding a little toasted sesame oil with some canola oil instead.

An added bonus: no ovens were turned on in the making of this recipe.