BLUEBERRY BIRTHDAY CAKE

My son asked for a blueberry cake this year.  Previous attempts at fruit based birthday cakes have been colossal flops, so I figured I'd do it a bit differently this time and opt out of icing.  What we have here is more of a coffee cake with an awesome maple walnut crunch topping.  Definitely my kind of cake, but lets hope the 7 year old thinks it's great too.

BLUEBERRY CAKE with Maple Walnut Crunch

2 1/2 cups sprouted spelt flour

3 tsp baking powder (aluminum and GMO free)

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup organic vegetable oil

1/2 cup local maple syrup

1 tsp pure organic vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

1/2-2/3 cup organic milk

1 1/2 cups organic wild blueberries
Topping:
4 Tbsp organic coconut sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp walnuts, minced
generous pinch of cinnamon
2 Tbsp organic vegetable oil

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease and line a 9" round cake pan with parchment paper.  

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Whisk oil, maple syrup, vanilla, water and milk together in a bowl.  Stir the oil mixture into the flour mixture, mixing until smooth - do not overmix.  Gently fold in berries.  The batter should be thick, not runny.  Add more milk if needed.  Spoon into pan.  Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle onto cake.

Bake on centre rack for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  You may need to cover with foil to prevent top from burning.  Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes before turning out of pan and cooling on a wire rack.

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WILDCRAFTING: Blueberries

I paid a visit to my favorite wild blueberry picking spot on my way into the city the other day and was very happy to discover that the time for picking is now.  I had fantasies of a quiet morning in solitude foraging for blueberries, but my plan was foiled.  My son was desperate to come along to "Blueberry Land", and so he did.  

He was really cute with his little bucket in hand as I heard the little "dip, dip" of his harvest hitting their mark.  The novelty of actually doing any picking lasted about 30 minutes, and then her transformed into the blueberry monster who ate every berry he came across.  At two and half hours he was ready for home, but I was frantic.  I couldn't stop tipping my bucket of berries over!  Picking little tiny blueberries off the ground is very tedious and disheartening work.  Alas, a good portion of my harvest has now become compost on the forest floor, but I did manage to salvage enough to make one, delicious, and I mean delicious, pie.  Note to self:  always use a container that has a wide base that won't tip over when picking blueberries.  My husband also informed me that I could always do it like his dad does - use a little sour cream container for the active picking, and when it gets full, dump it into a larger, lidded container.  Good idea.

Please note:  berry picking is not for the "instant gratification" type of individual.  It takes a long time to pick berries (and sometimes your bucket tips over).  Then you have to bring them home and clean them and remove all the leaves, dirt, and debris (especially if you had to pick them up off the ground after spilling them) which is kind of hard.  But I do have a quick cleaning tip - place berries in a bowl of water, swirl and strain.  Then pick up small handfuls of berries, pick out any large chunks of debris and then dump the handful of berries in a bowl.  Little bits of dirt and leaves will remain stuck to your hand, simply wipe off on a towel and repeat.

WILD BLUEBERRY PIE

1 double crust recipe for pastry dough

4 cups wild blueberries

4 Tbsp organic cornstarch

1/4 cup local maple syrup

1 tsp organic lemon juice

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  Place the berries in a large bowl.  Using a potato masher, squish 1/4 of the berries to release some juice.  Stir in the cornstarch, maple syrup and lemon juice.  Let rest while you prepare pie crust in pie plate.  Pour in filling, cover with other crust and then bake at 400* for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350* and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until crust browns slightly.

Fresh Juice Smoothie

When it comes to my juicer, I have to admit to being fairly predictable in what beverages I create.  My goal is to be a little more adventurous.  But this morning I stuck to the tried and true.  My all time favorite concoction is this smoothie.  If you don't have a juicer you can always substitute fresh apple cider from the Farmer's Market for the fresh apple juice.

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup unsprayed or organic local blueberries (mine are frozen except in the summer and fall)

1 organic banana, cut into pieces

fresh juice from 2-3 organic apples

1 -2 tsp organic spirulina powder (optional)

1 tsp bee pollen granules (optional)

1/2-1 Tbsp organic flax seed powder (optional)

Method:  Combine all ingredients in a blender or measuring cup if you use a stick blender and mix together until smooth.

Breakfast Waffles

Christmas is one week away.  Today we comb the beach for bits of driftwood and shells, to weave together magical charms as gifts for those we love.  But first we need some breakfast.

WHOLE WHEAT BLUEBERRY WAFFLES with Stewed Apples and Strawberries

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 cup organic unbleached white flour

2 organic eggs, separated

2 cups organic whole milk

1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 Tbsp local maple syrup

2 Tbsp organic butter, melted and cooled slightly

Method: Whisk the egg yolks, maple syrup and milk together in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the melted butter.Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the egg mixture.  Then stir in the blueberries. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  Heat a waffle iron and cook one at a time.  Serve with a dollop of organic yogurt, stewed fruit and maple syrup.

STEWED STRAWBERRIES AND APPLES

1 organic cortland apple

1 cup organic fresh or frozen strawberries

2 Tbsp water

Method:  In a small saucepan, combine the two fruits and the water.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until apples are soft.