In approximately two weeks time, my family and I consumed eight quarts of raspberries between the seven total quarts from U-Picking and the two pints that came in my CSA bags as a bonus. Holy cow! Eight quarts!
Here's a tip on the easiest way to clean raspberries (or any berry really) before eating, without damaging, smooshing or water-logging them. Inspect the berries you plan to wash to remove any dirt, leaves or damaged spots. Fill a large bowl or small sink with water - enough to reach the top holes of your colander. Put only the berries you plan to immediately use/eat in the colander (store the rest in the fridge and only clean before using) and dunk the colander in water for a few seconds, swishing with your hands enough to disturb any unwanted particles. 
Lift colander and allow to drain well before using. Gently wiggle the colander to let water pour out of the center of the berries. Done!
So what did we do with eight quarts of raspberries? Well, Craig and I ate a large quantity of them macerated over ice cream after the kids were in bed each evening. Seriously. That is like a died-and-gone-to-heaven kind of dessert. But the kids definitely got their fair share plain for breakfast or served with cream or ice cream for dessert as well.Here's a dee-licious cold beverage from Smitten Kitchen to enjoy in the summer time:
Fresh squeezed lime juice...
...blended with raspberries, ice and sugar...
...and topped off with some soda water.They are sweet and refreshing and delicious. I garnished with two raspberries and lime-green straws for Craig and I during a weekend nap time. Mmm!
And I love how, at the end of the recipe, she says "I probably don't need to tell you how good this would be with booze." :) We didn't try that, but it would definitely be good that way too.
Please excuse the poor quality of the next couple pics (from the little, pocket camera).This is the recipe we used the most: Macerated Berries with Vanilla Cream from Bon Appetit. I always cut this recipe in half... and once I learned the basic concept of this, I just winged it after that, adding less sugar each time. I mashed ~1/2 cup of berries (I liked using my potato masher), added a few tables of sugar and a splash of orange juice, folded in another 2.5 cups of berries and left them sit for at least an hour. This was easy to do as I was cleaning up from dinner and then Craig and I would kick our feet up and enjoy them over ice cream most nights.
The first time I tried this recipe, I made the actual vanilla cream that the recipe called for and it was delicious too. After that, though, we just used ice cream. I've been making my own "whipped cream" instead of buying Cool Whip for awhile now. Just one less processed thing.
The first time I tried this recipe, I made the actual vanilla cream that the recipe called for and it was delicious too. After that, though, we just used ice cream. I've been making my own "whipped cream" instead of buying Cool Whip for awhile now. Just one less processed thing.Anyway, I used vanilla extract instead of a bean again and reduced the sugar a little. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Voila! Macerated berries with vanilla cream.
The kids and I took our treat outside on the deck to enjoy. (Craig was playing basketball. He got his later.)
They loved it and asked for more. :)
Voila! Macerated berries with vanilla cream.
The kids and I took our treat outside on the deck to enjoy. (Craig was playing basketball. He got his later.)
They loved it and asked for more. :)Here's what the rest of our evenings looked like (again, a bad pic on the little camera):
This pic isn't exactly the best view of what this dessert should look like because we were eating outside and it was HOT. I found this in Quick Cooking many, many years ago and have made it for a super quick and easy dessert in the summer when I want something light. It's a perfect end to a heavier meal or just on a hot day. The name of the recipe in the magazine was Berry Special Pie so that's just what I call it.
Just melt 1/2 cup of chocolate with a tsp of shortening and spread into the bottom of a graham cracker crust. (I like using dark chocolate.) Top with two cups of fresh raspberries and ~8oz of Cool Whip (or 1 cup of fresh whipped cream). This looks pretty drizzled with extra chocolate on top or garnished with extra raspberries. Then just chill for a couple hours before serving.
But be forewarned, your fingers will become "ticky". Frown.
Mmm. Sooo good.
The last thing I made were Smitten Kitchen's Raspberry Breakfast Bars. They were the perfect combination of sweet and somehow salty. I loved the texture of the bars with the crumb topping and, of course, the flavor of the whole thing.
Reeeally good. I highly recommend them. I packed some for our Cleveland weekend too.
Other raspberry recipes I bookmarked for the future are:
This pic isn't exactly the best view of what this dessert should look like because we were eating outside and it was HOT. I found this in Quick Cooking many, many years ago and have made it for a super quick and easy dessert in the summer when I want something light. It's a perfect end to a heavier meal or just on a hot day. The name of the recipe in the magazine was Berry Special Pie so that's just what I call it.
Just melt 1/2 cup of chocolate with a tsp of shortening and spread into the bottom of a graham cracker crust. (I like using dark chocolate.) Top with two cups of fresh raspberries and ~8oz of Cool Whip (or 1 cup of fresh whipped cream). This looks pretty drizzled with extra chocolate on top or garnished with extra raspberries. Then just chill for a couple hours before serving.Pie can be eaten with a fork... 
...or just fingers if you wish.
...or just fingers if you wish.
But be forewarned, your fingers will become "ticky". Frown.
Mmm. Sooo good.
The last thing I made were Smitten Kitchen's Raspberry Breakfast Bars. They were the perfect combination of sweet and somehow salty. I loved the texture of the bars with the crumb topping and, of course, the flavor of the whole thing.
Reeeally good. I highly recommend them. I packed some for our Cleveland weekend too.
Other raspberry recipes I bookmarked for the future are:Raspberry Sauce to top pancakes and yogurt
And don't forget the Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins I made earlier!
Oh, and SK just added Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones which sound delicious.
1 comment:
Um, yum! Everything looks so delish...especially that beverage and the breakfast bars. Casey made us something like that after the twins were born. Yum yum yum. I'm hungry.
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