Published February 16, 2008 02:16AM
Lemony Maple Blueberry Sauce
1/2 pint fresh blueberries (Substitutes: any other berry, or soft fruit like peach, pear, and plum)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 lemon (juice and rind)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
At home: Pack syrup in a leakproof bottle; pack sugar in a zip-top bag.
In camp: Using a sharp knife, gently peel the yellow part of the lemon rind. Avoid cutting too deep into the white part of the skin (it’s bitter). Finely chop the yellow peel and set aside. In a skillet, melt the butter over low heat, then add the blueberries. Mash some of the blueberries with a fork, then add the remaining ingredients, including the lemon rind. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Makes 1 cup.
Note: Pour over pancakes, oatmeal, French toast, breads, or cakes.
Down East Blueberry Pancakes
Maine’s celebrated wild blueberries demand real New England maple syrup.
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup blueberries
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups water
At home: Combine the first 4 ingredients in a zip-top bag.
In camp: Add water and 2 tablespoons oil to flour mixture and knead bag until combined; stir in blueberries. Heat remaining oil in pan until it sizzles. Drop 4-inch circles of batter into pan, and cook 2 minutes or until bubbles form on top. Flip and cook 1 minute more or until pancakes are golden brown. Makes 15 pancakes.
Note: To substitute dried blueberries for fresh, soak berries in 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes. Make batter using 1 1/2 cups water, then add the berries and water.
Go local: Buy real Maine wild blueberries at gmallenwildblueberries.com