Photos © 2012 Curly Girl Design, Inc./Leigh Standley. all rights reserved.
Hi All! Happy September! Can you believe it is already September!? Man, minutes are short.
I was talking to a friend yesterday about this time of year, and we realized something. We actually still (I say still, because we are well out of school- age, though have and do work around the school schedule often) think of September as the beginning of the year. She even said that she does the kind of reflection that most do around New Year's, around the beginning of September. So here she is, assessing her life, and I found myself cleaning out my spice cabinet, recovering pillows, moving furniture and purging my closet. I was assessing my state of things too.
There is a lot of energy moving around this time of year. From the change of seasons, to the change of routine, to just the way our thoughts are arranged around things. It can mean a ton of good stuff, but it can also mean a little, ahem, upheaval. (enter sobs for no apparent reason)
So, like any good friend, I suggest eating your feelings.
I made this deliciously simple late summer confection for the first time in 2008 when I found myself with an insane amount of blueberries from the farmer's market. I stumbled upon the recipe here , and have tinkered with it slightly over the years.
I don't have a go-to recipe per se, (much to my husband's lament) but this is one thing I seem to make over and over. It is great to bring places because it shows well and is pretty easy to travel with, save a rogue blueberry from time to time, and it's minimal ingredients make it as fresh and light as you want it to be after a warm day.
We are coming to the end of blueberry season, but you can still get bundles at the markets and if you are anywhere near Maine…. get Maine berries! They are incredible.
End of Summer Blueberry Kuchen
Kuchen is the German word for cake, though this ends up being more like a cross between a pie and a tart.
You will need:
A springform pan (8 – 10″)
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup flour (plus 2 tbs)
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/2 Cup of sugar (plus 2 tbs.)
1/2 Cup of butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
1Tbs white vinegar
Zest of one whole lemon, divided
5 Cups of fresh blueberries
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
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Preheat the oven to 400˚
In a medium bowl, or the bowl of your food processor, mix together the 1/2 cup of each flour, salt, and 2 tbs of sugar and half of the lemon zest.
Cut in butter (or pulse in if using food processor) until the mix resembles a coarse crumb.
Sprinkle with vinegar and with lightly floured fingers, shape the dough. Press dough into the bottom of the springform pan. You want about 1/4 inch thickness on the bottom and then press up the sides. Dough will not go all the way up the sides (think of it as making a little dough bowl to hold your blueberries) about one inch and not as thick as the bottom. It should look rustic.
In another bowl, (or, I use a zip-lock bag) mix (or shake) 3 Cups of blueberries with 2tbs of flour, 1/2 Cup sugar, cinnamon and the remaining lemon zest. try and get them sort of evenly coated. Pour the blueberries into pan.
Bake in the middle rack for about 45 minutes, or until you see the fruit part bubbling slightly.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Add remaining blueberries (I give them a little press so they fit tidily into the pan…) arrange them nicely.
Let cool. When totally cool, run a knife along the edge of the pan, and release the springform. Serve with the best vanilla ice cream (or lemon sorbet) you can find.
Feelings are delicious.
Enjoy and let me know what you think! What are you moving around this September???
xoxo
