Who has the fruit going on

[2FUNKY]

House has been overflowing in fruit the last 3 weeks. Blueberries, cherries, honeydew,watermelon,huckleberries, peaches. Feel sorry for people who pay such high prices for good cherries, except for DD.

[digitaldeath]

4$ per lb seems fair. Cherries are exotic

[Flyoverland Captive]

Guy north of Spoko selling cherries for $1.50 per pound. Sold out an entire truck in a day. Soooooo good.

[abraham]

It's fair but you can get them for prices like that ^ around here so we're spoiled.

[sb]

Bluberry panckes yum.

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[KQ]

Bluberry panckes yum.

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Sunday breakfast!

Made some whole wheat blueberry muffins yesterday. Very good! (I cut the topping by 2/3rds because I like less sugar and it can get messy with all that crumbly stuff).


Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
One hundred percent whole-wheat muffins can often be dense, squat sinkers that nobody wants to eat. Our goal was to fix that problem. After combining two leaveners and incorporating ingredients with high amounts of moisture (buttermilk, eggs, and blueberries) and a mix of melted butter and oil with 100 percent whole-wheat flour, we were ecstatic to find our blueberry muffins as tender as they are. After a sprinkle of streusel on the top of the muffin, we now had a tender, slightly sweet whole-wheat muffin with that signature nutty, whole-wheat flavor.


MAKES 12 MUFFINS

Do not overmix the batter. You can substitute frozen (unthawed) blueberries for fresh in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

STREUSEL
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


MUFFINS
3 cups (16 1/2 ounces) whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups) blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE STREUSEL: Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and salt in bowl. Add melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms large chunks with some pea-size pieces throughout; set aside.

2. FOR THE MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, generously with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, melted butter, and oil together in separate bowl until combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla into sugar mixture until combined.

3. Stir sugar mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries until incorporated. Using heaping 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (cups will be filled to rim); sprinkle muffin tops evenly with streusel.

4. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool 5 minutes longer. Serve.

DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE: HEAVY AND DENSE MUFFINS
You can’t simply swap whole-wheat flour into a regular muffin recipe and expect it to work. But if you know the science behind baking and account for the variables, you can make great blueberry muffins using 100 percent whole-wheat flour.


THE WRONG WHOLE-WHEAT MUFFIN: Makes for a fine doorstop . . . but bad eating.

[iceman]

I just had a couple BLTs with Niman Ranch double-smoked uncured bacon, local tomatoes and lettuce and toasted sourdough from the bakery up the road. Can't beat that.

[KQ]

Making this today and tomorrow I'm making Peach Shortcakes

Strawberry Chiffon Pie

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For a pie that’s light as chiffon but actually tastes like fresh berries, we start with our own strawberry puree, which we strain for a silky-smooth texture. We thicken it with both gelatin and whipped egg whites for a firm and sliceable but not bouncy texture, and folding in whipped cream right before chilling adds welcome richness to this fruit pie. Finally, a crunchy, buttery crumb crust made from store-bought shortbread cookies is the perfect foil for the cool, creamy filling.


SERVES 8

You will need about 3 pints of fresh strawberries for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
1 (5.3-ounce) box shortbread cookies, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces strawberries, hulled (2 1/2 cups), plus 8 ounces strawberries, hulled, halved, and sliced thin (1 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Process cookies, sugar, and salt in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add almonds and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 8 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Transfer crumb mixture to pie plate. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of plate. Bake until crust is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes. (Crust can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

2. FOR THE FILLING: Sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Process hulled whole strawberries in food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl and press on solids to extract 1 cup of juice; discard solids. Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and strawberry juice together in small saucepan.

3. Bring juice mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Transfer to large bowl, stir in lemon juice, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk one-third of meringue into cooled strawberry mixture until smooth. Fold remaining meringue into strawberry mixture until only few white streaks remain.

5. In now-empty mixer bowl, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture until no white streaks remain. Fold in sliced strawberries. Spoon filling into crust and spread into even layer using back of spoon. Refrigerate pie for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve.



PEACH SHORTCAKES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For a peach shortcake recipe that would work with any peach, regardless of quality, we found that macerating sliced peaches didn’t adequately moisten and sweeten the fruit. Microwaving some of the peaches with peach schnapps until they were tender and mashing them to create a jam that we added to the remaining uncooked peaches gave the fruit the moisture and sweetness we were looking for.

SERVES 6

This recipe works well with any peaches, regardless of quality. If your peaches are firm, you should be able to peel them with a sharp vegetable peeler. If they are too soft to withstand the pressure of a peeler, you’ll need to blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling. If buttermilk is not available, substitute 1/2 cup of low-fat yogurt mixed with 3 tablespoons of milk. Orange juice or orange liqueur can be used in place of the peach schnapps. The biscuits may be made up to 24 hours in advance.

INGREDIENTS

Fruit
2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (4 to 5 medium), peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges (see note)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach schnapps (see note)

Biscuits
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup buttermilk, cold (see note)
1 large egg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Whipped Cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE FRUIT: Gently toss three-quarters of peaches with 4 tablespoons sugar in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Toss remaining peaches with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and schnapps in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power until peaches are bubbling, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Using potato masher, crush peaches into coarse pulp. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. FOR THE BISCUITS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. While peaches macerate, whisk flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and egg in medium bowl; add melted butter and stir until butter forms small clumps.

3. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Continue stirring vigorously for 30 seconds. Using greased 1/3 cup dry measure, scoop up mound of dough and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart, to create 6 biscuits. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over top of biscuits. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 15 minutes before assembling.

4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Using hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla on low speed until bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until nearly doubled in volume and whipped cream forms soft peaks, 30 to 45 seconds longer.

5. TO ASSEMBLE: Split each biscuit in half and place bottoms on individual serving plates. Spoon portion of crushed peach mixture over each bottom, followed by peach slices and any exuded juices. Top peaches with 2 tablespoons whipped cream, cap with biscuit top, and dollop each shortcake with some of remaining whipped cream. Serve immediately.

BUMPING UP JUICE AND FLAVOR

Macerating fruit in sugar is the traditional method for releasing its juices. But for peaches, this step alone was not enough. Here’s how we supplemented maceration.


PEACH SCHNAPPS

A splash of peach schnapps brings even more liquid into the mix—without diluting fresh peach flavor.


MICROWAVING

Microwaving some of the peaches to soften their cell walls makes the cells more susceptible to rupturing (and releasing juice).


MASHING

Mashing the microwaved peaches completely breaks down their cell walls, increasing the amount of juice they release.

[iceman]

^^^I can't even read that much at once, never mind making that!

[KQ]

^^^I can't even read that much at once, never mind making that!

LOL! I love to bake (actually, both my loves of baking seem to go hand-in-hand, Ha!). I've got guests coming over hence the multiple desserts but as I said - I love baked goods and generally always have something fresh in the house. Lucky for me I've got a good metabolism - my neighbor is always saying "I don't know how you don't weigh 500lbs".

If you ever make it my way..... I'll make you something special. I make a mean Panna Cotta with Raspberry coulis and my individual chocolate pudding cakes are awesome and.... and..... you get the picture.

[riser4]

Whatever fruit is a good deal at Costco.

[Art Shirk]

Call it a plant, veggie, whatever, but I am siding with the NY court system for purposes of this thread.

Rhubarb. Nothing much better than a rhubarb pie. Peach cobbler is up there I suppose.

Or these: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.U8viK5m9LCQ

[riser4]

My daughter was challenged by my wife to make peach cobbler. The 15 yo looked it up on the internet and the result was amazing. She probably needs to cut back on the butter from the recipe just a bit.

[Tippster]

Or these: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.U8viK5m9LCQ

What the motherfuck.

[Art Shirk]

Who's making Durian jam these days?

[sb]

KQ FTBAKEDESERTW.

Sorry Bobby.

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[MagnificentUnicorn]

Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beginning to ripen. I think they are my favorite tomato.

[bodywhomper]

Op, hit up capay valley on the way to north san Juan. Grab more yummy fruit in the foothills and a few dips in the river before heading to the higher sierra. Stick around for a month or so and pick up some trimming work and enjoy the end of thr fruit bounty before heading home....

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[KQ]

Whatever fruit is a good deal at Costco.

Ruh roh:

Fruit recall affects Costco, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Kroger stores

[digitaldeath]

Whatever fruit is a good deal at Costco.

Costco fruit is vile you fool

[BFD]

Cherries are just finishing up. Peaches on deck. Looks to be a huge year, with plums and pears to follow. Raspberries for all the backyard gardeners too.

U-pick some Paonia Peaches, then backpack in the wilderness outside of CB. Hook a few trout in the highcountry if thats your thing.

that is what I was thinking about. My best memory of CO is eating cherries in Paonia with my family.
Looks like it is going to be San Diego. Too late for Ramona peaches?
we have a good crop of Salmonberries coming on and blueberries are starting although they maybe spotty.

[skifishbum]

had a decent cherry harvest
rasberries are windin down but black berries are prime
i can em all in vodka cause its good n easy

and dehydrate the rest

[abraham]

Bump for persimmons and pears, the most underrated tree fruit.

[KQ]

Bump for persimmons and pears, the most underrated tree fruit.

Saw persimmons in the local Adventist market today (they have such wonderful fruit and veggies). I've never tried them. Do you cook with them or just eat them raw like an apple?

[snoqpass]

Found some ground fruit while hunting today