The Berry Field in Basic Black and a Blackberry Focaccia

One eventually comes to the realization that we now seem to gage the progression of summer according to the arrival of different fruits and vegetables.   Color and calendar are synonymous.  Such is the “biological clock” for most members of Restoration Farm. Lettuce, greens and strawberries characterize early June.   Blueberries, eggplant and zucchini tint mid-July.  In August we welcome brilliant heritage tomatoes the color of the rainbow and dark, ink-stained blackberries.  

In the back of one’s mind is the idea that one must seize the moment, as that brief blast of color, crunch, juiciness and flavor is temporary, no matter how glorious.  

The blackberries have signaled their imminent arrival for weeks, with hundreds of knotty red berries clinging to the bramble.   One by one, they have darkened.   When the word “Blackberries!” appears on the chalkboard at the distribution tent we descend on the fields to fill our baskets.

I encounter my friends Maria and Matthew in the berry patch.  Maria is looking for the last remaining blueberries, and a few can still be found.  We talk about how the berries might be transformed for a dessert or a recipe at our respective homes.  We call it "farm talk" -- sweet dreams of meals still to come.   Blueberry pancakes, grilled peaches with blackberries, or a blackberry focaccia. 

Matthew is combing the blackberry bramble for dark clusters of fruit.   It is an untamed patch of thorns, leaves, branches and berries.  On each branch, it seems like just one single berry has ripened.   It is meticulous work – picking one berry at a time – but heartening to know that the blackberries will continue to ripen for several weeks to come.  

Nearby, several goats have wandered over from the historic village and are being wrangled by a farm hand.  Two are black goats, distinctive, with a streak of wild abandon.  A bit like the blackberries of late summer.  

Blackberries conjure up memories of days past, romantic notions and even a touch of delectably dark cravings.   This recipe for blackberry focaccia promises a host of such sensual pleasures.  

It is a rustic temptation, dreamed up by British author Nigel Slater for his book “Ripe:  A Cook in the Orchard.” Consumed warm from the oven, it is a sweet indulgence that captures a brief moment in time. Inhale the sweet aroma of yeast and savor the rich, jammy flavor of blackberries that melt into the hot, crusty bread, as summer will soon be a delicious memory.  

©2012 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved   

Fade to Black …

There was a time when – for me - the new school term marked the change in seasons. New pencils, loose leaf binders, and perhaps a shiny lunch box, all signaled the fact that summer was over. Fortunately, I’m well beyond having to endure the mental anguish of a new school semester. Now, the transition from summer to autumn is more likely to be marked by a change in seasonal produce, which generates a whole different range of emotions.

At Restoration Farm, the blackberries have bid us farewell for another season, although during a recent visit, an unknown picker had managed to collect the last of the choice berries (pictured above). His – or her – harvest seemed a fitting image to remind us of what was, indeed, a splendid berry season.

As the blackberries fade to black, I manage to pick enough to bake into this tart and buttery Apple-Blackberry Cake.

To pair apples with blackberries is the perfect transition of seasons. The blackberries glisten atop the cake like rare, dark jewels, which now they are. Yet, there are just enough still tucked away in the freezer – to be baked into a crisp in the dead of winter – promising a precious reminder of the sweet rewards of Saturday morning berry picking at Restoration Farm.

©2010 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Blackberries in Contrast

Blackberries are the chameleon of summer fruit. At Restoration Farm, they ripen from fire-engine red to inky black. Depending on the sunlight, the ripe berries can vary from shades of burgundy to deep blue to ebony.

So how best to showcase this multi-faceted jewel of the summer? A tart, silky, Buttermilk Panna Cotta offers a perfect, stark-white canvas to accentuate the dramatic good looks of the blackberry.

To make a fruit sauce to surround the panna cotta, sprinkle two cups of fresh blackberries with ¼ cup of sugar and crush some of the fruit. Leave at room temperature for one hour, stir occasionally, and a luxurious, plummy purple sauce gathers.

It is yet another distinctive mood for summer’s darkest and sweetest temptation.

©2010 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Sweet and Lazy – The Blackberries of Restoration Farm

The blackberries at Restoration Farm are taking their own sweet time. They’re in no hurry to ripen. It’s summer after all. In this age of instant gratification, perhaps the blackberries are teaching us a thing or two about patience.

They are a work in progress. Ripening – by its very nature – suggests that you must wait and see what develops. Bright red berries may be flashy, but in fact they are raw and callow. Wait for inky black berries, and you’ll taste the full, deep expression of the fruit. Give it time.

I note that it is often the lone, single berry at the tip of the branch that has matured, while the less evolved cluster behind. For now we are limited to picking a pint at a time as we wait for more. There is absolutely nothing you can do to rush the rhythms of the berry patch.

So, there is no blackberry pie just yet. Maybe in August. But there is enough from the morning pickings for a single Blackberry Crisp with Candied Ginger, perfect for one with a healthy appetite, or large enough for two to share. The succulent purple juice and piquant ginger is sophisticated and adventurous - and builds a bit of decadent anticipation for what’s to come.

Blackberry Crisp for Two with Candied Ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For fruit filling, combine 1 ½ cups fresh blackberries, 1 teaspoon minced candied ginger, two teaspoons brown sugar and one teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl. Let stand briefly and then place in a 2 cup soufflé dish.

In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of flour, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons rolled oats and a pinch of salt. Cut 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter into small pieces. Combine with the flour mixture. Using your fingers, rub the flour and butter mixture together until crumbly. Top the fruit filling with the flour and butter mixture (you will have some left over). Bake until topping is brown and juices are bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with Greek yogurt and serve.

©2010 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Berry Picking at Restoration Farm and Blackberry Raspberry Buttermilk Tart

It is perhaps the most anticipated edible event of the summer season, and no, it is not the premiere of Julie & Julia. The blackberries and raspberries are ready for picking at Restoration Farm.

For months, I’ve been anticipating the first picking. Everyone with a berry share has been allocated a quart of any combinations of blackberries, raspberries or ground cherries. I ramble into the berry patch and note that it looks a bit like a jungle - vines and branches everywhere.

It has been raining, and crystalline water droplets cling to the fruit. There are some sugar-craving bees hovering about. Other than that, I am alone. I am surrounded by bramble. I feel a little like the title character in Robert McCloskey’s children’s book, Blueberries for Sal.

I start to pick, plunking one jewel-like fruit at a time into my quart container. The blackberries are plump and inky black.

The raspberries grow on gangly branches and shimmer deep rose and ruby red.

For some time, I have intended to celebrate the first picking of berries with a quintessential summer fruit tart – not something baked that would alter the composition of the fruit, but a recipe that would accentuate their just-picked, finger-stained freshness. I choose this recipe, and replace the suggested blueberries with a combination of the blackberries and raspberries.

The iridescent black and red fruit is scattered atop creamy-white buttermilk custard and bursts with the sweetness and tang of late summer.

It was well worth the wait.

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved