Have I stepped into another century?
I am ambling down the wooded dirt road to Restoration Farm,
when I stop abruptly. Standing some
twenty feet in front of me is a blue-coated Union soldier holding a rifle. A little girl –perhaps 4-years old – dressed
in a country smock, her head covered in blonde ringlets, accompanies him. It is a strange vision. She says “Good morning.” He doesn’t seem to notice me, and takes a
drink from his canteen. She wanders over
to admire the patch of sunflowers.
Normally I would attribute this scene to the fact that
Restoration Farm shares land with a mid-19th century historic
village. One will often hear the sound
of gunshots and encounter reenactors of Civil War history. Yet, when I turn back for another glance, I
don’t see the soldier and child. Were
they apparitions? Did they disappear
into the woods, or bygone days?
I can’t quite shake the image of the soldier in his dark
blue shell jacket as I head for the berry patch. The blueberries of Restoration Farm have
come in. At one point in my hectic life,
the idea of picking blueberries on a Saturday morning might have seemed just as
unlikely as the possibility of encountering a Union soldier on a dirt
road. Yet, Restoration Farm reminds us
that the simple pleasures in life – like picking a pint of tart, juicy blueberries
on a summer morning – are still there for our enjoyment.
The bushes are thick with clusters of blueberries. Planted in 2009, this is the first year the
blueberries have yielded significant fruit.
Head grower Caroline Fanning is happy that the blueberries are thriving. Planting the bushes was a grueling project,
she recalls. These blueberries symbolize
the kind of patience needed when one believes in seasonality.
The rows of bushes smell of fresh mulch as I stoop to pick
the dark blue berries. Like the
encounter with the soldier, the act of foraging for ripe blueberries is a
snapshot in time, a moment to remember – a
moment to simply be.
So how might I enjoy Restoration Farm’s first significant
harvest of blueberries? These bright,
tart berries should be served in a decidedly old-fashioned way, perhaps in a
vessel that the Union soldier might have used to cook over an open hearth.
Blueberry Dutch
Pancakes adapted from Martha Stewart
Living, June 2012
Makes two individual
pancakes served in mini cast iron skillets
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
½ cup all purpose
flour
1/8 cup granulated
sugar
¼ teaspoon finely
grated fresh lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter
½ cup blueberries plus
more for topping
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend together eggs, milk, flour, granulated
sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a blender.
©2012
T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved
