Greenmarket Summer Dessert

Red, White and Blueberry Dessert

It’s the season to buy local strawberries and blueberries, fresh from the farm, at greenmarkets. Buying locally grown food also helps reduce emissions of the global warming gas carbon dioxide (CO2)—and air pollution—released by jets and trucks that transport food long distances. Shipping 30 pounds of groceries cross-country consumes about a gallon of gas and releases almost 20 lbs. of CO2.

Find a farmers’ market near you at http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm. If you’ve got room, freeze berries whole, and you can enjoy these colorful local treats in winter, too.

I made these quick, easy blueberry muffins for breakfast, and later that day the Green Man brought home a quart of succulent strawberries from the farmers’ market. After dinner, the muffins had a second act as strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream.

Blueberry Muffins

--adapted from the Mark Twain Library Cook Book, Mark Twain Library Association, Redding, CT, 1988.

1 and ¾ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
¼ cup raw demerara or turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, well-beaten
¾ cup milk
scant 3 tablespoons butter
1 generous cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

Let butter soften at room temp; blend in sugar, egg and milk. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, then fold into butter mixture, stirring quickly until just moistened. Add blueberries. Fill greased muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins.

Correction for yesterday’s blog: For correct urls, plus prices for beach bags, plse go to http://greenerpenny.blogspot.com/2007/07/bird-friendly-beach-bags.html.