Berry Berry Good

I walked into the most amazing ice cream shop the other day. They featured over 20 unique, home-made flavors for gelato and sorbet. The one that jumped out right away was a flavor called "cabernet and blackberry sorbet." And it stood out because of its color, which was like a very deep dark red color that was almost black.So, I decided to take a page from the gelato store to create a blueberry wine compote. A compote is a cooked fruit sauce that is very versatile. You can spoon it over cereal, ice cream, yogurt, and fresh fruit.I had bought a lot of blueberries because they were on sale and I wanted to use them up before they went too fast past their prime. I mixed the blueberries with just 2 tablespoons of rose wine. It was so easy. You just add the wine and then microwave for 2 minutes in a covered bowl. If you do not want to use wine you could use a little black tea with fresh lemon. Black tea and wine both contain tannins, which have an astringent bite. This flavor complements the sweet berries.I spooned the blueberry and wine compote over some fresh apricots and then topped with shaved mint and toasted almonds.I also made a refreshing summer tea with all of the mint and berries from the farmer's market. It is so refreshing and has a sweet flavor without using any sugar. It is so simple you do not need a recipe.Start making your tea by adding lukewarm water to a large, clean jar, followed by 3-4 black tea bags, cut berries, lime halves, and fresh, rinsed mint. Allow it to steep for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.Stir in a little macha powder for color and flavor. This is optional. Macha powder is a dried green tea powder that is found in the tea aisle of your grocery store.And voila! You have a refreshing tea drink for summer that is delicious any time of the day! The handy spigot jar calls everyone's attention when they open the refrigerator and this sugar-free drink disappears fast.And here is a nice way to serve fruit for dessert. Use a tray with bowls of fruits and serve with nonfat plain yogurt. This makes a great family style dessert that encourages conversation as everyone creates their own masterpiece. Serve with a fruit knife and a fork so everyone can their fruit fresh to order.Enjoy! Here is a handout download using these berry ideasWe had a great complement on our farmer's market themed items and here they are:

fruitberriesdessertkitchen hackno sugar

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.