RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY

It's never too late for dessert, is it? Well, here is one you are sure to love - a strawberry and blueberry tart. The blackberries weren't ripe yet and in different parts of the world, I'm sure there are other berries you could substitute. This tart is wonderful as it is, but if you want it lighter, omit the cream cheese layer and use a graham cracker crust or thin pie crust. Whatever your little hearts desire. This dessert begins with a thick cookie type crust and on top of that, a layer of sweetened cream cheese. Top that with the berry mixture and whipped cream; well it's really a diet dessert, don't you agree?

BERRY TART

Crust

Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Mix with 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Press into a round tart pan or 9 x 13 rectangular pan. Bake 15 min. at 375 degrees until lightly golden brown. Don't overcook.

Cream Cheese Layer

Mix 8 oz. of cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar. (It will look like the consistency of icing). Spread on cooled crust.

Berry Topping

3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 TBS. cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 3 oz. box of strawberry gelatin (small box)
1-2 quarts of washed and drained strawberries (depending on how tall you want the pie)
1 pint blueberries
whipped cream for serving

Cook sugar, water, cornstarch and salt until moderately thick and clear. Dissolve strawberry gelatin in hot mixture. Place strawberries and blueberries in a bowl. While still hot, pour gelatin mixture over the berries. Pour over the baked crust/cream cheese layer. Place in refrigerator until set - a few hours is best. Serve with whipped cream.

Simply delicious on a hot summer day!

Blackberry Sauce in Framboise

In this part of the country, wild blackberries grow in abundance. The only drawback are billions of 1/4" thorns curved backward in an arc. Because of these killer arcing thorns, one can go in for the biggest and plumpest berries then not be able to pull your arm back out. It has happened to me too many times to count. When we first moved to the farm, I'd go berry picking in the summertime in my white cotton dresses that billowed out in the wind and immediately become impaled. I never learned - just kept sticking my arm in with my summer dresses plastered to the bushes wondering how long it would take for someone to find me.
A few years ago, we fenced in an acre or two and planted thornless blackberries and grapes. Why hadn't we done this long ago? I wouldn't have permanently embedded thorns and scars aplenty. Nevertheless, we now get gallons of big, juicy berries. What to do with so many said berries? We eat lots of them fresh. The rest we freeze for cobblers. We also eat them in a bowl with sugar and cream; when you pour the cream on the frozen berries they look like little snowballs. I also juice them and store the nectar in the freezer and sometimes make jam though we don't often eat toast etc. I also make a blackberry liqueur which is very good and potent. This year I tried something new. I canned a blackberry sauce(syrup really) with Framboise in it. The sauce is a sweet/tart topping for ice cream and is very good. It is a delicious way to remember the abundance of summer on those long winter nights.

Blackberry Sauce in Framboise

4 c. blackberries
1/2 c. Framboise
3/4 c. sugar
1 TBS. very fine lemon zest
1 TBS. lemon juice
1 pouch liquid pectin

Wash blackberries; drain. Combine berries, Framboise and sugar in a saucepan; let stand 2 hours; stirring occasionally. Add zest and juice and bring to a boil. Stir in liquid pectin then return mixture to a rolling boil (this is a boil that cannot be stirred down). Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Ladle hot sauce into jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Adjust 2 piece caps. Process ten minutes in a boiling water bath.

This recipe is easy to make and even better to eat. If you want to skip the canning, just invite friends over and there won't be any left. Or, hide it in the frig and have it all to yourself. Serve it puddled under a scoop of vanilla ice cream or drizzled atop puddings, pies, cheesecakes...