Blueberries and...market PRIDE!

The hotter summer gets, the more my food habits change and smoothies become my best friends! It's an extra bonus when they keep me cool and full enough to go about my day. Blueberry season is in full swing and blueberry smoothies are easy to make and always hit the spot, and you can modify them any way you want. I usually make something like this blueberry spinach smoothie, which sneaks in those nutritious greens from Titusville Farm. (They're delicious in any form, but this is a nice way to get a head start in the morning.) Using yogurt from The White Moustache will get you even more protein and creamy flavor, and you can always add in things like flax seeds, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and really anything you'd like.

I love poppy seeds, especially in cakes and pastries, and it seems that the judges from the 1990 Pillsbury Bakeoff agree with me because this blueberry poppy seed brunch cake unanimously took the prize. It's not too fussy to make, and it balances the gentle fruity taste of plump blueberries from Caradonna Farm with lemon zest, sour cream, and nutmeg. It's an easy cake to love, and it will pair well with your favorite tea from Teagevity--I'm thinking Earl Grey--or a pot of Cano Coffee. 

When I was in high school, I worked for a time making wood-fired pizzas for a small catering company, and one of our most popular pies was a blueberry pizza not unlike this one. Something about bursts of blueberry flavor alongside creamy, whipped ricotta, which you can get from Maplebrook Farm Creamery, is a strange, amazing, and unforgettable combination. Add caramelized onions for another layer of sweetness and shredded chicken from R&M Farm if you want to get closer to the original recipe I'm modifying here. And while you're at the market on Sunday, DoughNation's market specials have a colorful array of seasonal ingredients that you'll fall in love with. If you've never tried their caramelized lemon with scamorza cheese, you haven't lived!

Have you visited the Le Roux Trading Co. tent yet?  Make sure you try their yogurt and cheeses from Chaseholm Creamery. Be forewarned: The Nimbus sells out quickly! 

Wear all the colors of the Rainbow as we'll be celebrating the end of  PRIDE month this Sunday at the market.

The Rivertown Ramblers will be with their amazing bluegrass ensemble, so you'll want to stick around from 10:30-12:30. My band, The Altogether, will be performing in Hastings tomorrow. We'll see you there!