Blues For Breakfast
August 10, 2006

If you love blueberries, tonight would be a great time to visit the Owls' Head Blueberry Farm in Richmond for a double header of guitar and blueberry pickin'. Blues for Breakfast is playing at 6:00, so pack a picnic and load up the car- picking starts at 5 pm. Where else can you go in Vermont for a free concert and enough plump blueberries to see you through the winter? It's a great way to keep the whole family entertained and the freezer full. There are several more weeks of music, so if tonight doesn't workout, don't despair. Simply log on to their excellent website at www.owlsheadfarm.com for directions, a music schedule, and picking times and conditions.

I'm finding this year's crop to be superb- the blueberries loved our early summer rains- so enjoy the payoff by baking with native berries whenever possible.

Native Blueberry & Peach Tart
- 5 cups of fresh blueberries
- 3 fresh peaches, sliced
- one fourth cup flour
- one four cup sugar
- zest of one lemon, finely minced
- juice of one lemon

  1. Gently combine all ingredients.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Make the crust:

- one fourth cup Crisco
- one fourth cup soft butter
- 2 cups flour
- one fourth cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- cold water

  1. In a food processor combine all ingredients except the water. Add one third cup water and pulse, gently mixing ingredients. Keep adding water by the teaspoonful until the dough is sticky but still pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. 
  2. Turn dough out onto a flour–dusted sheet of parchment paper and roll in a circle to fit an 8” or 9” tart pan with a removable bottom. Transfer dough to tart pan and gently press to fit. Add fruit.
  3. Top with a Streusel Topping: combine one half cup chopped almonds,
2 ounces soft butter, one third cup sugar, one third cup flour,
one half teaspoon cinnamon
    • Bake for 55 minutes or until blueberries begin to bubble slightly. Serves 8.

    Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008