Blueberry Sunday

An O'Neal bush at Creekside Farm
loaded with berries.

Just about 10 minutes from my house is a blueberry paradise - Creekside Farm is bursting with blueberry bliss from May through August - acres and acres of multiple varieties starting with the early sweet O'Neals to the amazing gumball sized, super sweet Powder Blue in late summer. I discovered the farm at the Clayton Farm and Community market last year, picked twice last summer and am absolutely hooked on these berries.

Washing the berries

Washed and ready to eat

Yesterday I drove over for my first pick of the season - O'Neals are in season right now - a sweet, average size berry that the farm owner says is a real challenge to grow because the bushes will die for no reason at all. More than other varieties, this bush is very sensitive to soil conditions, temperature, weather. Fortunately Creekside Farm seems to be doing it right as they have managed to keep several rows of the O'Neal variety alive - and they are loaded with sweet berries. I picked for about 45 minutes yesterday - naturally testing each bush before I picked - and got about 3.6 lbs of berries.

When I got home I washed and de-stemmed the berries and put them in the refrigerator to munch on at my convenience. Blueberries make for the perfect summer snack!

I had 1.5 pints of blueberries left from my Produce Box. They are good, but they can't beat the ones from Creekside Farm. I already had a plan in mind for my Produce Box blueberries - a delicious blueberry crisp! I got the recipe from Yankee Magazine (and halved it for 1.5 pints). The lemon juice and lemon zest along with the oats and cinnamon really give this crisp a great flavor. I used Bella Gluten-Free All-Purpose Mix instead of flour. Those sensitive to oats can substitute certified GF oats, but I just used regular ones. Needless to say, my Sunday started and ended with blueberries - delicious from start to finish!

**I should add that blueberry picking makes for a pretty good thigh workout - my thighs are so sore today from all the berry-picking squatting and knee-bending!**

Fresh out of the oven, blueberries still bubblin'.

A nice portion!

Bowl-cleanin' good!

Blueberry what??

If you're not from the South, you may not have ever heard of grits - which is essentially boiled white cornmeal, similar to its Italian cousin polenta, which is made with yellow cornmeal. In the South, grits are usually served for breakfast with salt and pepper, though there are other savory varieties such as cheese grits. In the low country specialty, grits have made their way up to a dinner entree as the famous shrimp and grits served in any number of delicious ways. However, because grits are generally a savory dish, you've probably never even heard of much less had the pleasure to try blueberry grits, which is why I've decided to share my creation with you.

As a child (and even now), I was always a fan of sweet, hot breakfast cereals. I loved cream of wheat, cream of rice and oatmeal - always sweetened with brown sugar. When I would visit my grandparents and my grandmother would make grits, I just assumed they were similar to oatmeal even though they were generally served on a plate instead of a bowl, and asked for brown sugar to sweeten them up. Any true Southerner would frown upon such a defilement of grits, but my grandmother didn't seem to mind. I've been eating sweet grits ever since.

Today's breakfast is a variation on my sweet grits - adding ground flax seeds and blueberries for an antioxidant, omega-3 packed hot breakfast cereal. It's perfect for people who have a wheat or gluten intolerance (which for those with a severe intolerance even means omitting oatmeal). They're extremely simple to make and you're sure to love them! Enjoy!

The basic ingredients

Frozen blueberries that I picked this summer at Creekside Farm

For one serving, put 3 tablespoons of grits in a saucepan

Add 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds (for Omega 3s).
Add a dash of salt.

Add 1 cup of water

Bring to a boil

Stir as it thickens to prevent lumps

Add blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Stir in the blueberries

Stir as it continues to bubble

Grits will thicken up within 5 minutes and blueberries will begin
to pop, releasing dark purple blueberry juices

Put in bowl and top with a slice of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir to blend flavors and enjoy!