Blueberries will be harvested until late September, and are widely available at stores, fruit stands and farmers markets. In addition, the British Columbia Blueberry Council has a list of blueberry farms with gate sales and "u-pick" options on its website (bcblueberry.com).
The following are a couple of blueberry recipes from the council.
PORK TACOS WITH BLUEBERRY PINEAPPLE SALSA
YIELDS: 12-16 tacos
INGREDIENTS
PORK: 1 cup B.C. blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped 1 tbsp chipotle pepper (canned in adobe sauce), chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp thyme, fresh or dry
3-4 lb pork shoulder
BLUEBERRY PINEAPPLE JICAMA SALSA:
1 cup B.C blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pineapple, fresh or canned, diced
1/2 cup jicama, diced 1 tbsp jalapeño pepper, de-seeded and finely diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
TO SERVE: 12 four-to six-inch corn tortillas
DIRECTIONS
PORK: In a sauce pan, on a medium-low heat, cook the blueberries, onion, garlic, chipotle, salt, pepper, paprika and thyme until reduced, breaking down the mixture with a spoon.
Cool completely and spread over the pork to marinade in the refrigerator for one to five hours. Cook marinated pork in an uncovered roasting pan on low heat (275 F) for four to five hours. Allow to rest and cool.
Separate and shred into small pieces.
SALSA: Mix together the blueberries, pineapple, jicama, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper and set aside.
TO SERVE: Warm tortillas in oven or microwave for 15-30 seconds.
Line the tortilla with shredded pork then top with salsa.
BLUEBERRY BACON CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
1 cup B.C. blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup thick sliced bacon, diced
1/2 cup shallots, finely diced
1/2 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp orange zest, finely grated
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground clove
DIRECTIONS
In a medium pan, fry the diced bacon over medium heat until light brown but not crispy. Strain the bacon and reserve two tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Using the same skillet, add the bacon fat, blueberries, shallots, apple, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, black pepper and clove. Bring to a boil and continue to simmer on a medium-low heat for 45-60 minutes until thick and reduced. Add the cooked bacon and orange zest.
Serve at room temperature.
