By: Benita Ki | July 15 2011
Posted in Seattle - Cook It - Seattle

Fresh-picked raspberries waiting to be devoured. Photos by: Benita Ki

It's FINALLY summertime in the Pacific Northwest! So put some ice in that coffee, break out the Birkenstocks, and head out on an adventure to a local farm to pick some berries. The Northwest is home to delicious raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, tayberries, gooseberries, and marionberries (a NW favorite that is a cross of blackberries, chehalem, and olallieberries). Many farms allow you to pick your own berries for a fraction of the cost found in grocery stores.

Some farms in and around Pierce County that provide the "U-Pick" experience are:

Terry's Berries Organic Farm at 4520 River Road in Tacoma
Picha Farms at 6502 52nd St East in Puyallup
Linbo Blueberry Farm at 1201 South Fruitland in Puyallup
Canter-berry Farms at 19102 Southeast Green Valley Road in Auburn

Once you settle on one, it’s time to go pick some berries. What to do when you get home with forty pounds of picked fruit? Here are some healthy ways to eat them:

Strawberry spinach salad with feta and walnuts. Yum!

• Fresh: Wash, then eat. Repeat for a fresh, delightful treat! 
• Smoothies: Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are especially good for a fruity frozen beverage. Freeze the berries you pick and throw them in the blender with some yogurt and a little orange juice for a delicious and healthy breakfast or snack. Add some flaxseed for good measure. If the berries aren’t frozen, add a little ice to make sure the smoothie is cold.
• Yogurt: Greek yogurt and some berries...simple enough. Some homemade granola can make for a good parfait.
• Salad: Really, any berries will do for salads. Strawberries are well-paired with spinach and goat cheese or feta and some candied walnuts or almonds. Blueberries with mango and quinoa are a cool, healthy summer meal.
• Jam: Some fresh berries, a little sugar, and a splash of lemon juice are all that’s needed for some great jam. It’s easy to make and can be adjusted easily to preferences for sweetness or berry type. Freezing jars of jam will last you all year until the next berry season comes along.
• Fruit tart: Top some Jello pudding with whatever fruit you like. For the crust, use graham cracker crumbs and butter (1 cup graham cracker crumbs to 3 tablespoons melted butter for a 9” tart) for a less fatty base. Use multiple fruits--strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and kiwi--to make a beautiful, colorful, and delicious dessert.
• Muffins: My general understanding of muffins is an excuse to have cake for breakfast. But fear not, there are definitely ways to pack the little cupcake-shaped muffins with fiber and nutrients. Try oats, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, applesauce, and flaxseed in this healthy oatmeal berry muffin recipe. Any berries will do. Add a cup of coffee and you have a breakfast of champions.
• Compote: I like to cut back a little on the sugar, but compote is wonderful with waffles, pancakes, crepes, french toast...
• Crepes: Yes, they aren’t necessarily that good for you, but load them up with yogurt, honey, and tons of berries. Crepes can be made healthily too, especially if canola oil replaces the butter and buckwheat or whole wheat flour replaces half the all-purpose flour.
• Cobbler: Okay, that was a lie. Cobblers aren’t healthy. But berry crisps can be. With rolled oats and chopped nuts, sweeten with a little agave, honey, or maple syrup. Raw or baked, berry crisps are a winner. No reason berry crisps can’t be delicious and semi-healthy. This recipe (adapted from Ashley Gartland) makes one 8” pan. 

There's nothing like the taste of berries FRESH from the vine, with the added satisfaction that you picked them yourself! Now that it’s finally berry season, plan an outing to a local farm to pick your own berries, snack on them while you pick, and bring home plenty to make some delicious and healthy meals!

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.

 

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