August 2008
Blueberry Treats
by Celia Cheng
As much as I enjoy sleeping in on Saturday mornings, given the amount of gorgeous produce in season at the green market right now, I make sure I wake up in time to get in on the action at Union Square. For the last month, blueberries have been a top priority, not only on my grocery list, but on many pastry chefs’ menus as well. As the summer starts to wind down, I’m savoring every last bit of sun, warm weather, and blueberries. Here are some of my favorite blueberry desserts and drinks around town. Check them out while the fruit is in season. Or make them at home with the recipes included here.
PEARL OYSTER BAR
Blueberry Crumble Pie
w/ vanilla ice cream
($8)
Recipe
The thought of summer always conjures up the image of blueberry pie for me. And when I think of blueberry pie, I think of Pearl. Served only in season, I wait three quarters of the year until I can get my pie. So once it’s summer, I would not think of leaving the restaurant without that essential ending to a perfect meal. The pie is served warm, à la mode with vanilla gelato from Il Laboratoria del Gelato. The blueberries ooze out of the pie, enticing you to take a bite. The crumble is nice and crunchy in contrast to the soft tender berries. But what I love most is the perfect crust. The buttery layers of dough are crisp and flaky. Chef Rebecca Charles knows her seafood, but she also knows her pies!
JAMES
Ricotta Beignets
w/ red wine coulis and fresh blueberries
($9)
Recipe
Just when I think I’ve had enough of beignets, James knocks my socks off with this much-appreciated variation of ricotta beignets breaded with coconut shreds and deep-fried. The ricotta mixture is lighter than regular dough. Drizzled with a refreshing red wine berry sauce, and accompanied by the delightful blueberries, the ricotta beignets make for an ingenious summer dessert. The beauty of the beignets is that they are ephemeral and I’m sure will taste just as good with other accompaniments once blueberry season is over.
LE CIRQUE WINE LOUNGE
Blueberry Soup
w/ yogurt and lime cream
($10)
Recipe
Simple and elegant, the blueberry soup with yogurt and lime cream at Le Cirque Wine Bar is so clean it effortlessly cuts the summer heat. The soup is a rich reduction of blueberry, water and sugar, strained then chilled. I love the blueberry tannins that add an unexpected dimension to this otherwise pristine purée. The piquant lime zest creates perfect harmony with the blueberries’ sweetness. The yogurt cream is whipped to the consistency of Chantilly, which gives the dessert a touch of weightlessness. If all creams were as light as this one, we’d be in serious trouble. The beautiful presentation as the soup is poured tableside over the lime and yogurt cream atop fresh blueberries adds to the allure.
TABLA
Blueberry Soufflé
w/ blueberry-cardamom compote, yogurt sorbet and granola
(part of the market tasting menu: $89)
Recipe
Tabla pastry chef Melissa Walnock took her inspiration from breakfast for this dessert: yogurt, granola and blueberries. But her vision is much more elaborate and sophisticated. Soufflés are classic, but blueberry soufflé is original. The texture is perfectly spongy, gooey on the inside, with a nice thin crust on the outside. Cardamom added to the blueberry compote is a welcome use of Indian spices that helps to cut the acidity but still brings out the flavor of the blueberries. The yogurt sorbet is delectably light, and the granola made in-house gives this work of art a contrasting crunchy texture. This dessert has so many components, but it all comes together with subtle fragrance and balance.
ANNISA
Chilled Blueberry Soup
w/ immortality herb panna cotta and black pepper crumbs
($9)
Recipe
Annisa’s chilled blueberry soup is not as straightforward as it sounds. It stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from the chilled blueberry soup at Le Cirque. I was expecting it to be a very cool dish, being a chilled soup, but this dessert has got heat! Even well after leaving the restaurant, I felt the spice on my tongue. The heat comes from the black pepper crumble, which also has a touch of cinnamon. The panna cotta is gelatinous in texture, almost like that of almond tofu. The soup is actually light and refreshing with whole cooked blueberries. And the dish is completed with a helichrysum (strawflower) tuile as garnish. The composition of elements is a delightful play on contrasts: cold versus hot, hard crunch atop smooth gelatin, fruit versus spice.
GRAMERCY TAVERN
Blueberry and Corn Ice Cream Sundae
w/ black pepper whipped cream and toffee popcorn
($8)
When I learned of the blueberry and corn sundae at Gramercy Tavern, I thought I had found a soul mate in pastry chef Nancy Olsen. Corn is another one of my favorites of the season’s produce, and though I’ve never thought of it paired with blueberry, it just seems so natural and right. This sundae is more than just right. As it’s the third year Nancy has put the dessert on the menu during the season, it seems I’m not the only fan. The ice cream is a purée of corn — so smooth it reminds me of Japanese corn potage — and the blueberry compote also contains kernels of fresh corn. The black pepper whipped cream is light as a cloud, with the pepper embellishing but not overpowering the cream. On top of all this is toffee popcorn for added texture. There’s also a warm corn muffin to accompany. The silkiness of the corn ice cream and the fresh corn kernels in the blueberry sauce are enough to have me raving for weeks to come.
BLT STEAK
Ol’ Lucy Blue Eyes
($13)
Recipe
Though I’m not usually a fan of absinthe, this cocktail demonstrates that when paired with the right ingredients, absinthe makes a good drink. Ol’ Lucy Blue Eyes is a visually attractive drink. The anise flavor of Lucid Absinthe is balanced by the fruity juices of muddled blueberries, Stoli Blueberry, lemon juice and simple syrup. And the concoction is positively refreshing.
RONNYBROOK
Blueberry Pomegranate Yogurt Drink
($2.25)
Ronnybrook’s blueberry pomegranate flavor is the latest addition to their list of yogurt drinks. But in fact, this is not a new flavor. It was developed for the British sandwich chain, Pret A Manger. It’s one of their most popular flavors, so now that Ronnybrook is selling it under its own label, it’ll be available year-round. That’s wonderful news! The blueberry pomegranate yogurt drink is tangy and refreshing, with blueberry and pomegranate skins and seeds laced throughout. It’s a lighter and healthier alternative to a milkshake, and I’d say it tastes even better.
