VANESSA’S WAY... blueberry and lemon loaf cake
My father-in-law grows an abundance of soft fruits and he recently cultivated a crop of blueberries. How amazing to be able to grow a superfood packed with antioxidants in your own back garden.
It’s a labour of love, as the berries are picked in summer, labelled and stored in a chest freezer for use in a myriad delicious desserts over the winter months.
Blueberries are handy to buy in small punnets for cereal toppings and fruit snacks. I often pop them in the freezer and use them in pancakes and muffins at weekends. My latest recipe using them is this zesty blueberry loaf cake, which is gluten-free. I hope it will become a favourite among my coeliac friends.
GARY'S WAY... boozy blueberry compote with apricots and dates We serve this fruity, boozy compote with the cheeseboard after dinner at Viewmount House. It was also what I served as a cheeseboard accompaniment as far back as 2001, when I cooked in Devlin's of Boston, so it's a tried and tested formula.
Normally, our recipes are for six people, but due to this being a jam, it’s hard to quantify. As it lasts a long time, making a little more than you need will only save you time in the long run.
As an alternative to serving this with cheese, spoon the mixture into some turnovers, Eccles cake, or even a Banbury cake. It adds an incredible depth of flavour.
