I know they aren't blueberries - but

These beets from The Shepherd's garden are so pretty (and they were very tasty!)

Blueberry Tortilla Wraps

I found this recipe in an old magazine - I will admit I haven't tried it, but I think that it might be quite a tasty treat to take along on a picnic for dessert.

The recipe was co-sponsored by Mission 98% Fat Free Tortillas and the US Highbush Blueberry Council . I haven't poked around their website much but they seem to have some unique recipes for anything blueberry that you could want - beverages, breakfast, desserts, main dishes, salads, sauces and soups - make sure you take a look!


Creamy Minted Blueberry Tortilla Wraps (serves 8)

Combine in a small bowl and beat until well blended (set aside):

8 oz. Philadelphia brand "Light" cream cheese (the original recipe calls for "fat free", but seriously, that stuff is like rubber!) (make sure it's at room temperature)
2 Tbsp lime juice (roll your lime on the counter before you cut it and you'll get more juice from it. You might also use a little itty bit of lime zest here too)
2-3 Tbsp. chopped FRESH mint (or less to taste)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
A couple tsp. of sugar or honey or Splenda if desired

Toss together in a smaller bowl:

3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup diced mango or pineapple, drained

Heat an ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Take your tortillas (one at a time) and warm for about 10 seconds on a side - you want them pliable, not toasted .

4 Mission 98% fat free Burrito Size Flour Tortillas

Spread each tortilla with one quarter of the cheese mixture then distribute one cup of the blueberry mixture over the bottom three-quarters of the tortilla, leaving the top with the cheese only. Gently press the fruit into the cheese. Fold in both sides of the tortilla about one inch then roll up snugly toward the cheese end. To serve, slice each wrap in half on a slight diagonal cut. If you are going to pack them for a picnic, wrap each whole one in waxed paper or plastic cling wrap and cut when you get to your destination.

Ideas for additions or changes -

• Use lemon juice instead of lime juice -

• Add a tsp. of poppy seeds instead of the mint.

• Sprinkle the filling with sunflower seeds (shelled, of course!) before you wrap it.

• Use diced peaches instead of mangos

Blueberry Galette

When Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake" maybe she was really talking about Galettes. The definition of galette is from the French and designates a type of "free form" pie or tart. Sweet or savory, these rustic and easy to make "pies" leave your family or guests thinking that, like the lady who splashes flour on her face after making Rice Krispie treats, you have slaved for hours over a hot stove. In all actuality, they are "as easy as pie" only easier.

If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, make it, but you also can grab a pre-made crust - the type that comes from the refrigerator case - let it sit out for a bit so it become pliable - you don't want it to crack and let all the good juices from your fruit filling out!

Blueberry Gallette

Turn your oven on 375 degrees.

Make (or take out of the fridge) One pie crust for single crust pie. Lay it out on a large baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. If you have a pizza stone even better - but remove all the traces of pizza from it first - no one wants a piece of blueberry tart that tastes like garlic......(like the iced tea with lemon that I got at Arby's the other day - they had, apparently cut their lemon slices on their food slicer - pretty smart idea - all your slices will be uniform - but a bad idea if you have just sliced the onions and NOT cleaned the slicer first - Onion iced tea doesn't hold a candle to that with raspberry stuff...) Sorry, I digress.......

In a medium sized bowl, toss
2 1/2 - 3 cups of fresh (or frozen) blueberries
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, depending upon how sweet your berries are
(if your berries are kind of bland you could add a little lemon zest or a tablespoon of lemon juice here)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp of cornstarch

Mound your berry mixture onto the middle of the pie crust leaving at least a 3 inch border all the way around. Carefully fold up the crust around the berries (leaving a saucer sized hole in the center - your dough will not meet in the middle.) This is why you want to make sure that your crust is at room temperature because if it is too cold, it will crack around the folds and all the juice from your tart will run out! If you want to, sprinkle a little sugar around the edges.

Bake galette at 375 degrees for 35 minutes (if you are using a refrigerated pie crust, I would suggest 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and run a thin spatula under your tart and carefully transfer it to a service platter. A nice touch is to make a little powdered sugar glaze with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about a tablespoon of water - drizzle this over the galette and serve. (you could also sift a little powdered sugar over the top - ala Emerill - you know "Bam"

Some recipes I found for galettes said this made 12 servings - egads - I was thinking 4 at the most!

You can also make this with any kind of fruit that you might have on hand - apples, blackberries, plums, apricots, peaches, singularly or a mix of two or three. Try layering them on top of some sweetened cream cheese, or go savory with an onion jam and sliced almonds or maybe sauteed spinach, mushrooms, onions and feta cheese. Now, doesn't that sound tasty? Enjoy!