In this monthly feature, we offer three themed recipes for you to choose from depending on how much time you have and how adventurous you’re feeling:  Bachelor’s level takes the least effort to prepare, and Doctorate the most.

Download PDF versions of these recipes:

• Bachelor’s: Blueberry-Cherry Parfaits (.pdf, 51K)
• Master’s: Blueberry Chicken Salad (.pdf, 54K)
• Doctorate: Blueberry Semifreddo (.pdf, 53K)
• Complete Set: Blueberries_0709 (.pdf, 81K)

July is a fitting month in which to celebrate blueberries, since they are a North American native and have been an American favorite since colonial times. If anything, our love affair with the berries has deepened in recent years, as scientists have discovered their remarkable nutritional qualities.

One cup of blueberries has just 84 calories yet delivers 4 grams of dietary fiber and whopping one-quarter of the vitamin C you need for the day. Blueberries also are a good source of manganese, a mineral that helps your body process other nutrients and is linked with bone health. Like other blue-hued foods, the berries are rich in antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanins, which are linked to heart, eye, and brain health, and may protect against some cancers.

Small, intense-flavored, wild, low-bush blueberries grow in Maine and eastern Canada, and most often are used in food processing for frozen berries and pie fillings. The fresh blueberries you’ll find in markets are the more common high-bush varieties, which are cultivated as far north as British Columbia and as far south as Florida. These are larger and milder in flavor than their wild cousins.

It’s peak season for North American blueberries, and you’ll pay as little as $2 a pint. (Fresh berries are imported from South America in winter, but cost as much as $5 a pint.) Look for firm, plump, deep-blue berries. Turn the container upside-down—if there are any wet, mushy berries languishing at the bottom, put it back. Blueberries will keep in the refrigerator for about five days; wash them just before you’re ready to use them.

Now is prime time to use these sweet gems, when they’re fresh, delicious, and cheap. Add them to your morning cereal, a salad, pancakes, cobbler, or any of your recipes.

 
Level: Bachelor’s

RECIPE 1

Blueberry-Cherry Parfaits

This no-cook, patriotic-looking dessert is easy to assemble, and you can do it a few hours ahead and refrigerate until it’s time to eat. (If you make it in advance, wait until serving to sprinkle with gingersnaps so the crumbs don’t get soggy.)

1 (7-ounce) container 2% low-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 cup pitted fresh cherries
1 tablespoon crushed gingersnaps (about 2 cookies)

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients. Spoon 1/4 cup blueberries into each of 4 (6-ounce) glasses or bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt mixture, 1/4 cup cherries, 1 tablespoon yogurt mixture, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon yogurt mixture, and 3/4 teaspoon crushed gingersnaps. Yield: 4 servings.

 
Level: Master’s

RECIPE 2

Blueberry Chicken Salad

Blueberries may be common in desserts, but they’re at home in savory dishes, too. This chicken salad is a cool summer meal. If you have the grill fired up, cook a couple of extra chicken breast halves to make this salad another day. Or use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. Serve in a sandwich or wrap, on a bed of greens, or with crackers.

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 cups diced, cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 2 breast halves)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir to combine thoroughly. Stir in chicken, celery, onion and walnuts. Gently fold in blueberries. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup).

Level: Doctorate

RECIPE 3

Blueberry Semifreddo

Don’t have an ice cream maker? You don’t need one to prepare this Italian-style soft-serve ice cream (semifreddo means “half-frozen” in Italian). Be sure the water in the saucepan is barely simmering, or you may end up scrambling the eggs. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the egg mixture reaches 160 °F so it’s safe to eat. If you have gingersnaps left over from making Blueberry-Cherry Parfaits, use them to make mini ice cream sandwiches.

6  large eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
3 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a simmer.

2. Combine eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt in a medium metal bowl; stir with a whisk. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Continue to whisk egg mixture until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer (about 9 minutes). Place bowl of whisked egg mixture in bowl of ice water. Let stand until mixture cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

3. While the egg mixture cools, puree the blueberries in a blender or food processor. Place cream in a large, clean bowl. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of whipped cream into egg mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream and blueberries. Pour mixture into a 2-quart metal pan (such as an 8-inch square or 11 x 7-inch baking pan); freeze 4 hours or overnight. Yield: about 2 quarts (serving size: 1/2 cup).
(Adapted from The Silver Spoon.)