It is the start of the berry season here in Portland, Oregon. Strawberries are beginning to ripen even with all our recent rain and downpours. Portland, Oregon has a plethera of U-pick Farms in both Multnomah & Clackamas counties where you will find raspberries, gooseberries, currants, marionberries, and blueberries throughout the summer months. Here at the Fulton House Bed & Breakfast, we also have our own fresh fruits in our backyard garden.
Below you will find one of my favorite recipes that I prepare with my berries either with fresh picked berries or frozen. This recipe comes from the “The Culinary Institute of America’s Breakfast & Brunches“ cookbook and is located on page 124 and 129. This cookbook is one of my essentials here at the B & B.
Cheese Blintzes with Mixed Berry Sauce
1 cup farmer or pot cheese (if you can’t find farmer/pot cheese– I use Nancy’s organic cottage cheese small curd )
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, or as needed
1. Make the crêpes and berry sauce. These can be made ahead. Let the crêpes return to room temperature while you make the filling if they have been refrigerated or frozen. Warm the sauce.
2. Combine the cheeses and sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and stir until smooth.
3. To assemble the blintzes spoon 2-3 tablespoons filling on the lower 1/3 of each blintz. Fold the bottom of the blintz over the filling then fold each of the remaining sides over to make a little package. Repeat with the remaining blintzes.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange 6 blintzes at a time in the skillet seam side down and sauté until faintly brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn the blintz and brown on the second side, another 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining blintzes, adding another tablespoon of butter for each batch, and serve with the warm berry sauce.
Makes 2 cups
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
¾ – 1 cup sugar
1–2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Taste the mixture and, if necessary, add more sugar. Continue to heat until any additional sugar is dissolved.
3. Puree the sauce with a blender or push it through a wire mesh sieve. Return the sauce to a simmer and adjust the flavor by adding additional lemon juice if necessary. Add the remaining ½ cup raspberries, ½ cup strawberries, and ¼ cup blueberries and simmer until the sauce is very hot.
Crêpes
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Melted butter or vegetable oil to coat pan, as needed
1. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, blend the milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 12 hours before preparing the crêpes. Strain the batter if necessary to remove lumps before preparing the crêpes.
3. Heat a crêpe pan or small skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour about ¼ cup batter into the crêpe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature under the pan if necessary. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to lift the crêpe and turn it over. Cook on the other side until the crêpe is cooked through, 1 minute more.
4. Stack the crêpes to fill now, or refrigerate or freeze them and assemble them later.
Note: The thinner the crêpe the better, but don’t be discouraged if the first crêpe or two is a little uneven. With each crêpe, you’ll get better at gauging the right amount of batter and level of heat for your pan.
