Blackberry Bliss

8/19/09 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

It’s August and blackberry mania is open us! The first sign of it is when you pass a group of people with purple hands and clothing clustered together in an obscure rural location. Adults, teens and kids will be standing in ditches (barely out of the traffic pattern) and intently peering through towering thickets of fruit. Swinging their berry buckets, they risk life and limb as they reach around thorns and through spider webs to harvest the season’s first berries.

Wild blackberries are seasonally plentiful in Oregon and we all know the drill. Most of them are not native to the area. Most were brought in from Europe and are considered to be invasive weeds. Truly, the Himalayan and evergreen blackberry are pretty obnoxious plants. They have tall, thick and stiff canes that seem to grow 20-foot long lengths overnight. You can get whipped to death if you trip over them!

So unless you’re trying to discourage trespassers I don’t suggest that you try and cultivate “just a few berry vines” in your garden. It doesn’t work. Trust me. I tried. My husband (the master gardener) warned me but I didn’t listen. We had one year of a nice self-contained berry patch and about five out-of-control years trying to get rid of them. Never again!

Native blackberries are better behaved. The problem with the natives is that they are small, harder to find and harvest; quick to mold. Believe me, you do not want to ingest a moldy blackberry. So we all eat from whichever bushes are handy. Usually, its the non-native berries that are more prolific, have larger fruit and are better keepers.

We have a favorite ‘secret’ spot where we go in late August to pick berries and bring them home to gorge on. The Himalayans seem to be the most prevalent. Some go on cereal, others go into pies or cobblers, jams, cakes and muffins; most go into the freezer.

Here are a couple of hints about picking berries. First, try and be sure that you’re in a ‘no spray’ area. You don’t want to be eating pesticides. Then, wear sturdy shoes and long pants. I nearly had a heart attack one year when a snake slithered across my feet! I have even been known to carry a hoe so that I can grasp berry vines that would otherwise be out of my reach. Finally, only pick dark berries that slip easily off the stem. Red ones aren’t ripe. Squishy, dull ones are dead.

When you get the berries home, separate them into small batches and refrigerate as soon as possible. Do not wash until you’re ready to use them. If freezing, cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper, spread the berries in a single layer and freeze solid. Pack them in plastic bags or containers and use as needed.

Berries should be removed from the freezer an hour or so before using. Wild berries will need to be washed in a couple of changes of cold water. Remove the stem caps, drain and discard any that show signs of mold or decay. Drain well.

The following recipe looks a little tedious but it’s not. Be sure and read through it first so you’re prepared for the torte’s three layers: crust, berries and custard. It’s garnished with whipped cream and more berries. Delicious and best when served slightly warm. The second recipe is similar to the first but very fast and simple. Enjoy!

Fresh Blackberry Custard Torte

4 cups fresh blackberries, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Crust (recipe below)
Custard filling (recipe below)
Whipped Cream (recipe below)

Crust:
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Cup flour
1 large egg
(1) 9-inch springform pan, ungreased

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients; using a pastry blender cut in butter into small particles. Stir in egg until dough forms a ball. Press dough onto the bottom and 2-inches up the sides of the springform pan. Set aside.

Custard Filling:
4 egg yolks
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the egg yolks slightly; add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.


Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream until almost stiff in a chilled bowl. Slowly add sugar and vanilla. Beat until cream holds peaks. Refrigerate.

Put it all together:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Lightly mix the blackberries, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Place the blackberries over the prepared crust in a single layer. Reserve remaining berries in the refrigerator for garnish.

Carefully pour the custard over the blackberries in the pie shell.
Place in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with foil to catch any drips. Bake 60-90 min. or until center is almost set (test with a cake tester). Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Don’t worry when the center of torte falls. It’s supposed to!

To serve, remove sides of pan and place on a serving platter. Cover with whipped cream and remaining berries. Alternately, it can be cut into serving pieces and garnished individually. Serves 8 generously. Refrigerate leftovers.

Blackberry Crumb Pie

1 cup sugar
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
3 tablespoons flour
Dash salt
4 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well. Place blackberries in unbaked pastry shell; sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over berries. Spread sour cream mixture over berries. Combine breadcrumbs, sugar, and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of pie is firm.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Forever Friends

8/12/09 Chatterbox

Best friends are forever treasures

Betty Kaiser

Some childhood relationships are transient and fleeting. Others are lifetime treasures. I was reminded of this when I received a phone call that Leota Daniel, my “other” mother had died. She was the beloved matriarch of a family from my childhood. Born in 1900, at her death she was 99 years old but in my heart she is forever young.

Her daughter Carol and I have been best friends for 65 years. Her sister Alaine and my sister Joanne were also best friends. We were neighbors in Los Angeles and schoolmates from grade school through high school. Over the years we cemented our budding friendships through shared secrets, laughter and tears. Friends do that.

We girls lived in the days of innocence. We carefully coordinated the simple little dresses or skirts and sweaters that we wore to school so that no two outfits were worn in the same week (no jeans or slacks). At night we slept with our hair in spongy rollers so that we would have ringlets the next day. No messy, bed-head looks for us.

After school, we came home, changed our clothes and ran outside to play. We rode bikes, giggled through countless games of hopscotch, jacks and jump rope. We nearly wore out our roller skates before we outgrew them. In those days the skates were metal and you used a key to loosen or tighten them. They were hard to wear out!

Carol was there the day that I was racing a neighbor boy down the street on our bikes. My bike hit a bump; I took a tumble and gasped at the pain. One look at my crumpled, broken arm and I turned gray. She ran to get my mom. I limped into the house where I laid down on the couch and Carol sat crying by my side. Friends do that.

During the summer, Mrs. Daniel would invite my sister and me over for lunch. She always wore a nice apron over her cotton dress and served us girls in the dining room. Canned tomato soup with a pat of butter on top and a grilled cheese sandwich never tasted so good.

In the evening the whole neighborhood turned out at dusk to play hide and seek. We hid in the shadows and played until our parents called us in with “Ollie Ollie Oxen Free.”

The thing that I remember most about Mrs. Daniel is that she always treated us girls with great respect. Her touch was sweet and gentle and her advice kindly given. She never put on airs or talked down to us. We always knew that she genuinely respected us. We were loved. Friends do that.

Together, Carol and I double-dated, got engaged, married and were bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. She worked as a dental assistant and put her husband through college while I started having babies. Her family moved to Glendora, Texas, Nevada and back to Calif. Ours moved to Ventura and then Ore.

Our friendship became long distance instead of next door. But we stayed in contact as best we could by burning up the phone lines and sharing snail mail letters. Fortunately, we were young, our children were our life and adventure was on the horizon.

Fortunately, one of the great blessings of youth is that none of us could foresee the tough times and heartaches that lay ahead.

Like the rest of the world, we had some bumps in the road: a few financial setbacks, the early death of Chuck’s mother, a near bankruptcy and some major health problems. But we were blessed to have each other and the joys certainly outweighed the sorrows.

Sadly, Carol and her first husband divorced, leaving her with two children to raise. Mr. Daniel died in a tragic one-car accident and they lost their house. Mrs. Daniel went back to work as an executive secretary at 60 years of age. She worked for 20 years and loved it. Never once did she complain or say, “Why me?”

In January 2004 I wrote about Alaine in a column on smoking. She had become a three pack a day cigarette smoker and an alcoholic. Her voice box and vocal chords were removed in a horrifying and disfiguring surgery. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, bone cancer and lung cancer. Voiceless and bedridden, she depended on oxygen, medication tubes, a ventilator and nurses.

Alaine died in April. She had spent the last years of her life in the hospital. Ironically, her husband died of lung cancer the year before she did.

Along the way, Mrs. Daniel, in her mid-90s and living alone, began to exhibit signs of her age. She had to give up driving (!), going to the grocery store, fell often and needed a walker to get around her apartment. Did she complain? No. Instead, she encouraged her daughters.

For five years, my friend Carol drove 150-mile round-trips from her home (sometimes daily) to attend to the needs of her sister and mother. She was exhausted beyond belief. Family does that.

And last Monday, as her wonderful mother’s life ebbed, she was by her side. “It was such a gift,” she said, “to be able to hold her hand and kiss her goodbye.”

After my mother died, I found a most crumpled photograph at the bottom of a desk drawer. It shows our two families at a restaurant. It seems like yesterday. We were all so young and full of life. Once there were eight of us. Now, there are three: Carol, Joanne and me.

Special people come into your life for a reason and season. A few are forever treasures. Their physical presence may come and go but their spirits always have a home in your heart. The Daniel family forever lives in mine. Who lives in yours?

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her via email at bchatty@bettykaiser.net

8/12/09 Chatterbox

Best friends are forever treasures

Betty Kaiser

Some childhood relationships are transient and fleeting. Others are lifetime treasures. I was reminded of this when I received a phone call that Leota Daniel, my “other” mother had died. She was the beloved matriarch of a family from my childhood. Born in 1900, at her death she was 99 years old but in my heart she is forever young.

Her daughter Carol and I have been best friends for 65 years. Her sister Alaine and my sister Joanne were also best friends. We were neighbors in Los Angeles and schoolmates from grade school through high school. Over the years we cemented our budding friendships through shared secrets, laughter and tears. Friends do that.

We girls lived in the days of innocence. We carefully coordinated the simple little dresses or skirts and sweaters that we wore to school so that no two outfits were worn in the same week (no jeans or slacks). At night we slept with our hair in spongy rollers so that we would have ringlets the next day. No messy, bed-head looks for us.

After school, we came home, changed our clothes and ran outside to play. We rode bikes, giggled through countless games of hopscotch, jacks and jump rope. We nearly wore out our roller skates before we outgrew them. In those days the skates were metal and you used a key to loosen or tighten them. They were hard to wear out!

Carol was there the day that I was racing a neighbor boy down the street on our bikes. My bike hit a bump; I took a tumble and gasped at the pain. One look at my crumpled, broken arm and I turned gray. She ran to get my mom. I limped into the house where I laid down on the couch and Carol sat crying by my side. Friends do that.

During the summer, Mrs. Daniel would invite my sister and me over for lunch. She always wore a nice apron over her cotton dress and served us girls in the dining room. Canned tomato soup with a pat of butter on top and a grilled cheese sandwich never tasted so good.

In the evening the whole neighborhood turned out at dusk to play hide and seek. We hid in the shadows and played until our parents called us in with “Ollie Ollie Oxen Free.”

The thing that I remember most about Mrs. Daniel is that she always treated us girls with great respect. Her touch was sweet and gentle and her advice kindly given. She never put on airs or talked down to us. We always knew that she genuinely respected us. We were loved. Friends do that.

Together, Carol and I double-dated, got engaged, married and were bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. She worked as a dental assistant and put her husband through college while I started having babies. Her family moved to Glendora, Texas, Nevada and back to Calif. Ours moved to Ventura and then Ore.

Our friendship became long distance instead of next door. But we stayed in contact as best we could by burning up the phone lines and sharing snail mail letters. Fortunately, we were young, our children were our life and adventure was on the horizon.

Fortunately, one of the great blessings of youth is that none of us could foresee the tough times and heartaches that lay ahead.

Like the rest of the world, we had some bumps in the road: a few financial setbacks, the early death of Chuck’s mother, a near bankruptcy and some major health problems. But we were blessed to have each other and the joys certainly outweighed the sorrows.

Sadly, Carol and her first husband divorced, leaving her with two children to raise. Mr. Daniel died in a tragic one-car accident and they lost their house. Mrs. Daniel went back to work as an executive secretary at 60 years of age. She worked for 20 years and loved it. Never once did she complain or say, “Why me?”

In January 2004 I wrote about Alaine in a column on smoking. She had become a three pack a day cigarette smoker and an alcoholic. Her voice box and vocal chords were removed in a horrifying and disfiguring surgery. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, bone cancer and lung cancer. Voiceless and bedridden, she depended on oxygen, medication tubes, a ventilator and nurses.

Alaine died in April. She had spent the last years of her life in the hospital. Ironically, her husband died of lung cancer the year before she did.

Along the way, Mrs. Daniel, in her mid-90s and living alone, began to exhibit signs of her age. She had to give up driving (!), going to the grocery store, fell often and needed a walker to get around her apartment. Did she complain? No. Instead, she encouraged her daughters.

For five years, my friend Carol drove 150-mile round-trips from her home (sometimes daily) to attend to the needs of her sister and mother. She was exhausted beyond belief. Family does that.

And last Monday, as her wonderful mother’s life ebbed, she was by her side. “It was such a gift,” she said, “to be able to hold her hand and kiss her goodbye.”

After my mother died, I found a most crumpled photograph at the bottom of a desk drawer. It shows our two families at a restaurant. It seems like yesterday. We were all so young and full of life. Once there were eight of us. Now, there are three: Carol, Joanne and me.

Special people come into your life for a reason and season. A few are forever treasures. Their physical presence may come and go but their spirits always have a home in your heart. The Daniel family forever lives in mine. Who lives in yours?

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her via email at bchatty@bettykaiser.net

Cool meals for hot summer days

8/5/09 Cook’s Corner
Simply super summer meals
Betty Kaiser


It’s summertime in Oregon and as I write this, the weather is sizzling hot. The thermometer on my deck reads 108° F. That’s hot. Too hot to cook. In fact, except for the fact that we need to eat, it’s too hot to even think about cooking.

Every year at this time I become a minimalist. Eating becomes a simple biological function. Plain is good. Multiple dishes and fancy sauces are unnecessary. Meals are usually a last minute afterthought and the key to any successful offering is a well-stocked garden, pantry, refrigerator and freezer.

If you’re prepared, it’s easy to put together something tasty from canned meats, beans, olives, pasta and salsa from the cupboard. A variety of cheeses, tortillas, fresh fruit and salad ingredients from the refrigerator will make a nutritious lunch. And meat patties, chicken, steaks or boneless pork chops from the freezer can go directly to the grill with a minimum of effort.

The garden or a nearby vegetable stand is, of course, a wonderful resource for dressing up a simple supper. Just adding an ear of freshly picked corn will make that plain piece of chicken taste mighty good. And nothing beats the taste of homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes or even the prolific zucchini, steamed and seasoned.

This is also a good time to rummage around in your bookshelves and find those cookbooks that say “Five ingredients or less main dishes.” They can be a gold mine of ideas for last minute cooking.

Pasta salads are a great main dish if you have time in the morning to assemble the ingredients and let the flavors meld in the refrigerator. It’s often best to add the meat just before serving or as a garnish.

Sandwiches that are served wrap-style are a great treat on a warm night. You can combine a variety of meats, beans, dressings and lettuce with your favorite dressing in either a large lettuce leaf or tortilla. Pre-cooked taco shells and pita bread are also handy containers for sandwich entrees.

If you’re serving sandwiches for dinner, you’ll need something to balance out the plate. Be sure to include a nice, crisp green salad with garden fresh cucumbers and tomatoes if the sandwich is meat based. An old-fashioned cold bean salad is a great choice for adding vegetables and protein. Dessert can simply be an ice-cold slice of cantaloupe or a wedge of watermelon.

My husband’s favorite sandwich is a vegetable concoction straight out of the garden. He starts with whole grain bread, adds cream cheese and then starts layering the veggies. Try it! You’ll like it! And remember, now is the time to eat the fruits and vegetables of the season. Enjoy!

Chuck’s Perfect Summer Sandwich

Serves 4

1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 cucumber, partially peeled and sliced
1 red onion, sliced, separated into rings
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
Bean sprouts
Butter lettuce leaves (optional)
Low-fat cream cheese, softened
Hearty, whole grain bread

First, soften the cream cheese and spread on 8 slices of bread. Layer 4 bread slices with cucumber, avocado, tomato and onion. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add bean spouts and lettuce (if desired). Cover with top slices of bread and cream cheese; cut in half and serve with lots of napkins.

Note: Whipped cream cheese spreads easier than the block and makes more servings. Also, if you like a little more protein, add a slice of Muenster or other semi-soft cheese.

Shrimp Tacos

Makes12 tacos

1-1/2 cups sour cream
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons chili or seafood cocktail sauce
1 red onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 lb. shelled deveined cooked medium shrimp
12 store bought taco shells
Butter lettuce leaves, torn
1 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded CoJack cheese

In small bowl, combine sour cream, cucumber, half of the chili sauce, red onion, avocados, red bell pepper, and lemon juice.

In small bowl, mix remaining chili sauce with the cooked shrimp and add to sour cream mixture. Fill taco shells with shrimp mixture, lettuce, salsa, and cheese.

Old-Fashioned Cold Bean Salad Recipe

1 can whole green beans (16 oz)
1 can red kidney beans (16 oz)
1 can garbanzo beans or chick peas (16 oz)
1 small jar chopped pimentos
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup wine vinegar
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper, coarsely ground

Drain the three cans of beans in a colander and rinse well.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, pimentos, and onion.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then, pour over the beans and toss like a salad.
Seal in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Make it the night before and have it ready for the next day.

Southwest Chicken Tostada Salad

Serves 4

2-4 chicken breasts, seasoned and grilled
6-8 cups romaine and iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup black olives, drained
2-4 whole wheat tortillas, cut in half, then into strips
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup red onion, minced
Dash cumin
1 cup CoJack cheese, shredded

Mix dressing, onion and cumin; set aside. Spray microwave safe plate with cooking spray; add tortilla strips and microwave 1 min.; set aside. Combine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and chicken in large bowl with salad dressing. Distribute among plates. Top with olives, tortilla strips and cheese; garnish with a dash of paprika or seasoned salt.

Serve with salsa and tortilla chips or warmed flour tortillas.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Steve Lopez, the homeless & personal experience

7/22/09 Chatterbox Chose to make a difference Betty Kaiser Once you’ve witnessed a psychotic breakdown on a city street; observed individuals sleeping and urinating in alleys; or experienced guards at supermarket doors, the problems of a growing homeless population become reality. Steve Lopez, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, is well acquainted with the homeless population. His book, “The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive Power of Music,” not only made best seller lists coast to coast but became a powerful movie, “The Soloist.” His experience with one man led him to become an advocate for the homeless and the chronically mentally ill. Lopez was the reason I was attending a newspaper conference last month in Calif. Due to its proximity to downtown, many of us conferees got lots of interaction with the homeless. We also gained new skills in rejection as we practiced saying, “No” and “Sorry,” to the multitude of homeless winos, drug addicts and schizophrenics near the refined hotel where we were staying. Now, I am easily moved to tears by the plight of those who suffer. At the core of my being, I am a ‘helper.’ If you need a shoulder to cry on or a helping hand, I’m your gal. If you are at wit’s end and don’t know where to turn for advice on childcare, your next meal or clothes for a job interview … I’m only too happy to sit down and help you figure out the answers to the dilemma. I am also human and there is a limit to my compassion. Panhandlers really upset me. A grubby derelict who approaches me with his hand out saying — “Excuse me, ma’am, got any change?” —usually gets a cold shoulder and a brusque answer as I walk on by. Watching street corner prostitution agreements being made or drug deals go down disgusts me. As part of America’s middle class, I don’t like to walk on by. I’d like to be part of the solution but where does one begin. One must actually do something to make a difference. But what? Steve Lopez is my hero. He is one of those unlikely people who made a huge difference in the life on another. But if you’ve read his book or seen the movie, you know that the road wasn’t easy and the end of the story is on-going. Life is better for one homeless man but not perfect. Dave Lieber of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram introduced the tall, gangly Lopez as our speaker at the Crowne Plaza Ventura. “He is not the cold, uncaring, ‘just looking for a story’ individual as portrayed by Robert Downing, Jr.,” said Lieber. “He is the sweetest, kindest, nicest man I know.” Lopez never has to look far for a story. Skid Row, Los Angeles, is the homeless capital of the nation and just a few steps from the L.A. Times. It was there in 2005 that Lopez met Nathaniel Ayers — a grubby, semi-coherent individual whose entire possessions were stuffed in a shopping cart. Their relationship would eventually transform both of their lives and inspire the world. Lopez struck up a conversation with Mr. Ayers who was playing a two-stringed violin because he couldn’t afford the other two strings. He came down to Pershing Square near the Beethoven statue and played daily. Most people ignored him but Lopez stopped, looked him in the eye and said, “Why do you play here?” The answer was simple: “for inspiration.” It was gratifying to hear Ayer’s story as personally told by Lopez. He looked like the typical bum but his genius shined through his playing. A multi-talented musician in his 50s, he had left Julliard at age 21 when he suffered a mental breakdown. He was on and off medication, counseling and even shock therapy. The streets were his home but music remained his passion. Slowly Lopez became his advocate and learned that life with Mr. Ayers would never be simple. There are no easy fixes or magic pills for schizophrenia. A clean apartment, healthcare and even a renewed acquaintance with super star cellist Yo-Yo Ma could not totally reverse the damage that the years had wrought. “He’s Got the World on Two Strings,” was the first of 30 columns on Ayers that eventually became a book. Donations of instruments and money poured in. People cared! Step by painful step trust was built. Today the professional journalist and his skid row friend are still dialoging. Lopez keeps his friend supplied in strings and concert tickets. Ayers occasionally makes appearances at mental health events like the annual NAMI convention. The duo is on a journey together. Recently, I was sitting in a Starbucks in Eugene when a homeless man and his two dogs stopped outside. He was riding a bike and pulling a bike trailer; a guitar tenderly cradled by his side. He was obviously homeless but something in his eyes told me that he wasn’t your usual panhandler. He was a young man; perhaps in his early 30s. I could tell that he was weary as he pulled a pan out of his trailer and walked into the restroom to get water for his dogs. Thinking he could probably use a cup of coffee, I went outside to meet him. What happened next still stuns me. As we talked, his eyes filled with tears and he shared that his itinerant lifestyle wasn’t what he had planned but he didn’t know how to go back. I tried to encourage him as I cried with him. Sometimes in life, we all take a wrong turn and need someone to show us the way back. It’s important to remember that all of us are God’s children. We must keep the dialog going and be there for those who’ve lost their way. We can make a difference, however small it may be.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart.

Contact her via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Blueberries are super-berries

7/15/09 Cook’s Corner

Blueberries are super-berries!

Betty Kaiser

The last few years, the humble blueberry has assumed an exciting new reputation in the world of nutrition. It is no longer just a simple berry making its yearly appearance clothed in a royal blue cloak. Today it sits at the ‘berry’ top of the food chain as a super-berry!

These little guys add a powerful punch to our daily diet and can help keep us healthy. Research increasingly shows that thanks to anti-oxidant properties, blueberries are more than a sweet snack. They can also be helpful in fighting major diseases. Simply put, the berries supply the body with chemicals that react against harmful oxidants that can damage a wide variety of bodily functions.

A Tufts neuroscientist went so far as to call blueberries “the brain berry.” In a Newsweek article James Joseph said, “When it comes to brain protection, there’s nothing quite like blueberries.” Others claim that blueberries can improve vision, enhance memory, clear arteries, strengthen blood vessels and promote weight control.

Sounds good, right? Well, if it’s true, I say, bring them on! A serving of just one-half cup of blueberries is only 40-fat free calories and a great source of fiber and vitamin C. Raw, we can eat them guilt free. We add a dollop of guilt when they’re mixed with a little sugar and turned into pies but sometimes that’s the only way you can get kids and men to eat ‘healthy’ foods!

Blueberries are pretty sweet eaten plain and unadorned right out of hand. No sugar needed. I also enjoy them on my morning bowl of breakfast cereal and sometimes even on a green salad. Most people like them in muffins. Plain blueberry pie is too sweet and boring for me but I do like pies that combine blueberries with other fruits.

So today we’re going to mix up our blueberries into three distinctly different pies that probably have too much sugar and too much fat to be really healthy. My advice? Cut down the sugar where you can, eat small servings and hope that their antioxidant properties override everything else. Stay healthy. Eat blueberries. Enjoy!

Glazed Fresh Blueberry/Strawberry Pie

4-5 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

2-3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained

1-1/2 cups sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash salt

2 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

(2) 9-inch pie shells, baked

Prepare glaze:

Crush 2 cups strawberries and add enough cold water to make 2 cups pulp mixture. Pour into small heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 min.; strain and add cold water to make 2 cups. Set aside.

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk in strawberry juice mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 1 min. or until mixture is thick, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature before using. Add a few drops red food coloring if desired.

Assemble pie:

Brush bottom of cooled pie crust with a little of the strawberry glaze. Divide the glaze in half and pour into two large bowls. Put half of the strawberries and blueberries into each of the bowls. Gently mix the glaze with the fruit and pour into pie shells. Refrigerate pies 3-4 hours or until chilled and glaze is set. Note: If the strawberries are huge, slice in half lengthwise.

Shortly before serving, whip the cream, gradually adding sugar and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Sour Cream Blueberry Pie

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Pie filling:

In a mixing bowl, beat together sour cream, 2 tablespoons flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and egg until smooth (about 4 to 5 minutes). Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into the piecrust and bake at 400° for 25 minutes.

Pecan Topping:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Combine the 3 tablespoons of flour, margarine, and pecans, mixing well. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the top of the pie; return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Let cool. Chill before serving.

Serves 8.

Blueberry Peach Pie with Crumb Topping

1 cup sugar

2-3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups sliced peaches

1 1/2 cups blueberries, washed & cleaned

2 tablespoons lemon juice

9" unbaked pie shell

TOPPING:

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs or flour

1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix pie ingredients together and put into a 9 inch unbaked pastry shell. Mix topping ingredients and crumble over pie. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until juice bubbles through. Let cool. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 6-8.

Note: Place pie in oven on a piece of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Makes clean up easier.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. 

Dealing with deer

7/8/09 Chatterbox Dealing with deer Betty Kaiser Dear “deer,” Our last formal communication via this newspaper column was in Oct. 2001. Obviously too much time has passed because you did it again! This time you wiped out my prized rose garden early in the season during bloom prime time. Your behavior is unacceptable if you wish to continue to co-exist with us at Wilson Creek Meadows. Early in April you began scouting out the crime scene as you elegantly wandered down the driveway at sunset. Tall and elegant, we watched in awe as you strutted your stuff. We named you Dancer and Prancer. Every night the dogs would sit on the deck waiting to chase you onto the rear of the property. But you kept coming back, tantalizing them and mesmerizing us. One night you couldn’t keep it together any longer and munched down dozens of tulips in planters near the house while you were scouting the area for dessert. In late May you became more brazen. At first you just sampled a few early rose petals near Chuck’s workshop. Then you discovered the new tender perennials that we planted. Some you ate right down to the nub. Others, like the Columbines, were not to your liking so you just pulled them up and spit them out. All the while, you were just waiting to chow down on dozens of tea roses along the front of the house. I’ll bet that you were imaging the fragrance and texture of roses as you grazed on grass. Once upon a time, the sight of your grazing cousins would evoke in us a sense of peace and wonder. As city dwellers, deer alerts were a surefire way to keep our kids occupied while driving through wilderness areas in state or national parks. At the time I thought there could be no more tranquil scene that a doe feeding in a meadow with her fawns. One of my favorite sayings was, “Aren’t they sweet?” Well, after 20 years of growing roses in deer country, I’ve discovered that you are not sweet. In fact, you are — animals! Cunning and conniving, your peaceful appearance is just a façade to lull home gardeners into a false sense of security. Well, it’s not going to work. Remember the vegetable garden? Your cousins kept breaking down our aged field fence barrier. After one of your buddies got hit by a car, ran onto the property (straight for the garden!) and died, Chuck built the Taj Mahal of garden fences. It is 8 feet 4 inches high with pressure treated 4 X 4 posts, raised beds and locking gates. Now, birds are the only predators that snack on the seeds, strawberries and tomatoes. One fine summer evening, a few years ago, several of you got together and invaded my English rose garden. Now the Cecile Bruners, Abraham Darbys and Gertrude Jekyll’s are snugly protected from your advances by a decorative fence with solar lights so you can see what you’re missing. Until this year, we have been able to reasonably protect the roses across the front of the house with a double strand of nearly invisible hot wire. By and large, your predecessors have respected this barrier. Once in awhile — in the dead of summer — when the fragrance becomes overwhelming, someone walks down the sidewalk and gingerly samples a few roses. Then they move on. You, however, are gluttons. Earlier this month, I was horrified when I stepped out onto the front porch. Most of the 75 rose bushes were broken; blossoms were either neatly snapped off the stems or the entire stalk was stripped of leaves and thorns like a zipper. In the heat, the bushes were already starting to wilt from the enzymes in your mouth. What were you thinking? Where were your manners?! Thanks to you, Wilson Creek Meadows now looks like a war zone. Property protection is the name of the game. Charm has gone out the window. We look more like a fortress than a house. New motion lights have been added. Stronger battery chargers have been purchased; wires are now strung across the walkways and an increasing array of barriers has been added. It ain’t pretty. Now, Dancer and Prancer, we are reasonable landlords. We are willing to share five of our six-acre meadow with you. The catch being that we maintain complete control over the one-acre that includes all of my flower beds. This rule is not subject to argument or arbitration. The flowers are mine! Got it? If, my ‘deer’ friends, you don’t agree, it’s time for you to move on. You need to dance and prance off to the nearby parks where the campers will appreciate you. Blackberry season is right around the corner so you won’t go hungry. And don’t forget to visit our neighbors. Some of them are very generous and probably still serving USDA approved deer food. Let’s face it; you’ve worn out your welcome on our acre. Have you forgotten that that hunting season is coming? You’re going to need a place to hide. Your loaned acreage has a stand of trees that will serve you well if you just cooperate with us. Now, you know that I am persistent. But so far, nothing has worked to deter your destructive rounds. Not blood meal, deodorant soap, hair clippings, bright lights, clanging bells or barking dogs. Maybe it’s time to bring in the big guns (metaphorically speaking!). There’s new motion sensor water deterrent on the market. A Bull Mastiff dog or guard llama might work. Barbed wire is another option. Get the picture? My creative mind is now adrenaline driven. So, let’s call a truce. I’ll smell the roses while you munch the meadow. Deal? Or no deal? It’s your choice. Your rosy landlord, Betty Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Kaiser's 4th of July cookout menu

7/1/09 Cook’s Corner
All-American cookout menu
Betty Kaiser

It’s really hard to improve upon the All-American hamburger and hot dog as menu choices for a fourth of July cookout. They are easy to prepare, quick cooking and pleasing to almost everyone’s palate. And they are definitely portable if you’re toting them to the beach or a nearby park.

Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes the perfect hamburger. For me, it’s all about the meat: texture and taste. Here are my three simple guidelines :

Rule Number 1: Do not use packaged patties. Commercially compressing the meat results in a sawdust tasting burger. Lightly shaping the patty makes for a tender burger.

Rule Number 2: Use a high quality beef but not the sirloin or 7% fat grade. Your burger will fall apart if the proper amount of fat is not there to bind the meat. Too much fat will result in excessive shrinkage. Then you’ll end up saying “Where’s the beef?” as you play hide and go seek with the meat patty inside a gigantic bun.

Rule Number 3: Do not add anything to the meat. If you’re using a good grade of meat it doesn’t need to be mixed up with onions, sauces, or any kind of filler. The condiments will provide plenty of zip for your burger.

And speaking of condiments, my husband’s favorite addition is grilled onions. Now I’m not a big fan of either grilled onions or toting a skillet to the park to cook them in. So, I usually grill the onions in advance, wrap them in foil and reheat them at the grilling site. It saves a heap of time and trouble.

Hamburger buns are available in all sizes and flavors. Next time you’re in the market, check out the Kaiser rolls. They’re lighter than traditional rolls, come in a variety of flavors and are large enough to hold everything that you pile on. They can easily be heated right in the plastic bag from the market. Just leave them out on the table and the sun will do the job for you. The traditional buttered and grilled bun is also great.

Everyone loves potato salad and everyone likes their own potato salad best. Especially when it comes to the dressing. Some prefer mayonnaise; others swear by Miracle Whip; still others conjure up a mixture of sour cream and mayo; and a few put together a simple vinaigrette dressing. The best one is the one that your family will eat!

My potato salad recipe is an often requested three-generation favorite. My measurements are ‘flexible’ and no two batches are alike. The final product depends upon the potatoes, my mood that day and the number of people I’m serving. I taught my husband and many cooks in the Kaiser’s Country Diner kitchen to make this by the gallon. This recipe recreation attempt is especially for my friend Nancy O. (who also makes a ‘mean’ potato salad). Enjoy!

Betty’s Potato Salad

(Serves 8)

10 medium sized russet, red or Yukon gold potatoes (see note)
2 or 3 carrots, shredded
1 small red onion, finely minced
8 celery stems, sliced in moons
8 sweet pickles, diced
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Italian dressing
Mayonnaise (about 1-1/2 cups)
5 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Lawry’s seasoned salt

Scrub potatoes, put in large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1 hour or until done and skin starts to crack. Drain, cover with cold running water until they begin to cool down. Drain again.

Peel potatoes while warm; if using red potatoes, leave on some skin. Dice and place in large mixing bowl. Add onion, celery and sweet pickles, garlic salt and pepper. Pour Italian dressing over all and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, add a spoonful of sweet pickle juice to mayonnaise. Stir potatoes and mix well with mayonnaise. If you like your salad dry, don’t add all of the mayo at once. If you like it wetter, add more mayo. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Put in serving bowl, cover with eggs and garnish with season salt.

Note: This recipe serves 8 average appetites. Adjust amounts according to number of people being served. Use one potato per person plus two extras ‘for the pot.’ I never like to run out of food at a party.

Chuck’s Burgers with grilled onions

(Serves 6-7)

2 pounds ground beef (12% fat)
1/4-cup Canola oil (more or less)
3 sweet onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 tablespoons Italian dressing or Worcestershire sauce
6 Kaiser rolls, partially sliced

Garnishes (as desired):
Cheddar cheese slices
Dill pickles
Barbecue sauce, mustard, catsup
1000 island dressing
Shredded lettuce
Raw red onions, sliced

Shape the ground beef into patties. Allow for shrinkage: about 5 ounces for adults; smaller ones of kids. Grill to desired doneness.

Prepare the grilled onions by heating oil in a large skillet; add onions. Cook and stir until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Return to skillet and lightly stir in Italian dressing or Worcestershire sauce. If transporting to a picnic site, allow to cool and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Reheat before serving.

Grilled Dogs

8 bun size hot dogs or Italian sausages
8 hot dog buns or Hoagie rolls

Garnishes (as desired)
Grilled onions (see above recipe)
Diced red onions
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Dill pickles
Sweet pickle relish
Catsup and mustard

Grill dogs; add buns just before serving. Let everyone garnish his or her own dog and eat!

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.