Blueberries, Blueberries, Blueberries

What do you do when a holiday falls in the middle of the week and you are not taking any extra time off?  No big road trips or big barbecue parties were planned. Darling Daughter suggest Blueberry picking!  Blueberry picking when it is a 95 degree, hot and humid day?  OK, let's get this done early in the morning when it is not so hot and then come home and make ice cream.  Off we go with a cooler packed with cold water, two empty buckets and sneakers packed for the berry patch. 

We head on out to a rural area west of us to a local farm stand and drive down the bumpiest dirt road there could be in our area.  It reminded my husband and me of driving along the shoreline in Aruba looking for the Natural Pool.  At the bottom of the road you find a wagon that is set up as a weigh station.  the checkout guys tells you what area you can pick in and to avoid the areas marked with yellow flags (gopher holes) or red flags (poison ivy).  So we set off with our two buckets and begin to pick.  The bushes are full and the picking is easy!  We are even interviewed by a local news channel on what brought us out on a holiday to pick blue berries.

Well thirteen pounds later, and two buckets filled to the brim, we head home.   We freeze six quarts, much on a bowl full of berries and try to find a recipe for Blueberry ice cream.  My Williams and Sonoma Ice Cream Cook Book comes through with a great recipe for Blueberries and Cream!   Very easy and delicious.

 Blueberry Ice Cream: (From Williams and Sonoma Ice Cream cook book)

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the fresh blueberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes to steep.

Transfer the blueberry mixture to a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Add the cream and lemon juice to the blueberry puree and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Makes about 1 quart.