Wandering through one of our local farm stands the other day, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the late summer harvest — golden peaches, a myriad of green color — cukes, string beans, zucchini and ears of corn, the ruby red of raspberries and the native Maine blueberries that remind me of the color of my mom's gorgeous eyes. As a little one, I always told her that she had "blueberry eyes" and she always corrected me that they were "Maine blueberry eyes and not New Jersey blueberry eyes." At almost 90 years young, she still has the prettiest dark blue(berry) eyes!

Blueberries have historically been prized for their medicinal purposes especially for kidney stones and urinary tract infections, helping with eye sight and diseases of the eye, and for all sorts of gastrointestinal ailments. They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium phosphorous, potassium and fiber. Blueberries are low in calories, contain no fat and are full of powerful antioxidants, which are thought to help neutralize harmful by-products of metabolism called "free radicals" that can lead to cancer and other age related diseases.

Blueberries can be kept a bit longer than most summer fruits with just a little care: sort the berries and discard any that show sign of discoloration or mold. Store them in the refrigerator (covered) in a dry container and do not rinse until you are ready to use them. If you are lucky enough to have some freezer space to put some blueberries by, it's easy-peasy! Place sorted berries in a single layer on a tray or rimmed sheet pan and cover tightly with foil. Place in the freezer and when solidly frozen, loosen berries with a spatula and transfer to zippy freezer bags or other freezer containers. Freezing them with this method (rather than just pouring unfrozen berries straight into a container) will allow you to pour out the amount you need for a given recipe. Frozen berries can be frozen in a home freezer for up to a year with good results.

BLUEBERRY MINT LEMONADE

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (you'll need 7-8 lemons)
1 cup sugar (or a little more to suit your taste)
4-1/2 cups water

Combine blueberries, mint, lemon juice, and granulated sugar in blender and process until mostly smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer placed over a bowl and using the back of a spoon, press the liquid out of the solids. Discard the blueberry and mint pulp in the strainer. Pour blueberry liquid into a pitcher and add water. Taste and adjust to your taste with additional sugar if desired. Serve well chilled. Yield: about 2 quarts.

ZUCCHINI BLUEBERRY TEA BREAD

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl and beat until well blended. Fold in the zucchini.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in another bowl. Add to zucchini mixture and mix well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer batter to 4 mini loaf pans OR 2 regular sized ones that have been coated with non-stick baking spray.

Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 50-55 minutes in or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 20 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 mini loaves or 2 large loaves. (Freezes well.)

CREAMY COLD BLUEBERRY SOUP

1/2 cup frozen, unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate, undiluted
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries, divided use
3 Tbsp. vanilla yogurt
Combine pineapple juice concen­trate, water and lemon juice in a blender. Add 2 cups blueberries and using on/off turns, process until coarsely chopped. Add remaining blueberries and pulse again to desired consistency. Stir in yogurt and chill. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

BLUEBERRY SALSA

2 cups fresh Maine blueberries, rinsed and drained, divided use
1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 Jalapeño peppers, minced (remove seeds and white rib to reduce heat)
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
Place 1-1/2 cups blueberries in work bowl of food processor and use on/off turns until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining 1/2 cup of whole blueberries, onion, Jalapeño, yellow bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir gently to combine. Cover and let stand for one hour before serving. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: about 2 cups.

BLUEBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE SQUARES

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in blueberries and orange juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside.

To make the crust, combine 2 cups flour and the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or clean fingers) until fine crumbs form and mixture starts to cling together. Pat mixture firmly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish that has been lined with foil, extending foil over edges of the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and the 1 Tbsp. flour in a large bowl and beat until smooth with electric mixer set on medium speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Pour over hot baked crust, spreading evenly. Spoon blueberry mixture in small mounds over the cream cheese layer; swirl using a table knife to marble the 2 mixtures. Return pan to oven (still at 350 F) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until center is set. Remove and place pan on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until completely firm. Using edges of the overhanging foil, remove uncut bars from pan. Cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Yield: 36 squares. (Refrigerate leftovers.)

BLUEBERRY-LEMON WHOOPIE PIES

FOR THE "PIES":

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cup blueberries

FOR THE FILLING:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

To prepare the cookie part, "pies": Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed of electric mixer for 5 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg scraping down sides of bowl once. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture and milk in 3 alternating batches. Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop out batter (about 2 Tablespoonfuls) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. (Smooth the tops with the back of a teaspoon dipped in water for better presentation.) Chill 30 minutes in the 'fridge. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 10-12 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool on the pans 5 minutes; remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the filling: Combine cream cheese, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until creamy.

To assemble whoopie pies: Spread 2 Tbsp. filling on the flat side of 6 cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies. Serve immediately or wrap and refrigerate. Yield: 6 whoopies.