“Maine…the way life should be.” And our wonderful lifestyle includes some delicious foods often specifically associated with Maine: lobsters, haddock, diver scallops, strawberries, sweet corn and the best blueberries ever. Sadly, the blue jays in my garden are also avid fans of these berries and beat me to the picking each and every year. I managed to snag a handful for our cereal the other day but almost felt guilty picking them as the jays sat on a nearby bush giving me the eagle-eye and screaming their protests. These tiny berries are grown only in Maine and eastern Canada and certainly pack a tremendous punch of flavor. Blueberries are known to have specific health benefits including compounds that help prevent urinary tract infections. These compounds also help guard us against macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

If you’re lucky enough to have some room in your freezer for extra blueberries, be sure and prepare them for freezing correctly: Place berries in a single layer on a tray or a rimmed sheet pan. Cover tightly with foil and freeze solidly. Loosen the berries with a spatula and pour into freezer bags or containers and return to freezer. This method allows you to pour out the amount you need for a given recipe.  Frozen berries can be stored for up to a year.

Maine blueberry cocktail

• 3 limes, each cut into eight wedges, divided use
• 3/4 cup frozen Maine blueberries, thawed
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. superfine sugar * SEE NOTE
• 4-1/2 oz. light rum
• Garnish: fresh mint leaves

Place all but three wedges of limes into a small bowl. Add blueberries and sugar and mix. Mash with a wooden spoon or muddler until berries are well crushed and lime wedges have released their juices. Strain mixture in three glasses. Add crushed ice until glasses are 2/3 full; top with rum. Stir well, and garnish with remaining wedges of lime. Yield: three servings.

*NOTE: Superfine sugar, also known as caster sugar, is granulated sugar that has been ground to a very fine grain which allows it to dissolve very quickly. To make your own superfine sugar, whirl regular granulated sugar in blender or processor until fine.

Blueberry almond crumble

For the crumble:

• 3/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal 
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the filling:

• 4 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the garnish:

• Vanilla ice cream

To prepare the crumble: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and with clean hands, work butter in until evenly moistened. Set aside.

To prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine blueberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice; toss gently to mix. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart casserole that has been coated with non-stick spray. Dot with the bits of cold butter. Squeeze handfuls of the crumble mixture and scatter the clumps on top of the berries. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yield: eight servings.

Blueberry swirl cheesecake

For the blueberry swirl:

• 1-1/2 cups blueberries (if frozen, thaw and drain)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

For the crust:

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs *SEE NOTE
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

To prepare the swirl: Combine blueberries, sugar, water and cornstarch in work bowl of food processor; processor until blended. Transfer to a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Measure out 6 Tbsp. for the swirl and refrigerate remaining sauce for topping.

To prepare the crust: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Set aside.

To prepare the filling: Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium high for 1 minute: add milk and continue beating until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low speed just until combined. Add lemon juice, mixing just until blended. Pour half of the filling over crust; top with 3 Tbsp. of the reserved blueberry sauce. Repeat layers. Cut through filling with a knife to swirl blueberry sauce. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 325 F oven for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer and then cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Serve with chilled blueberry sauce. Yield: 12 servings.

*NOTE: 14 graham crackers = about 1 cup, crushed so you’ll need about 18 crackers for 1-1/4 cups, crushed for this recipe

Blueberry BBQ sauce

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (may use frozen but thaw first)
• 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped *SEE NOTE
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium low heat. When tender, stir in blueberries, brown sugar, chipotle pepper, vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Cool slightly and whirl in food processor until smooth. Use as you would any barbecue sauce.

*NOTE: Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce is available in larger supermarkets in the Mexican food section.