Meatless Monday: Easy Blueberry Cake (and More)

Blueberries aren’t quite in season in Connecticut, but they are beginning to show up in the sale section of the produce aisle on a regular basis, just as they do at the start of each summer. Currently they are coming from Georgia, the state ranked 1st in blueberry production. Around the 4th of July the New Jersey (ranked 5th) blueberries should make their appearance in the New England markets, and by late July they will be a Pick Your Own crop in my state. [Here is a link to finding a pick your own farm near you. Just search for your location and the produce you want to pick.]

Blueberries are one of the few fruits native to North America, and the United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries, with a harvest totaling 56.7 million pounds in 2014. North Carolina, Michigan, and Washington, along with the aforementioned Georgia and New Jersey, are important blueberry producers. The state of Maine is the main source for “wild” blueberries. 

Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse. And, they freeze easily and well. 

On Groundhog Day I shared with you a recipe for “Easy Apple Cake,” a quick cake that could be whipped up using two apples and ingredients commonly found in most kitchens. On a recent weekend I had a pint of blueberries on hand, but no apples. I really wanted to make that cake for breakfast. I decided to substitute 1-1/2 cups of blueberries for the apples. This made the recipe even easier, and had the same delicious result. 

Easy Blueberry Cake

Here is the link to the original recipe. The only change you need to make is to substitute rinsed and drained blueberries for the apple slices. 

We were hungry.

I, for one, can never have too many blueberries. In preparation for the blueberry bounty to come, I’ve rounded up the links to my earlier blueberry posts:

• Blueberry Ricotta Squares 
• Blueberry Chia Jam 
• Summer Salad  (an authentic Danish recipe) 
• Psyched for the Return of the Blueberry  (blueberry facts and freezing tips) 
• And of course, Blueberry Pancakes 

There is something in this list for everyone. And there are plenty of reasons to give this superfood a try. 

Happy Summer! Happy Meatless Monday.

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”