Blueberry season makes me happy!

This summer I kicked off the season with some great Blueberry picking. Then I traveled through Blueberry country: first through Maine (the world’s largest low bush blueberry producer); and then through Oxford, Nova Scotia (the “Blueberry Capital” of Canada). I was in Blueberry-bounty bliss!

In Nova Scotia the wild blueberries were so abundant they were $2.79 (Canadian) a pound. I had paid $2.25 a pound a few weeks earlier, in MA, when I picked my own!

Besides eating mounds of raw Blueberries, here’s what I’ve been doing with my Blueberry bonanza. I’ve been making many Raw Blueberry Cream Pies.

Kids have enjoyed this pie as much as the grown-ups!

This recipe comes from Angel Flinn at gentleworld.org. Her original post is here, with a much snazzier picture of the pie. I’m a bit of an improvisational kind of cook.

Here’s my version of Angel’s yummy recipe with pics of the process below.

Blueberry Cream Pie

yields 1 pie

Crust
1/4 cup dates, pitted, (raisins or dried figs work too)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup almonds  (pecans work too) 

Filling
2-3 medium bananas
1 lb. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup dates, pitted 

1. In a food processor, using the “S” shaped blade, blend the crust ingredients well. (The Vitamix works well here too)
2. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a pie plate, forming a crust.
3.  Slice the bananas into 1/4″ rounds, leaving 1/4-1/2 of one banana for the creamy filling. Cover the bottom of the pie shell with a layer of banana pieces.
4. In a food processor, blend one cup of blueberries with the remaining piece of banana and 1/2 cup of dates. Mix in the remaining blueberries (whole). Pour this over the sliced bananas in the pie shell. Garnish with walnuts. 
5. Chill and serve. 

Blueberries have pectin in them, so when you chill the blended blueberries they will set and make a firm pie. I make this pie as I’m making dinner, by the time we are done with dinner, it’s set and ready to eat.

2012 update: For variety, add any fresh soft fruit (strawberries, peaches, nectarines, etc) on top of the banana layer and then top with blueberry sauce.

press the crust into the pie plate

lay banana slices down first

fill with blended blueberry mix and decorate

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ninamanolson

Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.

She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.

Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.

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