86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 8, 2000 Berries Burst Into Season Berries contain a nutritional wallop they provide important amounts of vitamins, especially C, plenty of fiber, plus antioxi dants and photochemicals known to prevent certain dis eases. When it comes to antioxidants, now known to be important anti aging and disease-reducing con tributors, ever berry is on the top ten list. Berries provide folate (folic acid) which helps prevent birth defects and may help re duce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer. Berries can help lower LDL cholesterol, a contributor to heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Raspberries are high in ellagic acid, which has been shown to help reduce colon and cervical cancer and leukemia. All berries are low in calories: 8 medium strawberries have 45 calories. 1 cup of raspberries have 50 calories. 1 cup blackberries have 60 cal ories. 1 cup blueberries have 80 cal ories. Raspberries: Skip berries that are crushed or moldy. Rasp berries should have a berry fra grance. Store unwashed in the refrigerator. Blueberries should be plump and have slightly frosty look about them. Store in the refriger ator or freeze in a single layer on a tray, unwashed, then trans ferred into freezer container and stored for up to two years. When ready to use, run cold water over berries to wash and thaw. Let berries set at room temper ature a few hours so flavor and aroma can develop. For more recipes and informa tion on the health benefits of blueberries, visit www.blueber ry.org or send a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope to Blueberry Recipes, 4995 Gold en FtJbthill Parkway, Suite 2, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762. For recipes using Reddi-wip real whipped cream, request a free copy of Shake Up Your Rec ipes. Send a stamped, self-ad dressed business-sized envelope to Shake Up Your recipes Cook book Offer, P.O. Box 5524, Dept. M, Riverton, NJ 08077. BLUEBERRY AND TURKEY SALAD '/’ cup light mayonnaise '/’ cup plain low-fat yogurt 'A cup oragne marmalade 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice '/: teaspoon ground black pep Recipe Topics If you have for topics listed below, jroase share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you include ac curate measurements, a complete list of ingredients, and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Be sure to include your name and address. Recipes should reach our office one week before the publishing date listed below. Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Jul> 15 - Peach, Summer Fruits 22 - Jams, Jellies, Spreads 29 - Summer Salads August 5 - Tomatoes per 3 medium peaches, cut into wedges 2 cups fresh blueberries 2 cups cubed smoked turkey In a bowl, combine mayon naise, yogurt, marmalade, lemon juice, and pepper. Add peach slices, blueberries, and turkey; toss until well-coated. Serve on lettuce leaves. Yield: 4 portions. FRUIT-FILLED DESSERT CUPS 4 flour tortillas 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons sugar, divided 3-ounces cream cheese Vi teaspoon vanilla 2 cups mixed berries (blueber ries, raspberries) and sliced bananas Whipped cream Brush both sides of each tortil la with butter. Combine cinna mon and one tablespoon sugar, and sprinkle over both sides of each tortilla. Save any remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Gently press center of each tortilla into a 6-ounce custard cup or dessert dish to form a ruffly-edged cup. Place tortilla cups on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool com plely in custard cups or dessert dishes. Beat together cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Stir remaining cinnamon sugar into fruit. When ready to serve, spoon cream cheese mixture into bot tom of dessert cups; fill each cup with fruit. Top with whipped cream. Serves 4. RASPBERRY JAVA SMOOTHIE 2 cups fresh raspberries 1 cup cold coffee Vi cup skim milk 2 cups vanilla ice cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup ice cream Whipped cream In a blender, combine all in gredients, except whipped cream. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream and serve. Makes four 8-ounce glasses. For a seedless smoothie, blend raspberries, coffee, and milk. Strain seeds then add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Top with whipped cream. BLUEBERRY PIE 1 baked pie shell or graham cracker crust. Line cooled shell with 2 cups blueberries. To make sauce, cook together: 2 cups blueberries 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 'A cup water Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Pour over berries in shell. Chill. Serve with whipped topping if desired. Sharon Bielmyer Holtwood WACKY WAFFLE STACKS 3 round frozen toaster waffles Va cup plain or strawberry flavored soft cream cheese IVi tablespoons strawberry preserves or fruit spread 1 medium banana, sliced or 6 strawberries, sliced 4 whole strawberries, if desired for garnish Toast waffles according to package directions. Place one waffle on plate. Spread with 2 tablespoons cream cheese and half of pre serves. Arrange half of slic ed fruit on top. Top with another waffle; repeat lay ers with remaining ingredi ents. Top with remaining waffle. Cut waffle stack into quarters. Garnish each quarter with a whole strawberry. Serve immedi ately. BLACKBERRY DE LUXE 1 cup whipping cream 'A cup sugar Va cup orange juice 3 cups fresh or frozen whole blackberries 4 slices pound cake Whip cream until stiff. Con tinue beating, gradually adding sugar and juice. Gently fold the berries into cream mixture. Top each slice of pound cake with a quarter of berry mixture. Serve immediately. Makes 4 serv ings. QUICK “N EASY BLACKBERRY COBBLER 8 cups fresh or frozen black berries, thawed 2 tablespoons lemon juice 'A cup all-purpose flour Wi cups sugar 12-ounce can refrigerated biscuits Ice cream (optional) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place the blackberries in the baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Combine the flour and sugar, spoon into the baking dish, and gently toss until the berries are coat- ed. Bake 10 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Remove from oven and top with bis cuit dough from the can. Bake 20 minutes longer or until biscuits are lightly browned and filling is slight ly thickened. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 6-8. RASPBERRIES IN WAL NUT- OAT MERINGUE WITH MASCARPONE CREAM Vi cup chopped walnuts 3 egg whites 'A teaspoon cream of tart er 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 'A teaspoon baking pow der Va cup quick cooking oat- Adding berries to cereal, snacking on them, stirring them into yogurt and tossing a few in your salad or on dessert can make you and your family healthy and happy. meal (not instant) 'A teaspoon vanilla 'A teaspoon salt 24-ounces raspberries, divided 'A cup sugar Va cup water Pinch salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch 'A cup water 2 tablespoons queur Mascarpone Cream** Featured Recipe This week’s featured recipe offers a chance to make blueberry jam with a bit of a twist-just in time for the berry season. Recently Extension Agent Nancy Wiker sponsored a jam and jelly workshop in response to the aimost-daily questions she fields about preserving. “There’s a lot of interest in preserving,” said Wiker. “There’s a good amount of younger adults that are interested and come to these educational workshops.” Preserving, says Wiker, can be accomplished in any kitchen. “Probably the most important thing is that you have a pot large enough,” said Wiker. “You can use any pot for canning as long as the jars are covered by an inch of water and they’re not touching the bottom of the pan. Some people use racks and oth ers put jar lids on the bottom of the pan.” Besides equipment, said Wiker, recipes are also easy to End. “If a recipe you want doesn’t come in the box, caU the com pany and they’ll send you lots more. They’re also online,” said Wiker. This recipe comes from Ball’s “Blue Book,” which includes hints and information on canning, freezing and dehydration for a variety of fruits, vegetables and meats. Ball’s book is available at Lancaster’s Farm and Home Cen ter or by writing to Ball at the Alltrista Corporation Consumer Affairs Department, P.O. Box 2729, Muncie, Indiana 47307-0729. BLUEBERRY-LIME JAM 4 VA cups blueberries 1 package powdered pectin 5 cups sugar 1 tablespoon grated lime peel l’/« cup lime juice Crush blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blue berries and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving I'/2-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water canner. Yield: about 7 half-pints. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread walnuts on baking sheet and roast in oven 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tarter until soft peaks form. Add sugar and baking powder, and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in walnuts, oatmeal, vanilla, and salt. Spray raspberry (turn to Page B 8)