Last week we celebrated peaches. Now it’s time to explore all the wonders of the summer’s smallest treasure, blueberries. That is, if we can manage to steal a few berries from the mocking birds!
I’m afraid this year’s crop is going to be small. In years past Michael has harvested as many as 24 quarts off of 3 bushes, but that won’t be the case this summer. Blueberries are rain dependent, and we’ve been in a drought. For some reason, blueberries don’t respond to watering with a garden hose as well as they do to rain, so I’m going to have to be stingy this year. Since I still have some of the aforementioned peaches, I think a Peach-Blueberry Upside-Down Cake might be a good place to start.

I cut my recipe for a “Berry Good” French Toast Bake in half for a weekend breakfast treat, and a treat it was, while only half a cup of our precious blueberries were needed. I’m working on a recipe for an Upside-Down Blueberry Cake. It’s small, just a 6 inch cake pan is used. I hope it turns out well. The first attempt was too heavy on berries and light on cake, but I’m going to give it another shot tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Our week’s dinners were unremarkable. Everything went according to plan. How boring is that? Sunday’s Beef Stroganoff served double duty by providing leftovers for Wednesday night. I didn’t have any brandy, so I substituted red wine and it turned out just fine. (But the brandy would have been better. Add it to the shopping list.) Michael was disappointed that I didn’t put more sour cream in the sauce, so I did add some more to the leftovers on Wednesday. That made him happier. Strait up leftovers aren’t really his thing unless it’s pinto beans.

Meatless Monday was meatless for a change. I switched my recipe for Tortellini with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini, and Spinach around a bit.  Spinach and cheese filled ravioli was the freshest option at the store and I had Fresh Ricotta Cheese on hand, so that was substituted for the Parmesan. I never feel bound to follow a recipe exactly.
Tuesday’s Taco Salad is an old standard around here and couldn’t be easier. I almost always keep Taco Seasoned Beef in the freezer, along with Simple Refried Beans. All I have to do is pull out a bag of tortilla chips, some cheese and condiments, and dinner is served. We’re happy!

Thursday night’s Chicken Croquettes aren’t what most folks would call chicken croquettes at all. They’re really double duty chicken patties. They can be pan fried and served with a sauce as I did this time, or they can be grilled and served as a burger. Either way, we like them.  A word of caution. These little patties are delicate and must be handle with care on a well oiled surface or they will break apart. Do not try to turn them too soon, and only turn them once.
Friday night’s dinner made me rather wistful. Every year for the last 17 years we have stayed at the same beach house and eaten at the same seafood restaurants. This year, for a variety of reasons, we are unable to do so. One of those restaurants is Boss Oyster in Apalachicola, where we often dined on their shrimp and grits. This is my version of their recipe. Of course, it’s not as good as theirs, and it never will be, until I can serve it dockside!

Be thankful for what life gives you.