Blueberry Recipes Inspo

As the blueberry season is wrapping up, you may ask yourself, “what can I do with blueberries?” Well, we’ve put together this post to inspire you to come out to the farm and take advantage of the last of the season Pick Your Own blueberries. There are so many recipes that incorporate this delicious and nutritious fruit. 

Check them out below and try for yourself!

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you make one of these recipes!

Blueberry Beet Pancakes

Blueberries are a very low maintenance fruit as there is no need to cut or peel before consuming. Just wash and eat! Also, if you can’t eat them all fresh, they are so easy to freeze and are delicious frozen as well. Frozen blueberries are also easy to incorporate into any recipes that require baking, or use to make a yogurt parfait! 

Find out more about Thames River Melons blueberries by watching Blueberry to Product. 

Also if you are interested in any of our blueberry baked goods or preserves, shop online or stop by our farm shop!

Pick Your Own Meal Series: Blueberry Breakfast Cookies

PYO Meal Series: Blueberry Breakfast Cookies

Today we are bringing you our fourth Pick Your Own (PYO) recipe and third one featuring blueberries. Yes, blueberries again… we couldn’t resist, when the bushes look this beautiful!

Thames River Melons Blueberry Bushes in the Height of Summer!

These cookies are a perfect on-the-go breakfast for those hectic weekday mornings, or just as delicious enjoyed on the porch, sipping tea or coffee. Not only are they delicious and convenient,but they are packed full of nutritional benefits, too! A serving of 2 cookies provides 8.5 grams of protein and 4.6 grams of fibre for 2 cookies. Flavourful and filling? A winning combination! Check out the nutritional density section of this blog post for more information. 

In addition, there is a convenience and meal prep benefit to this recipe as well. You do not have to bake them all at once! The dough may be rolled into the shape of a log, wrapped in plastic, and placed in the freezer. To bake, remove dough from the freezer the night before and place in the fridge to dethaw. You may cut the log into rounds and place on a baking sheet (similar to oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie dough). This would be a perfect item to prep for busy weekday mornings, or to give to a friend in need of a helping hand. Lastly, keep us in mind when sourcing your eggs, as we have fresh eggs for purchase in the farm shop. 

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you try this recipe!

Ingredients Ready to go!

Recipe

Makes two dozen (24 cookies)  

Ingredients

1 cup butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 Thames River Melons eggs

2 tsp of vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour 

2 cups quick oats

⅓ cup oat bran

2 tsp of cinnamon 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp fine salt

½ cup dark chocolate chips

1 and ½ cups Thames River Melons blueberries

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2.  In a large bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar for a minute or two, until pale and light. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. The end product will be light and fluffy.  

3. In another bowl, stir together the flour, quick oats, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly or little by little, add the dry ingredients to the wet butter mixture. Once combined, fold in chocolate, nuts (and/or seeds) and blueberries. 

4. Drop large spoonfuls or scoops (aim for about ⅓ cup each) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie a bit with dampened fingers or a fork into patties about 1/2 -inch thick. 

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until set and pale golden around the edges but still soft in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Cost 

PYO blueberries are $4.25/lb and this recipe calls for approximately ½ lb and a dozen eggs are $6.00. 

In total, the cost of the PYO blueberries is $2 and 2 farm fresh eggs is $1. 

Nutritional Density

Breakfast cookies are typically larger, lower in sugar, and higher in protein and fibre compared to a typical cookie.  These ones are filled with high-fibre oats, oat bran, and whole wheat flour and contain nuts, and fruit (dried, fresh, or frozen). Seeds may also be included. They are commonly consumed as a quick and easy breakfast snack. 

These particular creations highlight the in-season blueberries and contain a reasonable amount of protein and fibre considering they are a cookie!

*Please note, the nutrients per ingredient are based on 1 cup. In some cases, the recipe calls for less than 1 cup or 2 cups. Refer to the ingredient list to find out exactly how the protein and fibre amounts were calculated. 

Storage

These cookies will keep for 4-5 days on the counter, stored in an airtight container. If there are any left over after this, you can freeze them!

Modifications

This recipe may be modified to suit your needs. 

You may use frozen berries instead of fresh. 

You may use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat, or half all-purpose and half whole wheat (but this will significantly decrease the nutrient content, making them a less desirable breakfast option).

As far as sweetener, you may use any of the options suggested in the recipe, or if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake you may use none at all, as the blueberries provide sweetness. 

You may also omit the chocolate chips completely, and replace with more nuts or seeds.

You may use a different nut (or sub for a seed, in case of allergies) - examples include chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds.




Recipe inspired by and modified by dietetic interns Lise Wolyniuk and Lexie Nobbs, from Cookies I have loved, by Julie Van Rosendaal, photographed by dietetic interns Lexie Nobbs and Lise Wolyniuk, and reviewed by Alex Chesney, RD



Reference:

Health Canada. (2023). Canadian Nutrient File. Government of Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2024, from https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/newSearch.

Pick Your Own Meal Series: Blueberry Dutch Baby

Today we are featuring our third Pick Your Own (PYO) meal, a Blueberry Dutch Baby. The Thames River Melons blueberry bushes are in full production at this point in the season. This recipe is a delicious breakfast or dessert option that incorporates these in-season blueberries, plus it’s high in protein thanks to the 8 eggs, whole wheat flour, and whole milk that it contains. Keep us in mind when sourcing your eggs, as we have fresh eggs for purchase in our on-farm market. 

An important recipe note: the key to the success of this recipe is a very hot skillet and oven.

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you try this recipe!

*Serves 8 

Ingredients

8 Thames River Melons eggs

2- 2.5 cups Thames River Melons blueberries

1 cup whole milk or 2% milk 

5 tbsp butter 

1/3 cup of Thames River Melons honey, granulated sugar, or maple syrup

1 cup all-purpose flour 

*we used whole wheat to increase the protein and fibre content 

*another option is to use half all-purpose and half whole wheat

2 tsp of vanilla

2 tsp of cinnamon 

1 tsp salt 

The juice of half a lemon and the zest of one lemon 

Optional, confectioners sugar to dust

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Over low/medium heat on the stovetop, place a 12 inch cast iron skillet while you prepare the batter. As noted above, a very hot oven is key to the success of this recipe!

2. Melt three tablespoons of butter in the skillet, then transfer to a blender. 

3. In the blender, add the milk, flour, eggs, sweetener of choice (honey/sugar/maple syrup), vanilla, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice + zest, and mix on medium for 30-40 seconds or until smooth. Do not overblend!

4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and put the remaining butter in the skillet. Let the butter melt, add the blueberries, and give the skillet a shake. 

5. Once the blueberries are bubbling, pour the batter over them and transfer the skillet to the oven right away. Bake until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden, about 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the oven.

6. Remove the skillet from the oven, and dust with confectioners sugar, if you wish or zest the remaining of the lemon peel. Cut and serve with more maple syrup.

Cost 

In total, the cost of PYO blueberries is $4.25 and 8 farm fresh eggs is $4. 

PYO blueberries are $4.25/lb and a dozen eggs are $6.00. 

Nutritional Density

1 cup of blueberries provides 2.6 grams of fibre and 9.7 milligrams of vitamin C (1). 

Protein per serving of this dish is 10 grams (6.3g from eggs, 2.6g from whole wheat flour, and 1g from whole milk). 

  • 6.3 grams of protein per 1 large egg, therefore 1 serving contains 6.3 grams (1). 

  • 20.8 grams of protein per 1 cup of whole wheat flour, therefore. 1 serving has 2.6 grams of protein from the flour (1). 

  • 8.1 grams of protein per 1 cup of whole milk and 1 serving has 1 gram of protein (1). 

Fun Fact: anthocyanin is an antioxidant that gives blueberries their blue colour. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that damages our cells (2). Antioxidants like the ones found in blueberries, can help mitigate this by reducing the damage (2). 

Storage

The Dutch baby will keep in the fridge for 2 days, but it is best eaten right after baking!

Modifications

This recipe may be modified to suit your needs. 

You may use frozen berries instead of fresh. 

You may use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat, or half and half. 

As far as sweetener, you may use any of the suggested or if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake you may use none at all, as the blueberries provide sweetness. 

Recipe photographed by dietetic interns Lexie Nobbs and Lise Wolyniuk. Recipe derived and modified from Alexandra's Kitchen (https://alexandracooks.com)and photographed by dietetic interns Lexie Nobbs and Lise Wolyniuk, and reviewed by Alex Chesney, RD

References:

  1. Health Canada. (2023). Canadian Nutrient File. Government of Canada. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/newSearch.

  2. Pruteanu, L. L., Bailey, D. S., Grădinaru, A. C., & Jäntschi, L. (2023). The Biochemistry and Effectiveness of Antioxidants in Food, Fruits, and Marine Algae. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 12(4), 860. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12040860

Pick Your Own Meal Series: Whole Beet & Blueberry Salad

Hello, from your 2024 dietetic interns! We are featuring our second Pick Your Own (PYO) meal which is a ‘Whole’ Beet & Blueberry Salad. ‘Whole’ beet refers to using the entire beet in the recipe, from the leaves, to the stalks, and all the way down to the beetroot itself. Did you know that the beet leaves contain more fibre, calcium, and iron per gram than the beetroot?! 

Ingredients ready to go!

As dietetic interns, it’s important for us to create recipes that involve minimal waste, as food waste is increasing in Canada. Research from this article shows that in London, Ontario it was estimated that households disposed up to approximately 3.0 kg of food waste each week or about 150 kg annually. That’s a lot of food getting thrown out! Food waste has negative social, financial, and environmental impacts, and the more aware we can be the better.

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you try this recipe!

Every mouthful of this dish provides a different experience. The blueberries and candied walnuts provide a slight sweetness, the beets add a woody, neutral flavour, while the goat cheese adds creaminess and tang.  This salad would pair beautifully with a gourmet burger or steak. Here at the farm, we have our own herd of Black Angus cattle, and we sell ground beef, burgers, and steak in our farm shop. The best part is, this recipe uses almost exclusively ingredients from our farm! Right now, our PYO patch is full of beets and blueberries for picking. 

*Serves 5-6

Ingredients

Salad

7 small Thames River Melons beets, washed and cubed 

4-5 cups of roughly chopped beet greens and stalks

1 ½ cups of Thames River Melons blueberries, washed

1 Thames River Melons mini cucumber, quartered and sliced 

140g goat cheese, plain

10 Thames River Melons basil leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

Candied Walnuts

½  cup walnuts 

1 tbsp butter 

1 tbsp Thames River Melons honey

Dressing

⅓ cup olive oil

2 tbsp Thames River Melons honey

2 tbsp Thames River Melons blueberry jam 

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F

2. Separate beets from greens, and soak beet greens in cold water. 

*Optional step: separate stems from the leaves and cut them into small rounds to add to salad (similar to celery)

3. Wash and dice  beets into 1/2  x 1/2 inch cubes and place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper, and mix. Place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until fork tender

4. Next, candy the walnuts by adding honey and melted butter to a bowl and toss the walnuts. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes (last 5 minutes that beets are cooking)

5. Meanwhile, drain beet greens and rinse. Cut beet greens (leaving the stem) into bite sized pieces, and place into a bowl

6. Cut cucumber and place on top of beet greens. 

7. For the dressing, add olive oil, honey, jam, and lemon juice to a jar and shake or whisk for 1-2 minutes or until everything is mixed together.

8. Remove the beets and walnuts from the oven. 

9. To assemble the salad, start by adding half the salad dressing to the bowl and toss the beet greens in it. Add the cucumber, beets, walnuts, and chopped basil.

10. Top with crumbled goat cheese, drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad, add salt and pepper to your taste, and enjoy!

Enjoy!

Cost 

In total, the cost of the PYO vegetables and fruit for this salad was $4.66. 

PYO blueberries are $4.25/lb and PYO beets/beet greens and cucumbers are $1/lb.

This recipe calls for approximately 1/2 lb of blueberries, 2 lbs of beets plus greens, and 0.32lbs of cucumbers. 

Nutritional Density

100g of blueberries provides 2.6 grams of fibre and 9.7 milligrams of vitamin C (1).

100g of raw beets contains 1.9g of fibre, 16 mg of calcium, 0.80 mg of iron. (1) 

100g of raw beet greens contains 3.7 g of fibre, 117 mg of calcium, and 2.57mg of iron (1).

100g of walnuts provides 6.7 g of fibre, 2.91 g of iron, and an abundance of electrolyte minerals (1).

Did you know dark leafy greens are rich in calcium? Calcium is a mineral that is essential for building strong bones.  

Beets and beet greens are also rich in iron. Iron helps your body create blood cells and carries oxygen throughout the body. 

Per serving, this salad contains approximately 4g of fibre, which is 16% of an adult female's daily fibre needs and 11% of an adult male's daily fibre needs.

Storage

This salad will keep in the fridge for 4 days. If planning to make ahead, we recommend keeping the beet greens separate and adding at time of consumption. 

The dressing will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Waste Less Notes 

You may not use all of the beet greens. The remainder of the beet greens can be used to make another salad or they are lovely sautéed with butter as a side dish. 

Modifications

This recipe may be modified to suit your needs. You may substitute beet greens for kale, spinach or other greens you have on hand. As far as fruit and fruit jams, you may substitute the blueberries for peaches or strawberries, and peach/strawberry jam. The nuts can be switched out for pecans or if you are nut free, pumpkin seeds. Get creative!

Recipe developed and photographed by dietetic interns Lexie Nobbs and Lise Wolyniuk and reviewed by Alex Chesney, RD

Reference

Health Canada. (2023). Canadian Nutrient File. Government of Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/newSearch.

Farm and Food Care Partnership

Now, I know I said in our Meet the Family blog post that we’re all pretty camera-shy, and that’s true! However, we did step outside of our comfort zone this past summer when an opportunity to work with with Farm and Food Care arose.

Farm and Food Care is a whole-sector coalition made up of representatives from all farming types and associated businesses, and positions itself as the helpful expert on Ontario agriculture. The common goal is to build public trust in food and farming in Ontario and across Canada. Farm & Food Care Ontario is active in promotion, education, program development and consumer research.

This past summer, Farm and Food Care partnered with Berry Growers of Ontario (aka BGO, an organization that represents - you guessed it - berry growers in Ontario!) to create some videos featuring berry farms. I’m the Chair of BGO and when they were looking for a blueberry farm to film on, I offered up our patch.

Fast forward to July 2023, and a film crew rolled onto the farm. It was quite the experience, but in the end we had a wonderful time sharing and showing off our farm, and the Farm and Food Care team put together a beautiful video. Check it out below!

Watermelon Pizza

Ingredients

1-inch thick circle of watermelon (we recommend our seedless variety for this one!)

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup granola

1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions

  1. Cut the watermelon into a 1-inch thick circle. You can also cut the watermelon into six 1-inch thick slices and decorate each slice if that’s easier for you!

  2. Spread the yogurt over the watermelon to act as the “sauce”.

  3. Pour the honey over the yogurt.

  4. Spread the granola over the watermelon and then the blueberries.

  5. Cut the watermelon pizza into 4-6 slices and enjoy!

This recipe was developed and photographed by dietetic internship student Amy Campbell.

Yogurt Coated Strawberries

Ingredients:

Strawberries, halved

Vanilla Greek yogurt

Instructions:

  1. Dip the halved strawberries in Greek yogurt with a toothpick and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper

  2. Place baking sheet in freezer for 1-2 hours, or overnight if desired.

  3. Remove from pan and store in an airtight bag or container until ready to consume.

NOTE:Some Greek yogurts are thicker than others but use a yogurt that you like

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen-if using fresh, add some ice)

1 Banana (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup milk of choice (Depending on the desired thickness of the smoothie you may want to modify the amount of liquid added. Less liquid = thicker smoothie; more liquid = thinner smoothie)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to blender.

  2. Blend until all ingredients until mixed. Approximately 30seconds. Add more liquid (either more milk or water) depending on desired thickness. Smoothies are flexible! Feel free to add what you have on hand

    *NOTE: It helps your blender if you put softer ingredients closer to the blades and hard, frozen ingredients furthest from the blade. This means if you’re using a traditional blender where the blade is on the bottom, load your smoothie with the fresh, soft ingredients on the bottom, putting ice/frozen items on the top, furthest away from the blade.

Muskmelon Strawberry Feta Salad

Ingredients

1 muskmelon, chopped

1 cup strawberries, chopped

1/2 cucumber or bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup raw almonds

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix the muskmelon, strawberries, cucumber, feta cheese, and almonds together in a large bowl.

  2. For the salad dressing, mix the canola oil, red wine vinegar, and ground pepper together thoroughly.

  3. Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix.

  4. This recipe is best consumed right away. Enjoy!

This recipe was developed and photographed by dietetic internship student Amy Campbell.

Brie and Raspberry Panini

Ingredients

2 slices of bread

4 slices of Brie

1/3 cup raspberries

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp honey

Instructions

  1. Butter both slices of bread on one side.

  2. Place the sliced Brie on the none buttered side of one piece of bread.

  3. Top the sliced Brie with drizzled honey.

  4. In a bowl mash raspberries with the back of a fork until the raspberries look similar to a jam.

  5. On the other slice of bread without the Brie and honey, spread the mashed raspberries on the non buttered side.

  6. Combine the two slices of bread like you would a sandwich or a panini.

  7. Place the panini on a frying pan and heat to medium-high temp. Flip the panini until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes on each side and Enjoy!

Recipe developed and photographed by Dietetic Internship student Rae Wilcox

Strawberry Bruschetta

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, chopped

1/3 cup tree nuts

½ cup feta

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons basil, chopped

¾ cup balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

  1. In a bowl combine strawberries, tree nuts, feta, olive oil and basil. Let sit in fridge until balsamic vinaigrette is complete.

  2. Heat balsamic vinegar in a small pot or sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vinegar thickens (about 15-20 minutes). It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Place a generous amount of the strawberry mixture on chicken or a crostini roll and top with a drizzle of the thickened balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy!

Recipe developed and photographed by Dietetic Internship student Rae Wilcox

Blueberry Goat Cheese Tart

Although it’s still technically summer, the cool nights and crisp mornings are telling us fall is well on its way. And I think this recipe is a perfect representation of that transition. A little bit summery, featuring the last of our 2019 blueberries, and a little bit autumnal with the comforting and filling oven warmed pastry, stuffed with a sweet & savoury filling. It’s the perfect recipe for impressing guests, while still allowing yourself time to enjoy your company since it’s so quick & easy. Paired with a hearty side salad — I’m thinking one with apples and nuts — it makes an easy and satisfying meal. Give it a try & let me know what you think!

Blueberry Tart.jpg

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 log goat cheese, softened

1.5 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 spring fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem (or ½ teaspoon dried)

Handful of fresh basil leaves, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  2. Unroll the sheet of puff pastry onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Score a ½ inch border around the the edges, being careful to not cut all the way through. Next, prick all over the base with a fork. Pop in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

  3. While the pastry bakes, prepare the blueberry filling.

  4. Add blueberries, water, vinegar, maple syrup, and thyme to a small pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring consistently, for 10 minutes or so. The blueberries should break down and the mixture should be bubbly and thickened.

  5. Remove the pastry from the oven, and gently press down the centre of the tart.

  6. Carefully and evenly spread the softened goat cheese out across the pastry, leaving that ½ inch border uncovered.

  7. Add the blueberry filling to the tart, on top of the goat cheese and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

  8. While the tart finishes baking, roughly chop the fresh basil. After removing from the oven, sprinkle this herb on top, along with a few fresh blueberries for serving.

  9. Slice into rectangles and enjoy!

Recipe developed & photographed by Alex Chesney, RD