Cooking Up a Hooley in The Kitchen: Another Wonderful Thing About Summer
By Katie Gagne
The column this month is a bit different, as it does not focus on one specific recipe, but on a tasty, little berry that you must get your hands on in the next few weeks.
Why Black Raspberries Are So Special
While here in Northeast Ohio we moan and groan about the winter months that often extend into spring, we cannot deny there is something magical when it warms up and everything starts to grow. I love checking out all the local farm markets and trying all their fresh produce.
Quite a few years ago, I noticed some that had these terrific little black raspberries. From the first taste, I was in love with them. If you love berries, especially raspberries – you will too.
These berries are a different fruit from the blackberry. They appear at first to be similar, but are smaller, hollow, and sweeter. They also are not as readily available as other berries.
They have a short growing season, so the window to find these is fairly small. They are usually out in mid-June to early July, sometimes a bit longer, depending on the year. Yet finding these is so worth the effort. On the westside, they often have them at the North Union Farmer’s Market at Crocker Park in Westlake and at Nagel Farms on Detroit Road in Avon. If you can get your hands on these yummy little bites of summer, you will not be disappointed.
Suggestions For What to Do with Black Raspberries
Serve them over biscuits with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream
Black Raspberry Ice Cream
Homemade Jam
Make Black Raspberry Buttercream and use on your favorite cake or cupcakes
Black Raspberry Margaritas/Mojitos
Black Raspberry Pie/Cobbler/Crisp
Black Raspberry Scones
Add them to your favorite salad this summer
Sweeten them and combine with balsamic vinegar and use on chicken or pork chops
and one of my favorites – snack on them in the car on your way home.
*Katie Gagne teaches English at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights. She is also the owner of her in-home bakery Sassy’s Sweets and Oh So Much More. You can contact her at (440) 773-4459 or at [email protected], or find her on Facebook at @sassyssweetsandmore.
