Summertime Blues

Earlier this week, Holyoke Home asked that I post my award winning Spicy Blueberry Barbeque Sauce recipe. Good timing for that request as tomorrow is Labor Day and like most Americans, my little family will be celebrating with a traditional last gasp of summer backyard cookout. On the menu is grilled chicken, corn on the cob, broccoli slaw and of course, decadent dark chocolate brownies for dessert. Tomorrow we eat, so today I shopped.

It's a short pleasant country drive to find supersweet corn at my favorite farm stand in Whately, Massachusetts. A dozen ears later and it was three miles down River Road to visit Pasiecnik Farms. Four quarts of pre-picked but fresh late season sweet-tart blueberries were exactly what I needed for a triple batch of my now famous sauce - some for now and a few jars put up for later. Who says there's no cure for the summertime blues?


SPICY BLUEBERRY BARBEQUE SAUCE

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup water
8 chicken thighs, deboned skin left on (or two whole pork tenderloins -about 2 pounds)

Rinse meat and pat dry, place meat in a shallow pan, cover and refrigerate. Make the sauce by bringing the remaining ingredients to a low boil in a medium size saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened and chunky. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. If a smooth sauce is desired, pulse in food processor for a few seconds after it cools. Reserve half the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over meat in a shallow pan. Cover and refrigerate, marinading for one hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Grill the meat pieces over indirect heat until cooked, 10-12 minutes per side. Discard sauce that was used as marinade and baste with the reserved sauce until well cooked. You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Top the meat with any remaining BBQ sauce and enjoy. Serves 4.

Comments

  1. Best Wishes, MarieSeptember 7, 2009 at 2:15 AM

    i can see how you might become the other woman. i was the first wife, and i like to say that i am the trophy wife now (same husband). all of these look so good. i have not been over here for some days. and wow. and i have figured out how to add you to my list so i can follow/ admire, etc.... best wishes, marie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Best Wishes, MarieSeptember 7, 2009 at 3:02 AM

    http://www.lelonopo.com

    this woman has big boarders also. and a very nice cabbage salad recipe photo. her garden looks a lot like yours, i did a double take.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grape Infused Vodka Update

Image
It took an overnight frost for our homegrown grapes to sweeten up but the wait was worth it. A big sloppy thank you smooch goes out to Mayor Mike Tautznik of Easthampton, MA for sharing his home infusion method for fruit flavored vodka. Fiddling around with Mayor Mike's sure-fire recipe helped me come up with the perfect formula for home infusing store-bought vodka with the Concord grapes from our backyard garden. And the abundance of those grapes carefully cultivated by the Man of the House deserves another big sloppy thank you smooch, this time for Farmer Paul. Start by boiling a big pot of water to sterilize pint-sized canning jars and their covers. Once they are cool, fill each about 3/4 full with thoroughly washed Concord grapes plucked from the ripest of bunches. Add one teaspoon of super fine sugar. Pour your choice of plain vodka over the grapes, leaving about 1/2 inch headroom before closing the jars. Shake gently to dissolve sugar before storing in a cool dark spot. Two w...
Read more

The Joy of Holiday Cookies

Image
Nothing sweetens the season like holiday cookies! The name comes from the Dutch koejke which translates to "little cake" -- the perfect single serving treat. Cookies have been part of cooking history for more than a thousand years and nearly every culture has a bite sized sweet that qualifies as a cookie. Every year I try to come up with a new twist on an old favorite to celebrate the season for my annual cookie swap. These tasty morsels are my version of rugelach , a traditional Jewish pastry filled with nuts, raisins or apricots, cinnamon and sugar wrapped in a flaky crust. A few good friends sharing a bottle of bubbly then going home with the bounty of a platter full of homemade cookies and the recipes. Lots of fun and yumminess, too! RUGELACH Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour Dash of salt 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 cup unsalted butter 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1/3 cup plain or lemon flavored yogurt Filling 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 cup finely...
Read more

A Perfect Sunday Supper

Image
Nearly everyone has a favorite pot roast recipe. Pot roast begs for inspiration from the cook, roasted red peppers can be a delightful addition. Try mushrooms or whole green beans for a different twist. Choosing the spices can be daunting, bay leaf or thyme, coriander or clove? Some recipes call for tomatoes, others for a brown gravy base. I even saw a barbecue style pot roast recipe recently; not to mention the cut of beef. There’s brisket, chuck, rump roast, to name a few. Over thirty plus years of home cooking successes and disasters, I’ve tried many different pot roast recipes but always go back to page 127 of the Silver Palate Cookbook for the best and simplest example of “A perfect Sunday supper.” I follow the recipe closely though not exactly -- you might like my slightly fiddled with version. Starting with the basics is a good start but no excuse for boring – add your own special flair! PEPPERCORN POT ROAST 3 pound boneless chuck roast 1 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pe...
Read more