No matter how you slice it, strawberries, raspberries,
and blueberries are among summer’s sweetest fruits,
especially here in Snohomish County, where there are plentiful
opportunities to visit u-pick farms and roadside stands. We
asked local culinary talents for their favorite berry recipes.
Some of these dishes you can find on area menus, others
are culled from personal recipe collections. All are delicious,
inventive ways of enjoying the tart, juicy, simple pleasures of
fresh, local berries.
Scratch Berry Sparkler
Scratch Distillery
Ingredients
2 ounces Scratch Distillery Berry-Infused Vodka
2 ounces Fever-Tree Tonic Water (Premium Indian or Elderflower)
A handful of fresh, local berries
1 sage leaf
Preparation
Combine Scratch Distillery Berry-Infused Vodka with
Fever-Tree Tonic Water in a flavor of your choice.
Muddle a few fresh local berries. Consider including
raspberries, Marionberries, blueberries, or a combination.
Activate the sage leaf with a slap and drop
it in the cocktail.
Strawberry-Basil Soup
Chef John Howie
Ingredients
Soup Base
3 pounds strawberries, stemmed and sliced ¼-inch
4 oz. wt. granulated sugar (about ¾ cup)
12 oz. wt. sweet Walla Walla onion, minced ⅛-inch
1 cup apple cider, unsweetened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, first press
½ packed cup fresh basil, julienne sliced, very thin
Topping
20 slices large strawberries, sliced ⅛-inch thick
4 tablespoons mascarpone
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar,
thick and syrup-like
8 micro basil or small basil sprigs
Preparation
Soup Base
Slice 3 pounds of strawberries and toss in the
granulated sugar. Add the onions and toss until
coated. Let rest in the refrigerator for 45
minutes, tossing occasionally.
Place the strawberry and onion mixture
into a blender. Add the juices and salt and
blend until puréed. Pour into a bowl. Fold
in the olive oil and basil until well mixed.
Refrigerate soup base for a minimum of 4
hours to allow flavors to blend.
Topping
Ladle soup into chilled bowls. Top with
strawberry slices in the center of the soup,
with the points toward the edge of the
cup.
Then place a dollop of mascarpone on
top of the strawberry slices, and drizzle
the aged balsamic back and forth over the
mascarpone. Garnish with the micro basil
or the basil sprig and serve.
Summer Salad
Salt & Iron
Ingredients
Salad
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, sliced
¼ cup pistachios
4 ounces goat cheese
1 shallot, fine dice
24 ounces mixed greens
Champagne Vinaigrette
1 shallot
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups canola oil
Preparation
Salad
Rinse and dry berries. Slice strawberries.
Fine dice shallot. Crumble goat cheese.
In a large mixing bowl, toss mixed greens,
shallots, and dressing. Garnish salad with
remaining ingredients.
Champagne Vinaigrette
Add the shallot to a food processor and
pulse until finely diced. Add all other
ingredients to the food processor except
for the canola oil and blend to combine.
While the food processor is running,
slowly add in canola oil.
Blackberry Duck Breast
Salt & Iron
Ingredients
Duck Breast
8–10 duck breasts
4–6 Belgian endives
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
½ cup blackberry gastric (see below)
2 cups sugar
Blackberry Gastric
2 cups balsamic vinegar
½ cup white wine
½ cup blackberry purée
2 pints fresh blackberries
Preparation
Duck Breast
Score the top of the duck breasts
and season with salt and pepper.
Wash and cut the Belgian endives
in half lengthwise.
In a large sauté pan, sear each duck breast,
skin side down until the skin is
golden brown. Flip and cook until the
duck breast is medium rare (make sure
not to throw out the rendered fat).
Place the sugar on a plate. Press the
cut side of the Belgium endives into
the sugar.
In a large sauté pan, heat rendered
duck fat and place sugared endives, cut
side down into pan. Cook until golden
brown. Flip and cook until endive is
slightly soft.
Place endive on plate, slice duck breast
and shingle next to endive. Top with
blackberry gastric. Serve with your
favorite potato side dish or starch.
Blackberry Gastric
Combine balsamic vinegar, white
wine, and purée in a sauce pot. Cook
ingredients at medium heat until reduced
by one third. Add fresh blackberries and
simmer for 10 minutes.
Berry Crisp
Snohomish Pie Co.
Ingredients
5 cups mixed berries (raspberry,
blueberry, and blackberry)
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ cup butter, softened and cubed
¼ cup nuts, chopped
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine the mixed
berries with the granulated sugar and
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Pour
mixture into a baking dish or a cast
iron skillet.
In a medium bowl, stir together rolled
oats, brown sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose
flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and
chopped nuts. Combine with fingertips
until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture on top
of fruit.
Bake until topping is lightly browned and
filling is bubbly, about 30–35 minutes.
Let cool for about 15–20 minutes
before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh
whipping cream.
