Tag Archives: ブルーベリー

Blueberries, 美食, Desserts, 観光, 農業, Fruit, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Blueberries with no pesticides in Shizuoka City: Masako Mochizuki!

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Mrs. Masako Mochizuki/望月正子さん!

A true farmer’s abode growing their own food (tomatoes)!

In Shizuoka (and in Japan most of the time for that matter) you very quickly move from the sea to deep into mountains within minutes when you embark into an interview of a local farmer!

Overgrown asparaguses in the foreground and fig trees in the background!

This is when you need friends, especially considering I do not drive (I never did in my life!).
Mind you, I could use a bus or even my bicycle in that case as we went as far as Gojima/後島 up the Abe River, a beautiful trip in itself!

But my good friend, Mrs. Natsuko Koyanagi/小柳奈津子さん, who knows all the farmers along the river, was on hand again to help me!

This is green tea land, too!

Tell the truth, Masako Mochizuki is a celebrity in the region. If you are lost just ask for the blueberry lady’s house!

The blueberry fields with nets to fend off birds!

The Mochizuki family, like all farmers around, had been growing tea and other staple crops when 15 years ago a friend approached Masako personally to ask her to grow blueberries, known to be extremely beneficent to health and eyes in particular!

One of the gadgets to fend off birds. Masako San said that it actually turned more into decoration than anything else!

A remarkable fact is that Masako San does not use any pesticide whatsoever, a notable rarity for that particular crop!
As for fertilizer she mixes only the minimum with home-made compost and others!

She grows 40 varieties, 10 of for sale, in 5 fields on a total area of 700 tsubo/2,300 sauqre meters.
I just can’t describe or take a picture (I’ll come back again anyway!) of all varieties or I’ll into a boring specialist!
But let me show a few of the trees that attracted my attention!

The different varieties will mature at different times. The above won’t be ready for harvest before at least a week.
That does not prevent Masako San and her husband from picking 10 kg of blueberries every morning between June and August!

Small type.

Even smaller but still unripe.

Definitely not ripe!

Medium-sized type with a great balance in taste! I picked quite a few of these!

The big ones, absolute beauties!

The same, to be eaten one at a time! LOL

My personal harvest of two varieties. Considering that the same trees had been harvested early that morning, I was more than satisfied!

A very small part of the morning’s harvest. Truly enormous and so sweet with the right touch of acidity!
I know a lot of chef friends who are going to ask questions!

As I said previously, blueberry is also considered as natural medicine in this country, so Masako, apart of creating jams and jellies, also make blueberry soap!

BLUEBERRY GOSHIMA/ブルーベリー後島
Mr.s Masako Mochizuki/望月正子さん
421-2105 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Goshima, 145-1
４２１－２１０５静岡市葵区後島１４５の１
Tel. & Fax: 054-294-0590
Mobile phone: 090-3938-2328
E-mail: masako77@agate.plala.or.jp
Private orders welcome!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
POPCORNHOMESTEAD in Tokyo by Joan Lambert Bailey,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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French Dessert: Creme Brulee aux Myrtilles/Blueberries Creme Brulee

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BLUEBERRY-BRULEE

I found a whole series of desserts in my old notes!
Blueberries are still in season.
Here is an easy and very tasty variation of a classice French dessert:
French Dessert: Creme brulee aux Myrtilles/Blueberries Creme Brulee!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 persons

-Egg yolks: 8
-Blueberries: 350 g
-Unskimmed milk: 300 ml
-Thick fresh ceam: 700 ml
-White sugar: 200 g
-Vanilla: 1 whole pod
-Sucre cassonade/brown sugar: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

-Pre-heat oven to 150 dgrees Celsius with a large deep oven plate filled with water up to a third of its depth.

-Make a cut along the vanilla pod and mix the inside with the milk in a deep pan. Bring slowly to boil.

-Beat the egg yolk and white sugar together in a separate bowl.

-Add the fresh cream. Mix. Add the vanilla milk and mix.

-Place the blueberries inside dessert dishes. Cover with the hot cream. Place the dishes in the bain-marie and cook for 20 minutes inside oven.

-Last and just before eating, sprinkle each dish with brown sugar and caramelize the cream under the grill.

-Serve lukewarm or cold.

If you wish to taste it with wine, a sparkling white wine would be great!

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Blueberry Yoghurt Bread

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BLUEBERRY-YOGHURT-BREAD-1

Still have plenty of those blueberries left? Dry them!
As for me, I eat them with yoghurt for breakfast.
Which reminded me of a simple recipe for breakfast bread:
Blueberry Yoghurt Bread!

INGREDIENTS:
-Bread flour: 250 g
-Whole wheat flour/Graham Flour: 50 g
-Plain yoghurt: 150 g
-Unsalted butter: 13 g
-Milk: 80 ml
-Sugar: 1 large tablespoon
-Salt: 1 small teaspoon (you may want to reduce that)
-Dry yeast: two thirds of a large tablespoon
-Dried blueberries: 40 g
-Bluberry jam: to taste
-Beaten egg

RECIPE:
BLUEBERRY-YOGHURT-BREAD-2
In an appropriate bowl or recipient, drop and mix bread flour, whole wheat flour/Graham Flour, plain yoghurt, unsalted butter, milk, sugar, salt, dry yeast, dried blueberries. Let ferment as you woulddo with any bread.

BLUEBERRY-YOGHURT-BREAD-3
-Once leavened, knead to let gas out. Form a bowl and cut iinto 6 equal parts.

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-Cover with cellophane paper and let rest for 20 minutes.

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-Stretch each ball with both hands first, then using a wooden roll stretch more on the picture.

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-Brush one side with a little bluberry jam and roll with the jam inside.

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-Place the balls as in picture inside a 19 cm wide baking paper mold.

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-To help with second fermentation, place inside a microwave oven for 20 minutes at 40 degrees Celsius.

BLUEBERRY-YOGHURT-BREAD-9
-During that time, preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius.
-Take out bread out of microwave oven. Brush with beaten egg.
-Lower oven tempearture to 190 degrees Celsius and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Blueberry and Red Wine Ruby Mousse

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BLUEBERRY-RED-WINE-MOUSSE-1

Here is a seasonal dessert for adults with a wicked liking for wine!

Blueberry and Red Wine Ruby Mousse!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 cups (to share?)

-Blueberry Mousse:
Powdered gelatin or agar agar: 5 g
Water: 2 large tablespoons
Plain yoghurt: 200 ml/1 cup
Honey: 40 g
Frozen blueberries (or fresh in season): 7
Lemon juice: a little
Fresh cream: 50 ml

-Red wine jelly:
Red Wine: 100 ml
Sugar: 15 g
Lemon juice: a little
powdered gelatin or agar agar: 2.5 g
Water: 2 large tablespoons

-For decoaration:
Blueberries: to taste
Mint leaves

RECIPE:

-Blueberry Mousse:
Pour water into a bowl, add gelatin and mix in (in that order, please otherwise you will fail!)
Drop yoghurt, honey (liquid) and blueberries in a mixer/food processor. Mix until smooth.
Beat up fresh cream until it “horns” stand. Add to mousse mixture. Season with lemon juice.
Dissolve gelatin in water by gently heating it. Add to Mousse mixtureand mix. Pour the the blueberry mousse into 4 recipients of your choice and leave inside fridge for 30 minutes or until properly solidified.

-Wine jelly:
As for the bleberry mousse, add gelatin to water.
In a small pan heat red wine and sugar together to dissolve. Stop fire as soon as you think that the alcohol has evaporated. Season with lemon juice.
Let cool completely.
Dissolve gelatin in water by gently heating it. add to red wine jelly mixture and let cool completely.
Pour jelly over Blueberry Mousse and put v\back into refrigerator to solidify.
Only when the whole mousse and jelly are firm enough decorate with blueberries and fresh mint leaves.

BLUEBERRY-RED-WINE-MOUSSE-2
Make a point to scoop both parts for top enjoyment!

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Grapefruit Chiffon Cake

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GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-1

As promised, here is another version of the American Chiffon Cake:
Grapefruit Chiffon Cake!

INGREDIENTS: For a 20 cm wide mold
-Eggs (L Size):
Whites: 5
Yolks: 4

-Grapefruit
Ruby: 1
White sugar: 2 large tablespoons

Powder ingredients:
Flour: 100 g
Baking powder: 4 g
White sugar: 60 g
Salad oil: 70 ml
Salt: half a small teaspoon
Dry coconuts flakes: 2 large tablespoons

Oven temperature:
160 degrees Celsius for 45~50 minutes

RECIPE:
GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-2
-Take out the flesh of the grapefruit. In a bowl add the sugar and heat inside a microwave oven for 3 minutes. The sugar will take the acidity off the grapefruit.

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-3
-Let cool down to room temperature. Accelerate the process by putting the recipient into a larger one half filled with ice water.

-The egg yolks (4) and egg whites (5) should be inside two different bowls. Put the bowl containing the egg whites inside the freezer for enough time to chill them

-Mix flour and baking powder in two steps. Add coconut flakes.

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-4
-The egg whites should be chilled enough after 5 minutes inside the freezer. They are bst when ice appears around the rim.

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-5
-Beat up the egg whites.
Halfway through add two thirds of sugar and continue beating.

-The meringue should show “horns”. Keep in mind that if the meringue becomes too hard, it will difficult to milk with something else!

-Put back the meringue into the freezer. Otherwise it will become sticky and runny.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-6
-Add salt and one third of the sugar to the egg yolks.
Beat slowly.

-The salt will help “whiten” the eggs after a few minutes and hold back the sweetness of the sugar.

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-Baeting slowly all the time, add salad oil. Mix well. Add grapefruit. Mix well.

-Last add flour, baking powder and coconut flakes mixture. Fold in gently with saptula.

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-Add half of the meringue and mix well.

-Once well mixed, add second half of mringue and mix. This way will prevent any mistakes!

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-9
-Pour in the cake mixture into the mold.

-Insert a long stick inside the mixture and turn around 10 times to ensure than no bubbles will break the surface of the cake while baking!

GRAPEFRUIT-CHIFFON-10
-Bake in oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 45~50 minutes. Insert a stick in the cake if you are not sure it is completely cooked. If the stick comes out clean, the cake is ready!

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Rare Blueberry Cheese Cake

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BLUEBERRY-RARE-CHEESECAKE

I posted a baked blueberry Cheese Cake yesterday. Here is the “rare” version as the Japanese describe their bain-marie cooked Cheese Cake as opposed to the fully baked variety!
Rare Blueberry Cheese Cake!

INGREDIENTS: For an 18 cm diameter mold
Cheese cake
-Cream Cheese (Philadelpia type): 250 g
-Sugar: 80 g
-Eggs: 2 medium-sized
-Fresh Cream: 200 ml
-Lemon Juice: 1 large Tablespoon
レモン汁 大さじ１
-Flour: 3 large Tablespoons
-Blueberries (frozen): 130 g
-Biscuits: 100 g
-Butter: 50 g

Sauce:
-Blueberries (Frozen): 130 g
-Sugar: 50 g
-Lemon Juice: 2 small teaspoons

RECIPE:
-Drop biscuits in a food processor and process until you obtain fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process.

-Place baking paper inside mold. Pour biscuits mix in and spread evenly. Leave inside fridge until further use.

-Clean the food processor. Drop in the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, fresh cream, lemon juice and flour. Process one at a time until mixture is smooth before dropping in the next ingredient.

-Transfer the mixture into a separate bowl. Add three fourths of the frozen blueberries. Mix them in carefully so as not to break them.

-Pour the cheese cake mixture directly onto the biscuit base. Place remaining blueberries on top. Cook in bain-marie at 170 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes.

-Leave cake inside the refrigerator after having completely cooled down.

-Blue berry sauce:
Drop blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a cooking recipient.
Cover with cellophane paper and cook inside a microwave oven at 500~600 W fro 3~4 minutes. Take out and stir for a while. Let cool completely and leave inside refrigerator.

-Serve the cheese cake chilled with a good dose of chilled sauce.

NOTE:
When you add blueberries to cheese cake mixture, do not overmix, otherwise the whole thing will turned blue!
Best served when chilled.
Think about about extra decoration for better efffect (mint leaves, etc…)

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