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Monday, August 31, 2020
Home on the Range / Recipes Home on the Range: Zucchini-Herb Butter
Posted
By Melissa Pasanen
on Mon, Aug 31, 2020 at 10:02 AM
Late-summer zucchini is the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It gets no respect.
As in, "Make sure you lock your car doors and barricade your front porch against neighbors trying to rid themselves of green monsters that balloon to the size of baseball bats overnight."
In truth, really huge zucchini are not good for much. They tend to be spongey, seed-filled and so mild in flavor that they don't add anything to whatever recipe you try desperately to hide them in.
But merely large zucchini are well deployed in this unctuous zucchini butter. Coarsely chopped zucchini (and summer squash if you like) is stewed slowly in olive oil with a touch of butter, along with generous amounts of garlic and fresh herbs.
The resulting soft spread has a million uses. It can be smeared on toast and dotted with fresh goat cheese to make bruschetta, tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes and pasta, used as a base sauce for homemade pizza, slathered on veggie or meat burgers, or used to top grilled salmon.
The best part is that the recipe reduces two pounds of zucchini to one pint of concentrated goodness. Divide it into smaller jars, which are way easier to sneak into your neighbor's car and I guarantee will be appreciated.
Ingredients
As in, "Make sure you lock your car doors and barricade your front porch against neighbors trying to rid themselves of green monsters that balloon to the size of baseball bats overnight."
In truth, really huge zucchini are not good for much. They tend to be spongey, seed-filled and so mild in flavor that they don't add anything to whatever recipe you try desperately to hide them in.
But merely large zucchini are well deployed in this unctuous zucchini butter. Coarsely chopped zucchini (and summer squash if you like) is stewed slowly in olive oil with a touch of butter, along with generous amounts of garlic and fresh herbs.
The resulting soft spread has a million uses. It can be smeared on toast and dotted with fresh goat cheese to make bruschetta, tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes and pasta, used as a base sauce for homemade pizza, slathered on veggie or meat burgers, or used to top grilled salmon.
The best part is that the recipe reduces two pounds of zucchini to one pint of concentrated goodness. Divide it into smaller jars, which are way easier to sneak into your neighbor's car and I guarantee will be appreciated.
Zucchini-Herb Butter
Makes 2 cups (2 half-pint jars)Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 2 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), coarsely chopped (remove seeds if they're very big)
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- A few grinds black pepper
- Finely chopped leaves from 5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (slivered basil would also be good)
- Couple splashes dry white wine, optional
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice, optional
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and melt the olive oil and butter.
- Add the garlic, zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini starts to soften, 15-20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the thyme leaves.
- Continue to cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is completely soft, another 25-30 minutes. (I like to use a potato masher to coax it along.) If the zucchini starts to stick, add a splash of white wine or water.
- When the zucchini is cooked, taste and add a little more salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, as desired.
Got cooking questions? Feel free to email pasanen@sevendaysvt.com.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Restaurant News / Burlington Farmhouse Tap & Grill Closes for Two Days Due to Customer COVID-19 Test
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Sun, Aug 30, 2020 at 7:32 PM
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill in downtown Burlington has closed Sunday and Monday this week after learning that a customer who ate there on Wednesday, August 26, had since tested positive for the coronavirus, owner Jed Davis said. The patron called the Farmhouse on Saturday night to tell the restaurant about the test result.
“The customer was kind enough to call us,” Davis told Seven Days Sunday afternoon. “I definitely appreciated it. It’s not a call you want to receive, but you’re thankful to receive it.”
“The customer was kind enough to call us,” Davis told Seven Days Sunday afternoon. “I definitely appreciated it. It’s not a call you want to receive, but you’re thankful to receive it.”
Monday, August 24, 2020
Dining on a Dime / Burlington Dining on a Dime: M-Saigon
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Mon, Aug 24, 2020 at 5:42 PM
My daughter and I are typically winter customers at M-Saigon restaurant on Shelburne Road, where we're fond of the pho with tofu and vegetables and drunken noodles with chicken.
So I hadn’t been thinking about the Vietnamese restaurant in Burlington’s South End until I went to the post office the other day and noticed the neighboring restaurant in the strip mall is open. The right spot for Dining on a Dime, I thought.
But the noodle dish is $12.95, just over this feature’s $12 price limit. And it’s summer — I wasn't in the mood for soup.
How lucky for us that considerations of price and season pushed us to look anew at the menu. My daughter chose grilled lemongrass honey chicken with vermicelli ($11.95). I got chicken dumplings ($5.95) and lemongrass tofu banh mi ($4.95). For $22. 85, before tax and tip, we shared a very good and satisfying meal for two.
(Unsolicited tip advice: Tip at least 20 percent, like the good old days of restaurant dining, picking up food to-go or buying a beer at an outdoor bar. If a business, like Lawson's Finest Liquids, is collecting money for a local nonprofit rather than accepting a gratuity, contribute a comparable amount.)
Back to our regularly scheduled content: The generous portion of vermicelli at M-Saigon was served with a medley of vegetables — cucumbers, bean sprouts, daikon, carrots and shallots — and crushed peanuts. The dish came with two pieces of grilled chicken.
I probably hold sandwiches to the highest standard of any food group, and the banh mi was terrific. Served on a housemade baguette, the sliced tofu was garnished with cilantro, a crunchy wedge of cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots. The restaurant held the house mayo at my request and added sweet chili sauce (their idea). It was hard to believe this hoagie-sized banh mi, with ingredients we're not likely to pull from our refrigerator, cost $4.95.
M-Saigon closed in mid-March in compliance with Vermont's coronavirus shutdown order. The restaurant reopened on July 6, according to Chantalle Nguyen, daughter of chef/owner Khoi Nguyen.
A 20-year-old psychology major at the University of Vermont, Nguyen will balance restaurant work with soon-to-start fall classes. Her studies and her job are altered due to the pandemic: Classes will be online and M-Saigon is open for takeout and curbside business only.
Nguyen was in elementary school in 2008, when her parents opened the restaurant. Her favorite items on the menu are crispy pork banh mi and grilled lemongrass pork on vermicelli, she said. As a new fan of the tofu sandwich, I’m planning a return trip for the Nguyen-recommended pork one ($4.95).
“I grew up eating this food,” Nguyen said. “A lot of the food that is on the menu we cook at home on a regular basis, for regular dinners.”
M-Saigon is open Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
So I hadn’t been thinking about the Vietnamese restaurant in Burlington’s South End until I went to the post office the other day and noticed the neighboring restaurant in the strip mall is open. The right spot for Dining on a Dime, I thought.
But the noodle dish is $12.95, just over this feature’s $12 price limit. And it’s summer — I wasn't in the mood for soup.
How lucky for us that considerations of price and season pushed us to look anew at the menu. My daughter chose grilled lemongrass honey chicken with vermicelli ($11.95). I got chicken dumplings ($5.95) and lemongrass tofu banh mi ($4.95). For $22. 85, before tax and tip, we shared a very good and satisfying meal for two.
(Unsolicited tip advice: Tip at least 20 percent, like the good old days of restaurant dining, picking up food to-go or buying a beer at an outdoor bar. If a business, like Lawson's Finest Liquids, is collecting money for a local nonprofit rather than accepting a gratuity, contribute a comparable amount.)
Back to our regularly scheduled content: The generous portion of vermicelli at M-Saigon was served with a medley of vegetables — cucumbers, bean sprouts, daikon, carrots and shallots — and crushed peanuts. The dish came with two pieces of grilled chicken.
I probably hold sandwiches to the highest standard of any food group, and the banh mi was terrific. Served on a housemade baguette, the sliced tofu was garnished with cilantro, a crunchy wedge of cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots. The restaurant held the house mayo at my request and added sweet chili sauce (their idea). It was hard to believe this hoagie-sized banh mi, with ingredients we're not likely to pull from our refrigerator, cost $4.95.
M-Saigon closed in mid-March in compliance with Vermont's coronavirus shutdown order. The restaurant reopened on July 6, according to Chantalle Nguyen, daughter of chef/owner Khoi Nguyen.
A 20-year-old psychology major at the University of Vermont, Nguyen will balance restaurant work with soon-to-start fall classes. Her studies and her job are altered due to the pandemic: Classes will be online and M-Saigon is open for takeout and curbside business only.
Nguyen was in elementary school in 2008, when her parents opened the restaurant. Her favorite items on the menu are crispy pork banh mi and grilled lemongrass pork on vermicelli, she said. As a new fan of the tofu sandwich, I’m planning a return trip for the Nguyen-recommended pork one ($4.95).
“I grew up eating this food,” Nguyen said. “A lot of the food that is on the menu we cook at home on a regular basis, for regular dinners.”
M-Saigon is open Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dining on a Dime is a series featuring well-made, filling bites (something substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better) for $12 or less. Know of a tasty dish we should feature? Drop us a line: food@sevendaysvt.com.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
ArtsRiot to Reopen Friday
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Tue, Aug 18, 2020 at 4:36 PM
ArtsRiot, which closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, will open under new ownership for patio service at 400 Pine Street in Burlington on August 21, according to general manager Kelly Keen. The South End restaurant and bar, known for its live music, 400 burgers and summer food truck gatherings, was purchased July 1 by Burlington entrepreneur Alan Newman.
The restaurant will offer beer, cider and cocktails, including the house frozen mojito, Keen wrote in an email to Seven Days. Pingala Café, a vegan restaurant at the Chace Mill in Burlington, will prepare food out of the ArtsRiot kitchen through Columbus Day, according to Keen. Pingala’s broccoli bar was a mainstay at the ArtsRiot Truck Stop.
The restaurant will offer beer, cider and cocktails, including the house frozen mojito, Keen wrote in an email to Seven Days. Pingala Café, a vegan restaurant at the Chace Mill in Burlington, will prepare food out of the ArtsRiot kitchen through Columbus Day, according to Keen. Pingala’s broccoli bar was a mainstay at the ArtsRiot Truck Stop.
NOFA Grants Expand Food Access
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Tue, Aug 18, 2020 at 1:18 PM
For almost a decade, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps has grown organic vegetables on its Richmond farm for Vermonters who otherwise might not have access to local, healthy food.
A CSA program founded by the VYCC in 2012 today provides weekly produce, at no cost, to more than 400 Vermont families through the Health Care Share. The “farm-to-hospital” program is a partnership between the VYCC, which runs a 10-acre farm, and health care providers around the state.
A CSA program founded by the VYCC in 2012 today provides weekly produce, at no cost, to more than 400 Vermont families through the Health Care Share. The “farm-to-hospital” program is a partnership between the VYCC, which runs a 10-acre farm, and health care providers around the state.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Home on the Range / Recipes Home on the Range: Breakfast Popsicles
Posted
By Melissa Pasanen
on Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 4:00 PM
Yes, you can eat popsicles for breakfast. And yes, the recipe below for those breakfast popsicles might just be your wildest childhood dreams come true, as Shelburne-based food blogger Lee Corbett puts it.
Corbett's blog, the Rogue Brussel Sprout, aims to create a resource for healthy fruit and vegetable-centric recipes. When she read Seven Days' story about Arealles Ortiz of Curly Girl Pops in Montpelier, Corbett recognized a kindred culinary spirit with a similar mission to combine the delicious with the nutritious.
She reached out to Ortiz and the resulting collaboration is these super-flexible, maple-sweetened berry and banana popsicles made with whatever berries and plant-based milk you have on hand.
The recipe does call for a high-power blender, and although mine is pretty strong, it definitely took some patience — and some extra coconut milk — to get it all blended smoothly together. If you don't have a really strong blender, I suggest trying the unfrozen banana option.
The pair's goal, Corbett said, was to come up with a recipe that is nutritious, easy and fun for all ages.
My current houseful of twentysomething "kids" helped a little in the making and a lot in the taste-testing. Needless to say, the popsicles earned a big thumbs up.
Ingredients
Corbett's blog, the Rogue Brussel Sprout, aims to create a resource for healthy fruit and vegetable-centric recipes. When she read Seven Days' story about Arealles Ortiz of Curly Girl Pops in Montpelier, Corbett recognized a kindred culinary spirit with a similar mission to combine the delicious with the nutritious.
She reached out to Ortiz and the resulting collaboration is these super-flexible, maple-sweetened berry and banana popsicles made with whatever berries and plant-based milk you have on hand.
The recipe does call for a high-power blender, and although mine is pretty strong, it definitely took some patience — and some extra coconut milk — to get it all blended smoothly together. If you don't have a really strong blender, I suggest trying the unfrozen banana option.
The pair's goal, Corbett said, was to come up with a recipe that is nutritious, easy and fun for all ages.
My current houseful of twentysomething "kids" helped a little in the making and a lot in the taste-testing. Needless to say, the popsicles earned a big thumbs up.
Berry-Banana Breakfast Popsicles
Makes 10 small popsiclesIngredients
- 2 cups frozen berries (I used about ⅔ blueberries and ⅓ cranberries)
- 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces, or fresh banana if your blender is not very powerful
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk (I used coconut milk and needed about another 3 tablespoons to get everything to blend together)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Optional add-ins: ground cinnamon, fresh herbs, fresh grated ginger (I used about 1 tablespoon for mine), dollop of unsweetened yogurt, dollop of nut butter
- Optional toppings: unsweetened yogurt plus granola, chopped nuts, seeds or drizzle of nut butter (I used maple yogurt with unsweetened coconut flakes and granola)
- Combine berries, banana, plant-based milk, maple syrup and any optional add-ins in a high-power blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth, adding more plant-based milk as needed.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds or paper cups. (I used 3-ounce paper cups and filled them about ⅔ full.)
- Freeze the popsicles for about 60 to 90 minutes until you can insert the popsicle sticks about ⅔ way in and they stay centered and upright.
- Freeze overnight until fully frozen. If using popsicle molds, run the molds under hot water for 30 seconds to loosen them. If using paper cups, snip or tear at the rim before pulling them gently off.
- If desired, dip the frozen popsicles in yogurt and then dip or sprinkle them with optional toppings. Re-freeze for another hour.
- Popsicles keep in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for about a week.
Source: Adapted from the Rogue Brussel Sprout and Curly Girl Pops.
Got cooking questions? Feel free to email pasanen@sevendaysvt.com.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
News Vermont Foodbank Awarded $500,000 USDA Grant
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Tue, Aug 11, 2020 at 2:48 PM
The Vermont Foodbank is the recipient of a $500,000 federal grant to “upgrade its Barre, Vt., facility with new equipment and infrastructure,” according to a press release from the United States Department of Agriculture, the agency that awarded the money.
Home on the Range / Recipes Home on the Range: A Big Bowl of Lentils
Posted
By Melissa Pasanen
on Tue, Aug 11, 2020 at 10:28 AM
I owe the discovery of this easy, delicious and incredibly versatile way to prepare lentils to my Seven Days colleague, Margaret Grayson.
Margaret has fallen in love with lentils, she told me. "They just sop up whatever flavor you want, like healthy little sponges." On a recent backpacking trip, she packed pink lentils and spices as a lightweight dinner.
This particular recipe calls for the tiny, dark green lentils that cook quickly and hold their shape. They are sometimes called French lentils or indigo lentils. (I buy them from the bulk section at City Market.) Beluga lentils, which are almost black, will also work well.
While the pot simmers, you whisk together a dressing of good vinegar and olive oil with a touch of honey, paprika and salt to pour over the hot, drained lentils. They drink up the dressing eagerly, as most of us would. The nutty lentils pair beautifully with the mellow acidity and hint of sweet and spice.
It may not sound like much, but that's like saying that a favorite pair of fits-just-right jeans is nothing special. You can dress them up; you can dress them down. They are, in fact, indispensable.
The recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish; most of that is hands-off while the lentils cook. Over the last month, I have already made them three times. It is the kind of chameleon recipe that can shape-shift to go with whatever you have on hand.
You can eat the lentils straight, but it is more fun and rewarding to create all manner of one-bowl meals built on their sturdy foundation. Aside from providing a nutritious base, lentils are also naturally gluten-free and vegan. (Use maple syrup instead of honey if needed.)
These lentils have already played a humble but critical supporting role for the vegetables and herbs currently cascading in abundance from my garden and farm share.
I first tossed them with grilled baby red onions and halved cherry tomatoes. I then embellished the lentils with grilled zucchini, feta and loads of fresh oregano. Finally, I charred up several bunches of fat scallions, chopped them coarsely and then didn't have time to thinly slice the fennel bulbs I'd been planning to add before my guests arrived. It was still delicious.
The only slight drawback is that their drab army green pallor is not particularly pretty, so if serving for guests, I do recommend adding something bright for color.
Margaret and I both owe thanks to recipe developer and food writer Anna Stockwell of Epicurious. Here is the link to her recipe from March 2020. Below, find some more ideas I'm dreaming about for future batches.
Margaret has fallen in love with lentils, she told me. "They just sop up whatever flavor you want, like healthy little sponges." On a recent backpacking trip, she packed pink lentils and spices as a lightweight dinner.
This particular recipe calls for the tiny, dark green lentils that cook quickly and hold their shape. They are sometimes called French lentils or indigo lentils. (I buy them from the bulk section at City Market.) Beluga lentils, which are almost black, will also work well.
While the pot simmers, you whisk together a dressing of good vinegar and olive oil with a touch of honey, paprika and salt to pour over the hot, drained lentils. They drink up the dressing eagerly, as most of us would. The nutty lentils pair beautifully with the mellow acidity and hint of sweet and spice.
It may not sound like much, but that's like saying that a favorite pair of fits-just-right jeans is nothing special. You can dress them up; you can dress them down. They are, in fact, indispensable.
The recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish; most of that is hands-off while the lentils cook. Over the last month, I have already made them three times. It is the kind of chameleon recipe that can shape-shift to go with whatever you have on hand.
You can eat the lentils straight, but it is more fun and rewarding to create all manner of one-bowl meals built on their sturdy foundation. Aside from providing a nutritious base, lentils are also naturally gluten-free and vegan. (Use maple syrup instead of honey if needed.)
These lentils have already played a humble but critical supporting role for the vegetables and herbs currently cascading in abundance from my garden and farm share.
I first tossed them with grilled baby red onions and halved cherry tomatoes. I then embellished the lentils with grilled zucchini, feta and loads of fresh oregano. Finally, I charred up several bunches of fat scallions, chopped them coarsely and then didn't have time to thinly slice the fennel bulbs I'd been planning to add before my guests arrived. It was still delicious.
The only slight drawback is that their drab army green pallor is not particularly pretty, so if serving for guests, I do recommend adding something bright for color.
Margaret and I both owe thanks to recipe developer and food writer Anna Stockwell of Epicurious. Here is the link to her recipe from March 2020. Below, find some more ideas I'm dreaming about for future batches.
Marinated Lentil Salad Inspiration
- Fresh or roasted corn kernels + ribboned basil + shaved Pecorino
- Small pasta shapes + diced bell peppers + bocconcini mozzarella balls + flat leaf parsley
- Cubed roasted eggplant tossed in a little chili powder and cumin + chopped olives + dollops of plain whole milk yogurt + cilantro
- Chunks of steamed sweet potato + pickled red onion (credit to Margaret for this one; I think arugula would be great with this combo)
- Grilled halloumi + pickled mild peppers + golden raisins
- Lemon-garlic grilled shrimp, scallops or chicken + diced orange segments + toasted pistachios
Got cooking questions? Feel free to email pasanen@sevendaysvt.com.
Monday, August 10, 2020
Restaurant News New Yorkers Bring New Indian Restaurant to Burlington
Posted
By Melissa Pasanen
on Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 12:40 PM
A pair of New Yorkers will soon open an Indian restaurant at 207 Colchester Avenue in Burlington, where India House served up tandoori chicken and pakoras from the early 1980s until closing in October 2019.
Co-owners Priyank Shah and Sikander Badhan said they hope their Elaichi Indian Restaurant & Bar will be open for takeout, delivery and reduced-capacity indoor seating by the end of August, although they believe the liquor license will take a little longer.
Co-owners Priyank Shah and Sikander Badhan said they hope their Elaichi Indian Restaurant & Bar will be open for takeout, delivery and reduced-capacity indoor seating by the end of August, although they believe the liquor license will take a little longer.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Home on the Range / Recipes Home on the Range: Blueberry Shortbread Bars
Posted
By Melissa Pasanen
on Tue, Aug 4, 2020 at 6:20 PM
Picking blueberries is high on my summer bucket list. That list also includes cooling myself off in as many Vermont rivers as I can.
A recent visit to Covered Bridge Blueberry Farm in Underhill checked off both so perfectly that I just might have to head back there before the end of blueberry season later this month.
This lovely, almost 3-acre berry patch is under its first year of ownership by friends of friends. They are transitioning to organic, so the berries are unsprayed but the farm is not yet certified.
After driving over the Browns River on, yes, a covered bridge, we found easy picking with a striking view of Mount Mansfield. (And after we'd picked, we found cool refreshment in the river under the bridge.)
The bushes were weighed down with four different varieties of berries, and I picked more than I could reasonably deal with given my schedule.
I did freeze some in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets before bagging them up. (This prevents them from turning into a single, solid frozen mass.) But space in both my freezer and fridge are at a premium this time of year, so I had to figure out something else stat. Enter one of the simplest baked summer berry recipes in my arsenal.
The original recipe comes from a friend who I watched pull it together in about 10 minutes about a decade ago at her family's summer place. I've since tweaked it a tiny bit and renamed it; they called it sheet pie, but, while delicious, it's not even a remote cousin to pie, in my view.
The recipe remains quick to make and a sure hit topped with vanilla ice cream. Over the years, I've also made it with sliced peaches arranged overlapping like fish scales (that takes longer than 10 minutes). I'm sure it would work with other berries, such as raspberries and blackberries, as well.
Deep in Vermont winter, I will try to remember where I stashed those frozen blueberries to make it again and evoke sunny berry-picking, river-dipping days.
Ingredients
For the crust:
A recent visit to Covered Bridge Blueberry Farm in Underhill checked off both so perfectly that I just might have to head back there before the end of blueberry season later this month.
This lovely, almost 3-acre berry patch is under its first year of ownership by friends of friends. They are transitioning to organic, so the berries are unsprayed but the farm is not yet certified.
After driving over the Browns River on, yes, a covered bridge, we found easy picking with a striking view of Mount Mansfield. (And after we'd picked, we found cool refreshment in the river under the bridge.)
The bushes were weighed down with four different varieties of berries, and I picked more than I could reasonably deal with given my schedule.
I did freeze some in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets before bagging them up. (This prevents them from turning into a single, solid frozen mass.) But space in both my freezer and fridge are at a premium this time of year, so I had to figure out something else stat. Enter one of the simplest baked summer berry recipes in my arsenal.
The original recipe comes from a friend who I watched pull it together in about 10 minutes about a decade ago at her family's summer place. I've since tweaked it a tiny bit and renamed it; they called it sheet pie, but, while delicious, it's not even a remote cousin to pie, in my view.
The recipe remains quick to make and a sure hit topped with vanilla ice cream. Over the years, I've also made it with sliced peaches arranged overlapping like fish scales (that takes longer than 10 minutes). I'm sure it would work with other berries, such as raspberries and blackberries, as well.
Deep in Vermont winter, I will try to remember where I stashed those frozen blueberries to make it again and evoke sunny berry-picking, river-dipping days.
Blueberry Shortbread Bars
Makes about 35 roughly 2-inch-square barsIngredients
For the crust:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, preferably unsalted, cut into pieces
- 3 cups flour
- generous pinch fine salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 2 ½ pints blueberries
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Confectioners' sugar
- Vanilla ice cream
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt, if using. Pulse at least a dozen times until the mixture forms rough crumbles and a pinch holds together between your fingers. (Alternately, use a pastry fork or your hands to mix to the same consistency.)
- Tip the dough into a large rimmed cookie sheet (either 16 by 12 or 15 by 10 inches). With your hands, press the dough out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, vanilla, sugar, flour and cinnamon.
- Spread the berry mixture evenly across the crust.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until the berries are collapsed and jammy. (If you can see any crust, it should be light golden-brown.)
- Cool the bars in the pan and dust them with confectioners' sugar right before serving with vanilla ice cream.
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