Second Verse, Same as the First

A couple of months ago I failed to mention a very important event. Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring have come and gone Up North, and I've tried to share the most relevant Northisms that I could with you over the year. That said, as one year has passed (on July 15th, to be precise), it is time to replay the seasons under the guise of a not-as-neo-northerner. Sure, I'm still New compared to people who were born here, or even those who have moved here long ago. But I'm not the youngest chick in the hen-house anymore. Or, if you prefer, the youngest kit in the beaver dam? The youngest bear cub at the dump? The youngest gosling in the gaggle? The youngest...well, I'm sure you get it.

Here's a familiar scene, if you were with me one year ago. This year's Blueberry Season has just about ended. Being as I am a little older and wiser this year, as well as more knowledgeable about the lay of the land, I found myself picking from a different patch; one that was even more generous than my pickin' grounds of last year. The place is a former burn site. About four years ago a forest fire blazed through here, leaving the charred carcases of spruce to enrich the soil and allowing lots of sunlight to stream in but still giving sufficient cover from the elements. Over time nature regenerates, and the most heartwarming sign of this miracle are the blueberry bushes sprawled across the rocky ground.

Blueberry Wine

Given my previous posts about Chokecherries, it is only natural that I turned to wine-making once again. The Choke juice is still fermenting in the basement, bubbling happily away in its glass jars. I check on it once a week to swirl the jars a bit and skim the top. It smells like a real winery down there, so I have every reason to believe that my little experiment will yield some delicious results. Cue the blueberries. The recipe is from a friend that I've made Up Here; not from here originally but with an enviable knowledge of picking, foraging, preserving and fermenting. The recipe is from her grandmother, so you KNOW it's gotta be good. Here's what to do: make a syrup with 1 and 1/2 litres of water and 4 cups of sugar (I.e. boil them together). Pour over approximately 12 cups of blueberries in a sterile jar. You can crush the berries or leave them intact, the difference is that the crushed berries will take only around 4 weeks to ferment properly, while the intact berries will take around 6 weeks. After the allotted time is up, bottle.

Blueberry Crown Rolls

Another familiar sight...you must be wondering if I've any new tricks still tucked up in my sleeve. Well, just wait for the next one! In the meantime, I decided to replicate the success I had with my Chokecherry Crown Rolls. They turned out perfectly the second time around and were devoured and praised by all. Here's the link again. The only difference is the filling: I boiled down 2 cups of blueberries with 1 cup water and a 1/4 cup of both sugar and cornstarch. This is a great snack to take to a potluck, meeting, picnic or gathering. 
And now for something totally different...

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

One of the advantages of making one's own ice cream, other than the quality, freshness and ability to control every ingredient, is that you can make flavours that you just won't find in the store. Or even if you do come across the same flavour in the frozen food section, odds are that yours tastes better. Especially if it's Blueberry Cheesecake ice cream.This is another guaranteed crowd pleaser: given the amount of praise it got, I'm surprised the bowls didn't get licked out when I took it to a dinner party for dessert. I certainly didn't have any leftover to take back home. Now, the recipe is from a cookbook called The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, so I can't share it here, but there are other bloggers in Internet World who do not have the same qualms about sharing copyrighted, non-public recipes, so if you happen to type some keywords into a certain popular search engine, who am I to say what you might end up with? If you don't want to, I'd say this recipe alone is worth the price of Lebovitz's book. I'll be making it again very, very soon.

Finally, since Summer seems to be at it's end, I'll share some photos from the past month or so, if only to try and hold on to the warmth and sunny weather for awhile longer. 

The puppies are still alive and well. They both got their swimming legs this summer, although Reina still views the deep with some trepidation.

Heading out for some evening fishing. This is the boat launch area in town, frequently used on a day as beautiful as this one.

 Pelicans gliding over the waters of the Churchill River Basin.

The clouds Up Here are simply breathtaking. It's like one could reach out and stroke their fluffy underbellies.

Not a bad view while fishing out on the open water. A lovely end to a fantastic day.