>Chuck: I fear we are failing to communicate.
Daisy: What’s up?
Chuck (unpacking groceries in kitchen): I’ve been buying fresh fruit and you aren’t eating it. I have pears in the fridge and they’re getting overripe.
Daisy: Sigh. It was a wild week; I usually eat fruit with my lunch, but I had a shortened lunch period each day. I’ll see what I can bake with the rest this weekend.
So the search was on! I looked through quick breads, crisps, and cobblers, and decided that this Blueberry Breakfast Bake could also accommodate pears. And indeed, it did. I split the 2 cups blueberries into 1 cup blueberries (frozen, from last summer’s Farm Market) and 1 cup diced very-ripe pears.
Blueberry (or other fruit) Breakfast Bake
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices whole-wheat bread
2 cups fresh fruit: blueberries or pears or your choice
In a large bowl, beat the egg and sugar together with a fork until well blended. Stir in the milk, cinnamon, lemon rind, nutmeg, and vanilla. Tear the bread into 1/2 inch pieces and stir into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat and 8X8-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Stir the blueberries (and other fruity gems) into the bread mixture and spoon into the pan, spreading evenly.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until firm. Serve warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream.
Daisy’s hint: in my increasing quest to keep our food supply more local, I froze blueberries last summer. By freezing them on a cookie sheet and then dumping the frozen berries into a container, the blueberries do not stick together. I can pull out exactly the amount I need. One cup, one and a half cups, or just a handful to serve over pancakes. Next summer I plan to do the same with strawberries and raspberries.
Original recipe taken from Betty Rhode’s Super So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat Cookbook
>Blueberries and pears always go together so well! Having bags of frozen berries from summer pleases me so much this time of year.
>Too funny! Our conversation was that he couldn't buy anything else until we used up all the fresh fruits and veggies. We're getting downto some odd combinations, though.
>Wow, this sounds delicious. I was curious if you could've frozen the pears. Living in the mountains, it is hard to buy any fruit local, let alone grow it, but sometimes in the summer I'll hit the jackpot at a farmer's market. Is all fruit freezable? I sure love having my bananas in there for bread making!