Boo Berries

I also got some blueberries when I got my cherry fix on Saturday. Of course blueberries aren't the only berries (or berry like fruit) available this summer - there are also gooseberries, raspberries, red currants, black currants, etc. I didn't buy any other berry because I am not a baker and I can't be bothered trying to figure out what to do with the tartier berries. So, I just picked the one I thought would be best to eat just on its own - the blueberry. I got these (pictured) from the Ettrick Garden stall at the market at $5 for a small container.

Maybe I'm a little loopy but I love the moody, faded dark blue colour under the patchy coat of grey on the almost leather-like texture skin of the berries. They look like they belong in Miss Havisham's room in Great Expectations, covered in dust, untouched for years. Let me assure you, however, despite my silly romantic notions, they are in fact clean, fresh and nummy, nummy, nummy. These dainty, adorable, charming little blue balls are delicate, sweet, juicy and surprisingly refreshing. Perfect on a hot summer's day - you could easily eat a handful at a time. If you're more industrious and imaginative than I am, which is not hard to be, you can use them for making pancakes, muffins, cakes, etc. Lazy ol' me prefers to chomp away at the berries as they are - naturally fresh and delicious.

Cherry Season

I know it's a little late in the season to be writing about this but IMO the best part about summer in Dunedin is being able to enjoy fresh summer fruits.

My personal favourite is the seductive cherry. D is somewhat disturbed by my current obsession with cherries but he forgets that stone fruits don't grow where I come from. In fact, despite having lived here for almost eight years, it was only 3 or 4 years ago that I discovered how amazing fresh cherries can be. Can you blame me? Up till then, my experience with cherries was based solely on the fluorescent red, sickly confectionery sweet maraschino cherries, which I am quite averse to. I can't remember how I finally relented and tried a fresh cherry but I know I have S to blame. That first cherry was pleasant, but not outstanding.

I have since discovered the heavyweight champion of all cherries, or rather the company that sells them. The Big Fat Cherry company sets up shop at the farmers market during cherry season and charges $2 more per kilo than any other stall in the market, yet people continue to flock to their stall. Unfortunately, I can't say that they sell the best cherries in the market because I have never bought cherries from any other stall - I was at first drawn to the clever name of the stall, then hooked after I tried their sample cherries. But it doesn't take a genius to work it out - there's a reason why they are getting away with charging $14/kg when everyone else's cherries are going for $12/kg.

The Big Fat Cherry's cherries are about 3cm in diameter. They're so beautifully fat that they look like they're about to burst out of their skins. When my teeth crack the taut, crisp skin of one of these gorgeous, firm, dark red, rotund cherries, I am initially greeted by the faintest taste of wine-like bitter-sweetness and followed by an explosion of delicious, sweet cherry juice and flesh which melt in my mouth. In my opinion, they're like tasty little mini plums. Little cherry juice bombs! Heavenly. Be sure to get them while cherry season lasts. I bought 3 kilos yesterday!