Summer makes me happy. Anybody who knows me can attest to the fact that I’m ALWAYS cold, and the warm Okanagan summer days are what I live for! And the fruit… it seems like there is a never-ending train of new in-season fresh fruit every week in the summer, and I simply can’t get enough.
With BC blueberry season [1] here (and lasting throughout July and August), I’m in my glory. What is there not to love about these little local gems? We are so fortunate to grow the best blueberries in BC: we have over 800 blueberry growers in BC and have the absolute ideal growing conditions. In fact BC is the largest ‘highbush’ blueberry region in the world! Don’t worry, we love sharing: BC distributes fresh and frozen blueberries across Canada.
Blueberries [1] are considered a ‘super fruit’ and are one of the most versatile and nutritious fruits out there. They rank among the highest for antioxidants, and are amazing for your skin, helping us fight aging and reducing the cell damage that can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease and loss of brain function. Not bad for what I consider to be ‘nature’s candy’. I toss them in salads, on my oatmeal, in yogurt, smoothies, pancakes… I could go on.
We wanted to put something special on the table for my husband Charles for Father’s Day, and he absolutely loves anything with blueberries and lemon. Since he’s Hungarian I decided that I would make a traditional Hungarian crêpe (called Palascinta). These are made with soda water and are thicker than a French crêpe (which I love equally of course). You can thin the batter with a bit more milk if you want a thinner crêpe. Filled with a Lemon Ricotta mixture and topped with a fresh and not-too-sweet BC Blueberry sauce, these are the perfect addition to your brunch recipe folder!
Makes 8 large crêpes
Crêpes:
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/4 c. flour
- 2 c. milk
- 1 c. club soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. sugar
Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Set aside to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Once rested, heat a crêpe pan on medium heat with vegetable oil and pour a thin layer of batter into the pan, swirling to coat the entire pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side and gently flip the crêpe to cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Blueberry Sauce:
- 2 c. fresh BC Blueberries
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. butter
- 1 tsp. corn starch
- 2 tsp. water
In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, honey, lemon juice and butter. Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Mix the corn starch and water in a small cup and pour into the blueberry mixture. Cook for 2 minutes and remove the sauce from the heat to cool.
Lemon Ricotta Filling:
- 1 c. ricotta cheese
- 1/2 c. vanilla Greek Yogurt
- 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/4 c. icing sugar
Combine all of the ingredients together and set aside.
To assemble the crêpes:
- Spread a thin layer of the Lemon Ricotta filling on a crêpe and fold it in quarters. Place on a plate. Repeat with each of the crêpes.
- Serve each crêpe with a generous spoonful of the Blueberry Sauce and dust with icing sugar if desired.
This post was sponsored by the BC Blueberry Council. To learn more about this amazing fruit, the incredible farmers who grow them and over 100 other blueberry recipes visit the BC Blueberry Website [1].