Celebrate......National Blueberry Pie Day!

Yes, although blueberry pie is a favorite around 4th of July when they are being harvested, the national celebration of the blueberry pie is April 28th.

Pies with fruit filling have been around since Colonial Times in America. Women would often pick ripe fruits like apples, peaches, blueberries and strawberries to bake into pies. Blueberries and the blueberry pie have seen increased popularity due to their antioxidant properties.

Easter Sunday in our house featured some of these wonderful fruits that we froze over the winter. Instead of the two crust traditional pie, she found a recipe for an "Uncovered Blueberry Pie". The verdict: excellent and that is coming from our in resident food critic....Dad! Simple, easy and very quick, try this blueberry pie twist:

UNCOVERED BLUEBERRY PIE
3 cups, thawed, fresh or frozen West Virginia blueberries
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons corn starch
Cream, whipped, sweetened
1 pie shell, baked, 9"
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water and 1 cup of the blueberries.
Stir in the water and 1 cup of the blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the two remaining cups of blueberries and the butter until the butter is melted.
Cool completely. Pour into pie shell.
If desired, cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with whipped cream.

April 25, 2011----National Zucchini Day

That's right, National Zucchini Day. This popular cultivated squash is part of the summer squash family and is an early garden favorite in West Virginia. But what do you really know about the quirky zucchini?

Did you know?

• Zucchini can grow to nearly a meter (almost 40 inches) but usually picked under 8 inches in length while the seeds are soft and immature. Mature zucchini are oftern fibrous and not desirable for cooking.
• Although a member of the cucumber family, zucchini is usually served cooked and can be prepared steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed, baked, barbecued, fried or used in recipes as an ingredient.
• The zucchini flower can be eater stuffed or deep fried.
• For cooking purposes, zucchini is treated as a vegetable but botanically the zucchini is an immature fruit.
• Typical zucchini were developed in Italy in the late 19th century.
• Zucchini should be stored not longer than three days and are prone to chilling damage.
• In Mexico, the zucchini flower is used for soup (sopa de flor de calabaza) and used in quesadillas.
• In France, zucchini is a key ingredient in ratatouille, a stew of summer fruits and vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat.
• In Turkey, zucchini is the main ingredient of a popular dish called mucver; zucchini pancakes.
• In Bulgaria, zucchini are fried and then served with a dip made from yogurt, garlic and dill.

In the United States, zucchini is widely grown in home and commercial gardens. In May, you'll find this crop at your local farmer's market (including Inwood, Capitol and Logan). Zucchini is low in calories (approximately 15 calories per 100g) and contains folate, potassium, manganese and Vitamin A. Celebrate the day by making a loaf of zucchini bread...here's a recipe from FoodNetwork's Paula Deen. What's your favorite family zucchini recipe?

Zucchini Bread

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chooped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Hors D'Oeuvres From The Market

The April issue of Meetings & Conventions magazine featured the "Best Bites" and trendy hors d'oeuvres for meeting and group planners. Many West Virginia agribusinesses and specialty food companies provide catering services so using fresh, local ingredients from your local farmers' market is one of their favorite sources. Don't have a market open year round? Check out the Inwood Farmers Market or Capitol Market to shop for your ingredients. Here's a quick view of the newest in appetizers and a West Virginia "twist":

1.  Tomato Basil Hand Pies-Get some local tomatoes to roast and harvest some basil from your container or herb garden.
2.  A Lobster Two Ways-Substitute with a corn dog and combine with herbs like cilantro from your garden to dress up a wonderful presentation idea on a stick.
3. A Waves & Foam-Utilizes a foam presentation technique and reminds us that chutney, jam & jelly go wonderfully with Gorgonzola cheese; how about West Virginia goat cheese or a variety from Spring Gap Mountain Creamery?
4. A Duo of Granitas--Frozen cocktails remind us that West Virginia wineries and distillers can be used out of the bottle or combined into a cool summer drink.
5. Seafood Fortune Cookies--A balance of curry and coconut in this presentation; regional cuisines are in. Check out a list of West Virginia specialty condiment manufacturers and create your own unique appetizer.
6. A Bacon and Egg Sandwich--One bite sandwiches are the centerpiece of a diverse appetizer presentation. Have fun with West Virginia pork and some fresh eggs from your local market or farm.
7. Tiny Sirloin Patty Melts--Following the snacker trend and mixing it up with a classic sandwich, these would be easy to make using West Virginia beef products.
8. Lamb Tagine Turnovers--Most forget that West Virginia lamb is a terrific meat choice and goes well with an array of sweet spices (mint, cucumber).
9. Asparagus Salume Pesto Tower--Screams West Virginia! Asparagus from your home garden or the market.
10. Truffled Cherries--Appetizers can be sweet! Check out Vienna's Holl's Chocolates or Martinsburg's DeFluri's Fine Chocolates to add these treats easily.
11. Pumpkin Pie Soup--Pumpkins and butternut squash topped with apple cider foam....how West Virginia can you get.

Check out all of the newest trends at http://www.mcmag.com/ and add a touch of West Virginia agriculture to your next party or meeting.