Midwinter Blueberry Thrills

 It's the bleak midwinter, and to browse through the produce aisles and come upon stacks of plump blueberry packages can give quite a thrill. My body craves these treasures of deep blue goodness. Blueberries in Colorado? In midwinter? it does not compute and I can not resist. 

Let's review the benefits of blueberries. Medical News Today says that:

• Blueberries can help heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and mental health.
• One cup of blueberries provides 24 percent of a person's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

The berries possess generous amounts of Vitamin K, which is not well understood. It boosts skin health, connective tissue strength, and benefits the coverings around nerves and blood vessels. They have antioxidant properties. They contribute to prostate health in men. 

Blueberries are thought to grow in only boggy, humid places like Michigan. Not so! In fact, I have three blueberry plants in my back yard. I keep them happy with generous applications of coffee grounds and pine needles that acidify the soil. Blueberry crops are also starting to come from places like Mexico and Peru. Mexico is where the beauties pictured are from.

Aside from sprinkling them on our cereal in the morning or eating them out of hand, what can we do with blueberries? I've adapted a recipe from Judith Fertig's that has become one of my holiday favorites: Braised Red Cabbage with Blueberries. 

Fertig is a Midwesterner who spent time in Europe and received culinary training in Paris and at London's Cordon Bleu. When she returned to Kansas City, she began to see the ingredients and practices of prairie cooking anew. I bought her book Pure Prairie at Hall's Crown Center in KC, and have clung to it ever since. It is no doubt out of print. This recipe is hers but for the addition of the blueberries. 

Braised Red Cabbage with Blueberries

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or use half butter, half olive oil)
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 head red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 red apple, cored and chopped
• 1/3 cup chokecherry or red currant jelly
• 8 ounces blueberries
• salt to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot with a cover. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add cabbage, apple and jelly. Stir to coat. Cover, turn down heat to low, and let simmer until cabbage is tender. Stir in blueberries and heat. Season to taste and serve. Cabbage is good reheated.