The Sporting Life SPECIAL: A LOOK INSIDE THE RAMS TRAINING CAMP TASTE FOOD BLUE NOTES The all-American indigo berry brings color, sweetness, and nutritional might to a satisfying summer salad, a surprising salsa, and some single-serving tartlets. BY JAIme LeWIS AcaI MIGHT BE all THE raGE, and apples may BURRATA, WATERCRESS AND GRILLED STONE FRUIT WITH corner the market on Americana, but blueberries (unlike BALSAMIC MACERATED BLUEBERRIES AND SPICY COPPA In this salad, chef Brian Collins of Ember Restaurant (emberwoodfire. apples) are native to the United States and as nutrient-rich com) balances sweet blueberries, tart balsamic vinegar, creamy burrata, as any Amazonian super-berry. So why relegate them only and spicy watercress with coppa, a cured Italian pork salume. Coppa is to breakfast cereal and yogurt toppings? generally available in good delicatessens and Whole Foods markets, but Fortunately for those of us who call the Central Coast Collins says any fine salume or prosciutto is a good substitute. home, blueberries grow aplenty here, particularly on Makes 6 as a first course farms from Nipomo to Oxnard. They’re rich in vitamin C 4 ounces burrata and fiber, and their antioxidants are believed to benefit Sea salt the heart, brain, and immune system and may play a role Fresh ground black pepper in cancer prevention. 1 small shallot, peeled, sliced paper-thin But that’s just the science. It’s their flavor—subtly 1 tablespoon high-quality balsamic vinegar sweet—that keeps local chefs and bakers thinking outside ½ cup blueberries 2 stone fruits (peaches or nectarines) halved, pitted the (granola) box to include blueberries in salads, sauces, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and other dishes. In Arroyo Grande, chef Brian Collins ¼ pound watercress, rinsed and dried of Ember Restaurant macerates blueberries in balsamic 10–15 mint leaves, coarsely chopped vinegar to dress a salad of tender watercress, burrata, ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted grilled stone fruits, and spicy coppa salume. Chef Greg 1 small wedge aged pecorino cheese, grated 12 paper-thin slices spicy coppa, torn into thirds Arnold of Mesa Verde Restaurant in Santa Barbara combines them with chipotle, red wine, and cilantro for a Preheat the barbecue or grill to medium-high. Make sure the grill has fruity salsa atop earthy, vegetarian jackfruit tacos. And for been thoroughly cleaned with a grill brush and wiped with an oiled towel. a true-blue meal-closer, Deborah Dawson of Desserts to By hand, tear burrata into small pieces and place into a medium- Die For in Ventura bakes them atop cornmeal mini pastry size mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula or wire whisk, mix burrata until it becomes smooth enough to spread. Season to taste with salt crusts for rustic, juicy tartlets. Blueberries are in season, so and pepper and set aside. enjoy them while they’re fresh in delicious dishes, like the In a medium or large bowl add sliced shallot and balsamic vinegar. ones here. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add blueberries. Slightly crush the blueberries with your fingers so that about one-third of them are still intact and the rest are lightly crushed. Allow everything to macerate an additional 10 minutes. > © ALBERTO BOGO/STOCKSY UNITED 74 JUNE 2016 805LIVING.COM 805LIVING.COM JUNE 2016 75 TASTE FOOD Brush the cut side of the stone fruit halves ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil and warns against omitting the cornmeal in this generously with olive oil, about ½ teaspoon per 12 corn tortillas recipe. “It gives the pastry a delicious crunch side. Season with salt and pepper. Place halves, Finishing salt to taste and unique flavor,” she says. Note: The pastry cut-side down, on the hot part of the grill for crust is best when refrigerated overnight, so at least a couple of minutes, allowing them to OPTIONAL GARNISHES begin preparing it a day in advance. form caramelized grill marks. Nudge with a Fresh cilantro pair of tongs or a spatula; if they stick, continue Lime juice Serves 4 browning for another minute or so. Once they Sliced radish PASTRY can be easily moved on the grill they’re ready. Pickled vegetables 10 ounces unsalted butter, room Turn over and cook two more minutes. Remove temperature from the grill and let the halves cool on a plate To make salsa: Heat oil in a heavy medium- 1½ cups sugar until they can be comfortably handled. Slice size saucepan over medium heat. Add onion ½ cup buttermilk each half into eight pieces and set aside. and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over it so it 1½ teaspoons vanilla Divide burrata into 6 portions and spread releases its liquid faster. Sauté for about 5 1 cup yellow cornmeal each portion onto the center of 6 chilled or room minutes or until onion is translucent. Add 3 cups flour temperature salad plates. Add watercress and chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to pan 2 teaspoons kosher salt mint leaves to the bowl of blueberries. Lightly and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes and then add the season the greens with salt and pepper. Drizzle blueberries. Stir a few times, increase heat to FILLING remaining olive oil on greens, and add the sliced high, and pour in the wine. When wine begins 4 cups blueberries stone fruit to the bowl. Gently toss only a few to boil, decrease heat to medium high and ½ cup sugar times, just enough to lightly coat the greens reduce blueberry mixture to a thick sauce. 1 tablespoon flour with dressing. Divide greens, blueberries, and Stir in cilantro and add more sea salt to taste. 1 tablespoon lemon juice stone fruit equally among plates, gently mound- Remove sauce from the pan, let it cool, and 1 teaspoon demerara sugar ing them on top of the burrata. Sprinkle with transfer it to a clean glass container or jar. The toasted almonds and pecorino cheese. Top each salsa will keep, covered and refrigerated, for To make pastry: Using an electric mixer with the salad with 6 slices of coppa. Serve. one week. paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until To make carnitas-style jackfruit: Pulse well combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, drained jackfruit in a food processor or chop beating just until combined. In a separate bowl CARNITAS-STYLE by hand until the fruit is the consistency of whisk together dry ingredients, then add to the JACKFRUIT TACOS pulled pork. Mix onion into the fruit and set butter mixture until just combined. Flatten into WITH BLUEBERRY-CHIPOTLE SALSA aside. In a separate bowl, combine cumin, a disk, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate at Chef Greg Arnold of Mesa Verde Restaurant paprika, coriander, sea salt, lemon juice, and least an hour or preferably overnight. (mesaverderestaurant.com) uses spices and olive oil. Pour cumin mixture over fruit and To make filling: When ready to assemble, canned young jackfruit (available at Asian gently massage it in with your hands until the toss together first four filling ingredients and markets) as the foundation for these vegetarian fruit is evenly and completely covered. Place set aside. Roll out the dough ¹⁄8-to-¼ inch thick, carnitas, which show off a juicy and unexpected the mixture in a glass container, cover, and cut out 4-to-5-inch circles and chill circles blueberry-chipotle salsa. Note: The jackfruit refrigerate for at least 8 hours. in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Place requires 8 hours to marinate. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat pastry circles on a sheet pan and pile filling the jackfruit for about 5 minutes, stirring in center of each leaving a 1-inch border. Fold Makes 1½ cups salsa for 8 to 10 tacos occasionally but letting it sit in the pan edges over the berries. Sprinkle with demerara BLUEBERRY-CHIPOTLE SALSA long enough to get some caramelization. sugar and chill again for at least 20 minutes. 1 tablespoon grape-seed or olive oil Meanwhile, heat tortillas on the range over Preheat oven to 375°F. Place tarts on ½ yellow onion, finely diced an open flame, turning each tortilla with sheet pan and bake until filling is bubbling Sea salt tongs to warm both sides. Divide fruit among and crust is golden brown. Serve warm or at 2 canned chipotle peppers packed in tortillas and pour blueberry-chipotle salsa room temperature. adobo, diced, with 1 tablespoon over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime adobo sauce juice, radish slices, and pickled vegetables, if 2 cups blueberries desired. Season with finishing salt. 1 cup red wine Leaves from 10 sprigs cilantro, finely diced RUSTIC BLUEBERRY CORNMEAL TARTLETS CARNITAS-STYLE JACKFRUIT Deborah Dawson of Desserts to Die For 2 cans Native Forest organic young (dessertstodiefor.org) started baking out jackfruit, drained of necessity, she says. “I grew up with an ½ yellow onion, finely diced English mother who was a fantastic baker, and 1 tablespoon ground cumin when I got out in the real world I realized just 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika how talented she was. I had to take matters ½ tablespoon ground coriander into my own hands—literally—to enjoy the 1 teaspoon sea salt sweets, especially pastry, I grew up on.” She recommends using farmers’ market blueberries ½ cup lemon juice © MEGHAN BOYER/STOCKSY UNITED 76 JUNE 2016 805LIVING.COM.