I was fooled at the grocery store last week. I noticed a display of pints of blueberries, on sale at a very good price. I checked the label to find out where they came from, and I was pleased to find out that they were local, from just south of here, in Winter Haven. The kids asked if we could buy the blueberries, so I said yes. They don’t always ask for fresh fruits or vegetables, so when they do, I do what I can to encourage that habit.

It was only after I got home, with several pints of blueberries in my reusable bag, that I started thinking about those berries. I went online to research our local blueberry farms, and I realized that typical harvest months are not until summer. I pulled a package of blueberries out of the refrigerator, and read it a little closer. “Product of Chile,” but distributed out of Winter Haven, the label read.

Duped. I was duped.

So, that got me thinking about the value of eating locally-grown and locally-produced foods. I try to do it whenever possible, and I feel bad when I make a mistake. Like when I find that I’ve bought blueberries imported from Chile. But does it really matter? Is it more important to eat locally-grown food – for reasons of sustainability and eco-friendliness — or is it more important to promote and encourage my children’s desire for fresh fruits and veggies?

The answer that I’ve decided on is that I’m not going to stress about it. If my kids ask for blueberries, and blueberries are in the market, then I’m going to buy blueberries for them. When our farmer’s market opens back up in the next month or so, it will be easier to shop for fresh foods harvested in this part of north Florida. Until then, feeding my children a variety of fruits and vegetables – especially if they ASK for them – wins out as most important in my book.

So, back to those Chilean berries…

A fruit crisp is a great way to showcase blueberries. I threw in some chopped apple, just for fun, and I ended up with a Blueberry Apple Crisp. It feels like a lighter dessert than pie, but to me, it’s just as satisfying. I like mine plain, warm out of the oven, but this crisp would be just as wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream served in the same bowl.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

Blueberry Apple Crisp

This is a simple fruit dessert that is satisfying when eaten by itself, or you can jazz it up by serving it warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Make filling: In a bowl, combine blueberries, chopped apple, light brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and lemon zest and juice. Toss together and set aside.

Make topping: Stir together flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add butter pieces, and toss to coat with the dry ingredients. Using fingertips, pinch pieces of butter together with the flour and sugar mixture; it should resemble crumbly, wet sand when completely blended. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or in the freezer for 7 to 8 minutes.

Add fruit filling to a 9-inch pie plate. Spread chilled topping evenly over the filling. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.

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Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and I am not sharing a single chocolate creation with you. Crazy, right? I must be coming down with something.

I am totally not prepared for this rosy pink, heart-filled holiday. Normally, by the end of January, I have already bought and assembled my children’s valentines for their school parties. [Notice that I did not say, hand-crafted the kids’ valentines. I’m not that good. Never have been.] I have a long to-do list this weekend, and prime on that list is buying whatever remnants of valentines are left at Target. Poor Oliver may be stuck giving out Dora valentines, but I’m okay with that. And if there’s a lollipop attached to each valentine, then he will be too. I also plan to pick up a heart-shaped box of chocolates for each child – something my parents did for me every Valentine’s Day as I was growing up, and a tradition that I’ve carried on with Madeline and Oliver.

In celebration of this Friday before Valentine’s Day – and in celebration of the fact that tonight is date night! – let’s have a cocktail, shall we?

As a cook and a scientist, it’s incredibly fun to play around with flavors and see what works. It’s less fun to find something that doesn’t work, but that’s part of the process, so I accept it. I have no delusions that I know anything about cocktails. I do know what I like, though, and I think that is important. St~Germain elderflower liqueur has quickly risen to my list of favorite ingredients for cocktails. This cocktail is one of my favorites to make, either with vodka or gin.

For this drink, I used my beloved St~Germain and a combination of grapefruit juice and cranberry juice. The St~Germain adds a wonderful floral, sweet note that contrasts yet complements the acidic and slight bitterness of the juices. Here in Florida, we’re overrun with grapefruit this time of year, so there are certainly no shortages of the beautiful Ruby Reds to make this drink with.

Yield: 1 drink

St Germain & Ruby Red Cocktail

For a primer on how to garnish with lemon peel, read this post by Mike.

Ingredients:

1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1 ounce gin
1 ounce Ruby Red grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce cranberry juice
lemon peel for garnish

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the St. Germain, gin, and juices. Shake well. Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with lemon peel. Serve.

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One week ago, I wrote about my father’s hospitalization. In the days since, the outpouring of well-wishes and prayers for my dad — and for me and my mom — has been overwhelming. I may not have responded to each and every comment or message, but please know that I read them all at least once, and often more than a few times. Each message meant so much to me.

Thank you all so very much for being there for us.

My dad’s surgery on Monday went well. While my mom and I waited patiently – and sometimes not so patiently – a team of neurosurgeons removed a benign tumor from my dad’s brain. The tumor had bled, causing acute swelling of that area, which led to all of his symptoms and inability to walk without falling over. After spending three nights in the intensive care unit and another two nights on the regular neurosurgical floor, he was discharged to a rehabilitation hospital yesterday. Because the cranial nerve controlling balance on the left was destroyed, he will undergo intensive physical therapy to learn to be able to walk by himself, without falling. He is definitely on the path of healing.

I’ve spent a lot of time sitting by my dad’s hospital bed this past week. Much of that time he dozes on and off, occasionally rousing to ask a question about my kids or about my husband. Or about college sports. Or to complain about the hospital food. Even though I’m not physically doing much to care for him — the very patient and kind hospital staff are doing all the heavy work — I go to bed each night completely wiped out. My brain and body have hit their limit this week.

Stress makes me crave my kitchen, and comfort food is what I want to make under those conditions. For some reason, maybe because I live in the south or maybe because I’ve seen two recent blog posts that had me inspired (this one by Kelly and this one by Tami), I wanted to make grits. I wanted to eat grits.

Today my desire for grits was fulfilled. I generally use whatever brand of stone ground grits I can find in my specialty grocery. Nine times out of ten, it’s Charleston Favorites. I always rinse the grits first, pouring off any sediment that rises to the top. Some combination of milk and water – and of course, butter – makes these grits creamy and smooth.

I am not a fan of cheese grits, but I think it’s because most cheese grits are made with cheddar cheese. I’m not particularly fond of cheddar, or any yellow cheese for that matter. I added just a touch of finely grated Manchego cheese to this dish, and it gave it a nice subtle flavor that upped the power of these grits.

For lunch today, I topped the Manchego cheese grits with a sauté of chicken sausage and cherry tomatoes. I may or may not have had two servings. My cat, Mitzi, licked the dish when I was done. She highly approves of these grits.

I feel better already.

Yield: 8 side dish servings

Manchego Cheese Grits

I always rinse stone-ground grits to remove any sediment. To rinse them, put the grits into a bowl and cover with water. Any loose sediment will rise to the top. Pour off as much of the water (with sediment) as possible, and you're done. These grits are good at any time of the day - for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup milk (at least 2%)
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning to taste
1 cup white stone-ground grits, rinsed
2 ounces Manchego cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring water, milk, and half-and-half to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the rinsed grits. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Turn heat down to medium-low and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Simmer, stirring often, until grits have reached the desired thickness, 20-30 minutes. Add the Manchego cheese and stir well until the cheese has been fully incorporated. Turn off heat and stir in butter. Season to taste with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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