Simple homemade blueberry ginger jam. Spread of over a toasted goat cheese crostini it’s an irresistible snack.
In the past 48 hours I’ve picked blueberries straight off the bush, researched local farms to start buying organic grass-fed meat from and eaten wild blackberries on the side of the bike trail.
I’m still showering, I swear.
It’s funny how it’s not until you start explaining those type of things to other people who don’t even think about that kind of stuff that you realize how crazy you sound. Saturday night over Mexican, Ulysses stared at me like I had 4 heads when I was trying to articulate how buying meat from the regular grocery store literally gives me a guilt trip the entire time I’m there. I have to mentally talk myself into throwing it in the cart. I will literally stare at a cut of steak and imagine some poor pathetically corn-gorged cow who probably moved all of 20 feet his entire life covered in his own shit (a few too many Netflix documentaries perhaps?). That’s not normal, I know. But, I throw it in the cart anyway because finding organic, grass fed anything where I live requires an excessive amount of effort and time. So I made a decision this weekend to finally buck up, make the time and spend the extra few dollars to find food that doesn’t give me a guilt trip anymore. I’ll just refrain from talking about it in public to avoid the crazy stares.
One of the interesting side effects of the CSA I’m doing this summer is that it’s made me want to celebrate the food more. First I talk buying meat from a farm and now I’m celebrating blueberries…I promise I’m not drinking while writing this.
There’s something about picking the fruit from the bush, knowing exactly where it came from, knowing I don’t have to wash off some crazy pesticides that just makes me want to do something special with it. I buy blueberries all the time from the store. Usually, they just end up in or on my breakfast every morning. But these blueberries (blueberries I picked with my own hands!) seemed too good for that. They’re too perfectly sweet and ripe to just throw in a normal breakfast and be gobbled up without thought.
Simmering them with some ginger and lavender though sounded better.
Spreading that over a goat cheese crostini sounded perfect.
If that makes me a crazy “crunchy” food lady, I’m fine with it. Just don’t expect me to share.
Blueberry Ginger Jam and Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon lavender, chopped
- pinch of salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup goat cheese for spreading, or more as needed
- 1 whole wheat baguette, sliced
Instructions
- Combine everything except goat cheese & bread in a small sauce pan.
- Simmer over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the blueberries breakdown.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside.
- Toast sliced wheat bread and spread goat cheese on top.
- Top with blueberry jam and extra lavender for garnish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Hahaha – those Netflix documentaries get to me as well!
This looks absolutely mouth watering! I just happen to have some blueberries on hand from the farmers market! Woo hoo!
I came across your blog from a link in Brittany’s post today at A Healthy Slice of Life. I can’t wait to start following you. This recipe looks awesome- good think I just bought a pint of blueberries! I love goat cheese too, so I know it will be a winner!
Hi Brittany! Thanks for stopping by :)
Your weekend sounds dreamy, Gina! I get the same guilty feeling when I buy meat that’ not grass-fed… But sometimes it’s just impossible! This crostini is lovely: fancy and simple!
LOVE blueberries and goat cheese.
I’m surpirsed there are no direct options in your area, we have a couple small farms and even our main grocery stores have a few quality options. I know a few people who buy chest freezers and then buy meat online and have it shipped and store it in there for a while which seems to be a good option. Hopefully you find a great source.
Well, there are options. If you go to Union Square Farmer’s market in NYC about 85% of the stuff there comes from farms within a 25 mile radius of my house. THe problem is none of them sell direct to any of the mainstream or even non-mainstream grocery stores around me (or more likely, those grocery stores don’t source that kind of stuff). So, buying it on a weekly basis is tough. Like you said, I’m going to have to buy it online or direct from the farm in bulk and make it work that way instead. So there are plenty of options, just not convenient ones :)
I have been buying organic, grass fed, humanely raised meet from a farm in CT where I live called Stone Garden Farms in Shelton, CT. We buy a share of a cow for 4.99 a pound. Let me tell you it is well worth the money and the best money I have spent. I WILL NEVER buy factory farmed meat from the grocery store again. Excellent choice!!! Can you share the documentaries you have watched?
Food Inc., Food Matters, Forks over Knives, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead are all good documentaries. And any books by Michael Pollan, my fave being the omnivores dilemma are great reads. I also loved Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
On Saturday, we were running low on milk, but I told my husband we’ll have to conserve until Monday when I can get to Costco. He asked me why I only buy milk from Costco. I said because I can get three half gallons for $9. Not doing the math, he asked me how much a gallon was now. I said a little over $6. He started choking on the spit in his mouth and yelled “$6 for a damn gallon of milk!?! Milk used to be $2.99!” I said, “Well, it still is if you want milk filled with hormones and chemicals and nastiness. I’m talking about organic milk.” He just stared at me for a full 30 seconds before saying, “Organic milk? What the hell is organic milk?”
Haha. I can relate. Ulysses isn’t as “animated” about it, but he would not continue with my $6 gallon of milk if I wasn’t around, put it that way ;)
To me, there is no greater joy than picking that first berry off the bush and popping it in your mouth, letting it’s sun-warmed juiciness explode on your tongue. These crostini are equally as lovely!
Oh girl, I’m right there with ya! My regular stores have organic chicken, which helps, but they rarely have organic pork or beef. It’s always a huge internal struggle!