This is one of my favorite times of the year.  Spring is here and that means warmer weather, the flowers are in bloom and we get to enjoy those sweet delicious berries.  One of the best parts of my job is meeting the farmers across our wonderful state. One such farmer, Nanette Truelove whose family runs DJ’s Berry Patch in Apex, www.djsberrypatch.com was kind enough to send me her family cookbook.  I enjoyed reading her recipes so much; we decided to share a few in this edition of Local Dish. Our North Carolina berry season goes by quick so enjoy it while they are here and freeze lots of berries to enjoy all through the year. To find a pick your own stand in your area go to: www.ncfarmfresh.com

• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
  
• 1- 9 inch deep dish pie shell, unbaked
  
• 1.5 cup fresh NC strawberries or 10 oz. pkg. of frozen but thawed berries
  
• Pasteurized egg whites equivalent to 3 eggs (for example: Egg Beaters)
  
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
  
• 1 Cup of Sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  
• 1 Cup of whipping cream - whipped

Press almonds into pie shell and bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. Puree or mash strawberries, pasteurized egg whites, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla and beat until very stiff.Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into pie shell and freeze for at least five hours. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

• 1 quart NC strawberries washed, capped and quartered
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 cups self-rising flour
  
• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• 1 cup milk

Mix the strawberries and ½ cup sugar together and set in the refrigerator.  Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray an eight inch round layer cake pan with cooking spray.  In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, ½ cup sugar, oil and milk.  Pour the thick dough into the cake pan and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.  Invert the large shortcake out on to a plate and let it cool then split it horizontally with a bread knife.  Cover the bottom layer with the strawberry mixture, and then place the top layer of cake.  Cut individual servings.

Place the strawberries, blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender and liquefy.  Using a whisk blend the mixture and the Cool Whip together.  Place paper muffin liners into a muffin pan and fill each cup with the mixture.  Cover with cling wrap and freeze individual servings.  Makes 24.

Blueberry Scones

Freezing the blueberries first works best.  Serve these warm with butter or the lemon cream recipe (search Blueberry Lemon Cream).

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup sugar
  
• ½ cup buttermilk
  
• 1 large egg
  
• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 cup NC blueberries
  

Glaze:

• 1 beaten egg
  
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
  
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all the dry ingredients with a whisk.  In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla.  Blend the wet mixture into the dry mixture.  By hand, add in the blueberries (freezing first, works best) and gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to mix in the berries.  Spray a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan with cooking spray and place the dough ball in the center.  Mash the dough into a flat disc 1 inch in height.  Whisk the second egg and sugar together well and brush the egg glaze over the entire tip of the patty of dough.  Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 pie wedge pieces.  Move each piece to separate them at least 2 inches apart.  Bake for approximately 16 to 22 minutes.  The scones are done when they are a golden brown color. Serves eight.

Blueberry Lemon Cream

This is a great dessert to make ahead and have ready to serve. I also like to add a little granola as a topping. The lemon cream is delicious on scones.

• 4 ounces of soft cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
  
• ¾ cup vanilla yogurt
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
  
• 2 cups NC blueberries
  
• Whipped cream

Place the cream cheese in a medium mixer bowl.  Drain off any liquid from the yogurt and add the yogurt and honey.  Beat the mixture on high speed until the cheese and yogurt have a light and creamy consistency.  Mix in the lemon juice and zest.  Layer the lemon cream and blueberries in a wine glass or dessert glass. Refrigerate until ready to serve topped with whipped cream.  Serves six.