No sooner than I mumbled that I wouldn't really be able to find blackberries in Tokyo the other day (because I would have liked to add some blackberries to the roasted fruit galette), my mom sent me a huge care package loaded with fresh summer fruits and vegetables, alongside a basket of what seemed like blackberries.
Or so we thought - they might well have been mulberries, though. They were really tart, so much so I ate only a few right out of the basket and turned the remaining majority to some desserts, including cobbler and mousse, but what I liked the best was a simple way of serving berries - with scones.
This was a great excuse for me to try the ginger scone recipe from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (Villard, 2000) for the second time; I had tried it once a couple of months back and was really happy with my scones that had turned pretty much as good as La Brea Bakery's.
The recipe does not use ground ginger but a bunch of crystallized ginger along with lemon zest, together which I think make really tangy and refreshing scones. This time, I used grated zest of a lime instead of lemon because I wanted to match the scones to the accompanying berries, which I combined with sugar and lime juice to make scone sauce.
The scones, served with clotted cream and the berries, were delish, and I thought it was a really nice change from an ordinary cream-tea staple of fruit scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam - I even thought that I'd like my scones better with fresh berries like these than with sugar-laden preserves.
I got this idea of serving blackberries with scones from my friend/fellow blogger Naoko, who said she'd tried the recipe from a recent issue of Good Food Magazine. The original recipe apparently didn't tell you to add lime juice to the berries, but I liked how the citrus added another dimension of tartness to the berries, although I couldn't really tell a taste of lime in the scones.
And the berries: they may not have been blackberries that I had wanted to have, but I sure did enjoy the fruits fresh from the backyard of my mom's, and appreciated her for the care she had sent to me.
17 comments:
A couple of years ago, my dad sent me a care package of tomatoes and peppers he was growing in the back yard.
Being a salary girl at the time, I wasn't home for the mail delivery, so the postman left a note.
It wasn't until two days later that I found time to pick up the package -- and the postal clerk gave me a really nasty look, because the box was, by then, leaking late summer juices.
Eh. I threw out the moldy ones and savored the overripe survivors.
Victory.
xx
Posted by cookiecrumb
Stunning photo's as always! So gorgeous! :)
Posted by Alicat
Ne ! Chika-san, those berries looks so scrumptious with the scones!
Posted by Midge
Hi, Chita:
Yes, I did remember you. At the time, you had been very busy, and I was not able to find a good translator to translate your Japanese recipes into Chinese, therefore, your column was postponed for quite a long time. I am so sorry about it. However, I miss your tasty recipes and beautiful photos very much. And, I can’t image these beautiful photos you took were done by Nikon CoolPix2500. I found the resoluation of it is not vey high comparing to mine, Canon A70. But no matter the angle or the distance you present is fantastic. What type of new digital you are looking for right now? Any specific?
I am thinking maybe we can re-open the column again once I can find a vegetarian recipe that is in English. It is easier for me to do so since I can’t Japanese : )
Would that be ok for you?
The fruit you mentioned here is mulberry not blackberry. You can find it in summer season in Taiwan.
Posted by Patric
Beautiful photo, as always. Thanks for the tip on Nancy Silverton's book for a great scones recipe. That's not a book I have (yet), though I have 3 others by her. I've been looking for a better scones recipe, and I wasn't aware she had published one. No visit to LA is complete without stopping by LaBrea, the best bakery in the US.
Posted by Brett
Stunning photos! I wish I could taste those berries!
Posted by Beth - The Zen Foodist
Brilliant photos!! It made me crave your scones and berries...they look so delicious. *drool*
Posted by Tea
Hi Chika
They do look lovely. You've just given me happy memories of going to England for the first time and picking blackberries, followed by a quick stop at a local pub.
Posted by anthony
Ah, those look very much like mulberries.
Here in Sydney, Australia, they grow rampant during spring and summer, or at least where I live. Wild mulberry trees are quite common; I remember climbing them throughout my neighbourhood to get the ripe fruit as a child. In my opinion, though, they're not very good berries (good climbing trees though; nice and gnarly). Maybe if you got them from a properly cultivated and cared-for tree, they'd be tastier. The ones you have here seem to be very nice looking :)
Posted by Caitlin
hi chika!
Very nice pictures u have in your blog! I'm wondering what camera are you using? I'm struggling with my nikon 5200 :( You have almost perfect lighting in every shots!
Posted by zerohorizon
I've made those scones before and they are great. Everybody loves them, even people who don't like ginger! They're so rich and creamy and flaky, with the vague sharpness of the ginger - scrummy.
Posted by Luisa
The photos are just breath taking. I love berries and this sounds so refreshing. I'm almost positive that they are mulberry; we use to have a mulberry tree in our backyard. I use to go and just eat the off the tree they are so good.
Posted by Giulia
I love scones. Scones with cream and jam (or fresh fruit) is one of the finest dishes. Scones have got to be home-made and freshly baked. Mmm. I like the sound of your recipe with ginger and lime. Yummy pictures as ever!
Posted by Anna
Those scones look amazing!
Posted by Sweetnicks
I like all the pictures on your blog... I first looked in "she who eats" today, and I was enchanted its pictures...and had a look at every single picture. You're a wizard at cooking, taking pics, and displaying them........... I'm a big fan of yours.
I came across your blogs today. Oh it's all down hill from here...I lost it first with the figs and then the berries and scones, ummm. As much as I tried I could not stop salivating... Good fresh food could be my idea of heaven on earth - well, in addition to all that other stuff like peace, love, joy, etc :D I make great chef's ego's even bigger...I enjoy great food THAT much! Thanks for sharing your passion!
Posted by Katie
it seems like craneberries...
btw, i found yr blog very interesting, especially that the food are sooooo delicious.:)
Post a Comment