My childhood best friend lived on a gravel road just outside town. Baby kittens, Nintendo, and a rope swing made her house one of my favorite places to be. But the real kicker was the garden. It was glorious! Tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and the raspberry bushes were my favorite. The garden stretched on and took up most of the front yard. Perfectly straight lines, with each plant given exactly what it needed.  Abi’s mom would ask us to go out and bring in the goodies but I would probably eat more than I carried inside. Plucking ripe berries off the bush and crushing them into my mouth one by one, I would scour the bushes, leaving none behind.

As an adult, I still get that same joy of finding the summer-ripe berries, eager to be picked.  This time of year, wild blackberries are exploding all over Seattle. I went to a local park last week and picked some while my kid’s played at the baseball field with a ball that happened to be left at home plate. Lucky us!

I like to keep berries simple, just a little sugar and whipped cream. My dad remembers eating fresh berries covered in cream as a child, and I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy them myself.

The cream is whipped thick with a touch of added vanilla. I wanted the berries to be slightly sweet so I sprinkled granulated sugar on top and let it sit a bit to create its own sweet juice. I think you could eat this for breakfast or dessert, whichever you choose.

I hope you are all enjoying the sweet rewards of summer, too!

xoxo,

Rachel

Blackberries with Whipped Cream

To make the whipped cream, make sure to buy the highest quality of whipping cream you can find. You want the ingredient list to be only “cream”. I used Smith Brothers here in Seattle.

Serves 2

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Place the bowl and whisk of the stand mixer in the refrigerator or freezer. Wash and rinse berries in a colander and pat dry. Pour into a small bowl and sprinkle sugar over berries. Let sit for 20 minutes, and stir gently. The berries will release some of their juices and a bit of syrup will pool at the bottom of the bowl. This is good!

Once the berries are almost ready remove the bowl and whisk from the refrigerator and pour the cold cream and the vanilla into the mixer bowl. Whisk on medium high (5 or 6 on a stand mixer) for 5-6 minutes, until firm peaks form. Watch closely! I processed mine a bit too far the first time and it turned to butter!

Give the berries a stir to incorporate the syrup at the bottom of the bowl and divide into 2 bowls. Top with whipped cream and serve immediately.