Recipes Archives - Page 18 of 27

The 1 Easy Trick Professional Bakers Use for the Best Blueberry Pies

There’s a hot local bakery in Portland, Maine, that’s churning out hundreds of pies a week all year long but especially during the holiday season. At the top of the bakery’s popularity list is Wild Blueberry Pie. In fact, Two Fat Cats Bakery scoops out 210-pounds of frozen Maine Wild Blueberries a week into its delicious pies, scones, muffins, and cakes – that’s seven 30-pound boxes. “We make a batch of 10-15 blueberry pies a day,” says bakery owner Stacy Begin. “In the summer we can’t keep up with the demand.” We visited Two Fat Cats Bakery and chatted with Stacy about why she thinks Wild Blueberry Pie is hands-down her top-selling pie – no matter what the season! She also busts the myths about using frozen Wild Blueberries in pie making, shares some tips on how to use them and says it’s the only way to go to make the best Wild Blueberry Pie.

What’s behind the popularity?

Well, it’s a couple of things. People who come to Portland have heard so much about Maine Wild Blueberries and they want to try them. For tourists it’s on their to-do list, along with trying a whoopie pie and a lobster roll. Everyone loves Maine Wild Blueberries and Blueberry Pie never goes out of season – even over the holidays.

What makes the Wild Blueberry so distinctive?

Two things. First, is size. The Wild Blueberry is much smaller and this gives it a special quality. Second is taste – it’s sweeter and so different from a cultivated berry. I think people who know the story of the Wild Blueberry – how it’s native to Maine and how it’s grown and harvested – they understand that it’s a very intriguing and special berry.

Are frozen berries better for Wild Blueberry Pie?

Definitely. Frozen Wild Blueberries are more dependable because they were picked at the height of their ripeness, which preserves their great taste and texture. Not only that, but there are a couple of myths out there. One is that frozen fruit is not as good in a pie. This is just false. At Two Fast Cats, we always use frozen Wild Blueberries in our pie. A second mistake is that people allow the berries to thaw first. We never thaw the berries in advance.

So how do you make the pie?

The trick is to use frozen Wild Blueberries and keep them frozen.
Don’t thaw them out in advance.
Pour your dry ingredients (sugar, thickener and spices) over the frozen berries and stir gently.
Let everything sit for 15 minutes.
While this mixture sits, the fruit starts to absorb the sugar and the thickener.
The sugar will cling to the fruit and this is exactly what you want.
Give it all a good stir.
Then, pop everything into your pie shell and bake it.

What do people say about your pie?

What we usually hear is: “This is the best pie I have ever had.” I believe it’s not just due to our techniques or our recipes, I think it’s because a lot of people have never had the Maine Wild Blueberry and it’s so different than a cultivated berry pie. It’s an awakening to them. The blueberries are smaller, there lots of ‘em, so you get that delicious taste of the fruit.

Are there any special ingredients in your pie?

We make a very traditional Wild Blueberry Pie—and there is really no secret to the recipe. We just take the time to make it right. A pie can be time consuming and there is a temptation to take short cuts. If you really want a good pie, you have to put the time into it and use the very best ingredients.

Who buys your pies?

Well we all know that Mainers love their pie and we sell to a lot of local people. Tourists love them too and once they’ve tasted our Maine Wild Blueberry Pie, they want to visit again. For them, it’s like a taste of summer. We also sell to the Portland Lobster Company, which dishes up a ton of lobster and Blueberry Pie in the summertime.

Where do you get your berries?

We buy our Maine Wild Blueberries from Wyman’s and Allen’s, both are Maine growers with long histories. We get weekly deliveries of frozen berries throughout the year.

What are some favorite recipes that use Wild Blueberries?

We make a Bumbleberry Pie that uses local apples, rhubarb, raspberries, and Maine Wild Blueberries. This is also known as Heritage Pie – and it’s a recipe that people have made for generations. It’s traditionally made at the end of the season with whatever fruits people had left on hand from the summer.

Make your holiday complete with a Wild Blueberry pie from Two Fat Cats bakery or make your own using this delicious recipe! For other wild twists on traditional Thanksgiving side dishes take a look Danielle Omar’s recipes: Wild Blueberry Relish and Wild Blueberry Stuffing. Danielle is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author and enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog.

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving (Part 2)

My husband and I have an unspoken rule. I just put the food in front of him and ask him to taste it. I don’t set it up. I don’t tell him what’s in it or how it’s supposed to taste. I don’t ask him any questions except…do you like it?

I think his opinion is important because he considers himself “mainstream.” I feel if he likes something, then everyone will like it. And he’s usually spot on. Sometimes I disagree with his taste buds but I definitely can’t go by my own preference. I’ve been told one too many times that I like food to taste a bit “too healthy.”

After having a taste of this Wild Blueberry stuffing my husband looked at me and said “wow, this is so good you could serve it at Thanksgiving!”

That’s when I knew I was onto something pretty darn good.

I think it’s safe to say that stuffing is a must on any Thanksgiving table. And there are so many variations! You can stuff it in the turkey or bake it in the oven. It can be meatless. It can be made with boxed bread, fresh bread, rice or other grains. Growing up, my mother always made two versions, one stuffed inside the turkey and the other one baked. As a kid I loved the soggy mound that came straight from the bird, oftentimes sticking to my spoon. As an adult I wonder…what was I thinking?

A really great stuffing can have that “dream about it all year” quality. Indeed, once you’ve had an amazing stuffing, it’s hard to forget it. To create an unforgettable stuffing, you have to add a little something special that people will remember; something unexpected that will take your stuffing to that elusive craving level.

This stuffing definitely has that something special. For one, look at the gorgeous wild blue color! Anthocyanin takes most of the credit for that; it’s the flavonoid that is found in the deep blue pigment of Wild Blueberries, giving them their amazing color and their antioxidant power.

The base of this stuffing is a lovely loaf of five grain bread that I left out overnight to get a little crispy. To the bread I added cooked tri-color quinoa and sautéed leeks, baby bella mushrooms, and diced parsnips. After seasoning with sage and thyme I tossed the stuffing with my something special: frozen Wild Blueberries. The Wild Blueberries are that unexpected ingredient that takes this stuffing to the next level. They not only add gorgeous color and unique flavor, they also add moisture to the stuffing, so very little extra liquid is needed. I love this perk because sometimes broth can overpower the other flavors.

This stuffing is gorgeous straight from the oven. But to really impress your guests, give it a quick stir before serving and watch how those warm Wild Blueberries transform this dish into something…well, unforgettable.

About the Author

Danielle Omar is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author. She is a passionate food and nutrition educator and founded Danielle Omar Nutrition to support busy men and women on their journey to becoming their healthiest self. An avid cook, she also enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog. Danielle has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and has been teaching nutrition at the college level for over 10 years. She has contributed to local and national media outlets such as The Washingtonian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Shape Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine. Through her private nutrition practice, media work, and group programs, Danielle has successfully motivated hundreds of busy professionals and families to eat confidently and live a healthy life.

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving Dinner: Part 1

Being a vegetarian for the last few decades, Thanksgiving is not a food holiday I get overly excited about. Unless I’m hosting (which is rare) the Thanksgiving meal for me is usually a plate full of sides. Which is perfectly okay, I don’t mind, it’s a great opportunity to exercise the idea that the day is not about the food and more about the time spent with family and friends.

That being said, I still need to eat and I do love food! It’s not surprising that over the years I’ve become a connoisseur of delicious Thanksgiving sides. In fact, I enjoy encouraging my family when meal planning to elevate the side dishes to new and delicious heights. I definitely know a good side dish when I see one and that’s why I’m excited to share my Wild Blueberry and Ginger Relish with you.

After visiting the Wild Blueberry barrens back in August, I’ve been using them a lot in my recipes. I love the intense blueberry flavor, the fact that they are loaded with antioxidants, and their deep blue color is just gorgeous, which can really make a dish stand out! I also love that you can use them straight from the freezer; you don’t have to thaw them out first. And, being that you purchase them frozen they won’t go bad in your fridge and they are available for use year-round.

Think of this Wild Blueberry relish as a delicious and healthier twist on its cranberry cousin. Wild Blueberries are naturally sweet so very little added sugar is needed — this recipe only uses two tablespoons! In fact, depending on how you will use this relish, you could get away with using one tablespoon. If you’re eating it as a side dish, then one tablespoon is likely sweet enough, but if you plan to use it on turkey sandwiches, you might want to use two to bring out more of the intense blueberry flavor.

Something to remember when cooking with fresh frozen Wild Blueberries is that once they are cooked they will release a bit of water. While very little added liquid was used in this recipe, it still needed a little thickening up. Chia seed was the perfect thickening agent and with it came a healthy dose of omega 3 fat.

Little added sugar, tons of antioxidant power, and omega 3, too? I call that a real relish upgrade!

Wild Blueberry & Ginger Relish

About the Author

Wild Blueberries & Cream Chocolate Coated Mummy Cookies

Halloween is inevitably one of the hardest holidays to control the consumption, or should I say, over consumption of your children’s sugar intake. Sugar is in every aisle, in every store, at every party and in most every kid friendly treat available. Making a healthier Halloween snack is easier than you might think and this recipe is one that will surely please kids and adults of all ages. No one will notice these cookies are sugar-free and gluten free!

Wild Blueberries are the perfect ingredient for a healthier cookie, replacing chocolate chips in a typical sugar laden cookie. Wild Blueberries have twice the antioxidants compared to regular blueberries and a more intense luscious blueberry flavor. Because Wild Blueberries are picked at peak ripeness then frozen within 24 hours, they are the freshest blueberries you can enjoy year round. The joy in frozen fresh Wild Blueberries is the convenience, you can find them in most every frozen section of your supermarket! They never spoil and because they are typically smaller in size than regular blueberries, you get more berries per pound!!

Making cookies look and taste just like a typical sugary treat is the key to getting the kids on board with eating less sugar and not complaining about it. The old cliché is true, we eat with our eyes! Making a batch of these Halloween Mummy cookies for the school or scout Halloween party is a great way for kids to see healthier cookies don’t have to taste bad. To make these cookies even more special and fun, I used a Halloween Mummy mold I found at a local Arts and Crafts store.

Of course balance is key in life and there is no doubt that kids will still eat candy on Halloween, but providing at least one healthier option without them even realizing it is a wonderful way to help control the sugar intake in your family.

A few notes on the recipe:

Erythritol is a natural occurring sugar alcohol in powder form and a great substitute one for one for typical white refined sugar, although it is not as sweet cup for cup. You can substitute erythritol for Truvia, which is as sweet as sugar and still a good sugar-free substitute. Another healthy option, but not sugar-free is to try honey in place of the erythritol used here.
Stevia is a plant found in South America and is naturally sugar free but 300 times sweeter than sugar. Vanilla Liquid Stevia is found at most supermarkets today or health stores. It’s a perfect complement to the Wild Blueberries and cream cookies. Since stevia is sweeter than sugar only a small amount should be used, but it provides a nice balance here since the erythritol on it’s own would not provide enough sweetness.
If your family has no gluten allergies, whole wheat flour could be used in place of gluten free flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour blend.

7 Tips for Packing the Perfect Lunch Box from Registered Dietician Liz Weiss

It’s back-to-school season and that means packing lunches, again! For many parents, packing the lunchbox can send the heart into nervous palpitations. But for registered dietitian Liz Weiss, it’s an art form. After reading her lunchbox ideas, your anxiety will magically transform into inspiration.

Liz is an award-winning broadcast journalist, cookbook author, and radio show host who started Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, a leading blog for parents in search of better ways to feed their family a super-nutritious diet. She’s also the co-author of two great books: No Whine with Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms and The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time and she recently released a mobile recipe app called, Meal Makeovers. You can read more about Liz at http://mealmakeovermoms.com/ and you can download the Meal Makeover app here.

Here’s some of the wisdom Liz shared with us about packing lunches.

How do you get inspired with packing a good lunchbox?
To get inspired I think about color, flavor, nutrition, and seasonality. I really like to include all of the senses – smell, sight, touch, and taste when thinking about the lunch box.
What has worked for you in the past?
I have found that it’s really helpful to include my kids in the process. I do this by simply asking them: “What do you want for lunch?” The last thing we want –or I want as a dietitian – is to throw away food or for a child to not eat something because it’s not appealing. Plus, if they don’t eat what you packed for lunch they are getting no nutritional benefit. One of the most important ways to get children excited is to present the food in a kid-appealing way. For example if you’re going to slice up apples, put a little lemon on them so they don’t turn brown. Put grapes in a small container. Think about how you package your food. Use small containers and put a little utensil in there. Make it cute and playful. That’s why Bento Box Lunches are so appealing. Kids like to play, so it pays off to think about finger foods –something easy to pick up and bite into. Most young kids are either missing teeth or they have braces – and it’s important to be mindful and make sure they are physically able to eat the food you pack. For example, I would never send young kids to school with whole pieces of fruit like apples.
How important is it to be organized?
It’s very important. As moms we really relish our sleep. If you can get 5-10 extra minutes of sleep in the morning, wouldn’t you want that? Pack shelf-stable milk boxes in the fridge before going to bed. That way it will be cold in the morning and will help keep your kid’s lunch cold. If you’re packing sandwiches, wash and dry the lettuce leaves the night before, and have them in a bag ready to go. Cut up your veggies the night before – have bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers ready with a small container of dip. Recently, I sent my son to school with pasta salad. I boiled the whole wheat pasta the night before and it was ready to go in the morning.
Can you provide a few simple ideas for recipes?
There are lots of lunchbox recipes on my website. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Yogurt, granola and fruit cup— morning snack time at school is a perfect time to integrate some healthy options. I like to pack a small container of yogurt and pour some frozen wild blueberries over the top. Then I add a second container of granola to sprinkle on the top.

Pasta salad—I’m all about whole grains, so I start with a whole-wheat rotini. Then I add all-natural deli ham, feta cheese, diced bell peppers, zucchini ribbons, corn on the cob (leftover from last night’s dinner), and some Italian dressing. This is simple and delicious.

Kebabs — These are a favorite. I use cheese cubes, leftover chicken or deli meats like turkey or chicken. Then I add grapes, melon cubes or berries in between.

Chicken salad — Here’s an easy one. I use cubed chicken mixed with plain Greek yogurt, some low-fat mayonnaise. Then I add nuts, dicedgrapes or apples, or diced avocado.

Quesadillas – These are a hit for lunch and offer a nice change of scenery from the standard lunch. I heat the tortilla and then I add beans, veggies, cheese, and BBQ sauce and wrap these hot in foil.

What are some common lunchbox mistakes?
Packing too much food is a common mistake. Kids have about 20 minutes to eat so I encourage parents to pack the right amount of food for their child and prepare it in bite-sized pieces. Be sure to observe what comes back in the lunch box – this can be very telling. A lot of parents tend to focus on refined carbs because they are easy– they will pack a bagel with cream cheese, a juice box, and a bag of chips. The challenge when packing a bagel/juice box/bag of chips is that it lacks color and nutrition, so focus on a rainbow of colors instead!
What is the trick to keeping it healthy?
Make sure you have fresh fruit and a veggie in your lunch box. Some parents consider juice to be a fruit serving, but it’s best to think about fresh, frozen, or dried fruit as a true serving. Don’t forget about snacks. I view snacks as a mini-meal. Snack time is an opportunity to weave in ingredients that are missing in the diet. If they are not getting veggies or fruit in the morning, make sure they’re an option as a snack. One of my favorite snacks is my Mini Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins.

7. What are some of the worst lunch boxes you’ve seen?

I’ve seen a morning snack of Hawaiian punch and chips. I’ve also seen Gatorade and chocolate chip cookies. These “snacks” bring calories and sugar to the diet, but not much more. Remember that kids are small, and it doesn’t take much to fill their stomachs – so every bite should be packed with nutrition – think nutrient rich and the colors of the rainbow. Every time you pack that lunchbox ask yourself: “What is this ingredient doing for my child?”

What are favorite things to pack for your kids’ lunches? What’s the worst lunch box you’ve ever seen?

Go Wild for Wild Blueberry Ice Cream!

Guest Blogger and Registered Dietitian Lindsay Livingston from The Lean Green Bean has sent us yet another tasty recipe that is sure to impress friends and family this coming Labor Day Weekend. Her newest Wild Taste of Summer recipe is a really fun way to get some antioxidants into your diet and create a summer memory at the same time. Be sure to share this recipe and Lindsay’s other great summer recipes — Wild Blueberry & Spinach Turkey Burgers, Wild Blueberry Ice Cream Sandwiches and Wild Blueberry Zucchini Bread —with your friends and family. You can find them right here on the Wild Blueberries blog!

For me, there’s something about summer and ice cream that just go hand-in-hand. As a young child, we used to visit a place called Cup & Cone almost weekly. It was a small free-standing shack that served ice cream during the Minnesota summers and it shared its parking lot with a retired train caboose. I can still remember the thrill of ordering and devouring my ice cream cone and then spending endless hours climbing on, running around and wandering through that caboose with the other local kids.

As I got older, I spent my summers working for a landscaping company. We worked long hours in the hot Kansas sun and let me tell you, there was nothing better than getting off work and heading straight to the local ice cream store where we could sit in the air-conditioning and enjoy some ice cream.

As an adult, my husband and I often ride our bikes to our favorite ice cream store to enjoy a summer treat, and with a baby on the way, I can’t wait to create our own family ice cream tradition!

Yet, while going to get ice cream brings back a lot of memories for me, sometimes it’s not the most economical choice. Especially during the summer when I seem to crave it all the time! So, to ease the burden on your wallet, the next best option, in my opinion, is to make your own! With the help of a relatively inexpensive ice cream maker that pretty much does all the work for you, you can spend your summer dreaming up and creating dozens of your own ice cream flavors that are customized just to your liking!

I’ve had a lot of fun with my ice cream maker over the years, both recreating store-bought favorites and coming up with new ones. Recently I got a little creative and came up with a new combo that I thought I would share with you!

As I started brainstorming, I knew I wanted to include frozen Wild Blueberries for several reasons:

The color- so vibrant and pretty to look at.
The flavor- Wild Blueberries are smaller and more flavorful than regular blueberries making them ideal to use in recipes like this where you really want their flavor to shine!
The health benefits – ice cream is not always the healthiest dessert option but the addition of Wild Blueberries means your ice cream gets a healthy dose of antioxidants. Wild Blueberries have been shown to have positive effects brain and eye health, heart health and more!

As for the mix-ins, I’m a huge proponent of pairing blueberries and chocolate together, so I added some dark chocolate chips. I also added in some crumbled graham crackers for a touch of added sweetness. To keep the ice cream making simple, I kept it egg-free and instead of all cream, I used some 2% milk to make it a bit healthier without sacrificing flavor or creaminess!

Here’s how you make it!

Wild Blueberry Ice Cream

2 cups frozen Wild Blueberries
2/3 cup sugar

1 ¼ cups heavy cream
¾ cup 2% milk
1 cup crumbled Graham Crackers
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine first four ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed.
2. Pour into ice cream maker (do not overfill).
3. Turn on ice cream maker and let run for approximately 20 minutes. As the ice cream starts to thicken, you may need to scoop out some if your ice cream maker gets too full. Consider it a taste testing opportunity!
4. About 2 minutes before turning off, pour in grahams and chocolate chips and let run until mixed in.

Wild Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Guest Blogger and Registered Dietitian Lindsay Livingston from The Lean Green Bean has sent us another delicious recipe that features a now abundant garden favorite — zucchini. This recipe is a great way to get your kids eating their fruits and veggies. Lindsay will be sharing one more Wild Taste of Summer Recipe in a few weeks that she says will be great for end of the summer parties. We can’t wait to see what it is! Be sure to share this recipe and Lindsay’s other great summer recipes with a friend or family member.

Summer is in full swing. The warm days mean more free time to enjoy the great outdoors going for long walks, hiking, boating, swimming, and gardening. It’s also a time to relax a little and casually entertain. But the best part? The food! Farmer’s markets are in full swing and there are so many fruits and vegetables to stock up on and experiment with in the kitchen.

One of the most readily available veggies is zucchini and it’s wonderfully versatile. They’re great in casseroles and stir-frys, can be turned into noodles for a lower-carb alternative to pasta and are also great when used in baking. They add flavor and nutrients while also helping keep quick breads and muffins moist!

I’ve always had a strong love for baking and remember making zucchini bread with my mom every summer while growing up. I’ve been continuing this tradition in my own kitchen each summer, but this year I decided to change things up a little bit and add some Wild Blueberries into the mix!

Wild Blueberries are absolutely perfect for baking because they are smaller and contain less water than regular blueberries. You’ll find these great little berries in the freezer section of your local grocery store and because they’re frozen they perform better in baking. And using smaller Wild Blueberries in your baking recipes also means more berries per bite. Plus, they have a more intense blueberry flavor and they’re packed with antioxidants so including them is an easy way to boost the nutritional value of your recipe! You may not know this but research conducted by the USDA confirms that frozen fruits have the same or greater nutritional value as their fresh counterparts.

Click here for the recipe that took my zucchini bread to the next level:

A Red, White & Wildly Blue Dessert for July 4th

We have another wildly delicious recipe from Guest Blogger and Registered Dietitian Lindsay Livingston from The Lean Green Bean for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. Check back often all summer long as Lindsay will be sharing many more inspiring recipes using Wild Blueberries.

Growing up, 4th of July was always one of my favorite holidays. I loved it for several reasons:
1) It’s right in the middle of summer- and what kid doesn’t love summer?
2) Fireworks. I love them. I was never scared of the noise and I absolutely love watching the colors light up the sky. Even now, I watch them every chance I get!
3) Good food. For me, 4th of July memories include hot dogs and ice cream. Doesn’t get any better than that!

This year I’ll be 25 weeks pregnant on 4th of July and although I’ve haven’t been feeling the best throughout this pregnancy, ice cream is one thing that ALWAYS sounds good. So, I put on my thinking cap and decided to come up with a 4th of July – themed ice cream dessert to share with friends and family at our holiday get-together!

When I’m at a party, the last thing I want to do is deal with using utensils. Finger foods are where it’s at, in my opinion. Keeping that in mind, I immediately started thinking about ice cream sandwiches because they’re easy to eat and they combine two delicious desserts – cookies & ice cream!

To make things festive, I made red velvet cookies, used vanilla ice cream and then added a layer of frozen Wild Blueberries to get the red, white & blue look I was going for!

Here’s how you make them.

Summer Recipe Round-up

We are OH SO CLOSE to Wild Blueberry harvest season…so close we can almost taste the deliciously ripe little berries ready to pop off the bushes and into pancakes, sauces and (let’s be real here) directly into our mouths by the handful!

In the meantime, we’ve drummed up a full day of summer recipes that feature the wonderful Wild Blueberry in its frozen form, available all year round all across the country. So head over to the frozen fruit section of your local grocery store, stock up on the wild ones, and then get cookin’!

Breakfast:

Wild Blueberry Oat Scones with Lime Glaze
These Wild Blueberry scones are yummy enough as is, but the lime glaze adds a tangy sweetness that is just summery perfection.

Lunch:

Wild Blueberry Balsamic Dressing Delicious, healthy and wonderfully versatile, this balsamic dressing pairs perfectly with chicken or over a crisp summer salad.

Snack:

Wild Blueberry and Corn Salsa A wild twist on a traditional summer salsa. Dig in with tortilla chips or just enjoy by the spoonful!

Dinner:

Wild Blueberry Polenta and Grilled Onions and Sausage
The perfect combo of sweet, savory and tangy – this recipe is a just right for a summer get-together or dinner party.

Wild Blueberry Polenta with Grilled Onions and Sausage

Dessert:

WildBlueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

End the day with a sweet treat made from frozen Wild Blueberries. The lemon glaze gives this pound cake a lightness that is perfect for hot summer nights.

Give Dad Something Wild This Father’s Day:

Wild Blueberry & Spinach Turkey Burgers by Lindsay Livingston

Guest Blogger and Registered Dietitian Lindsay Livingston from The Lean Green Bean shares a recipe that will be a great addition to your Father’s Day festivities this weekend. It’s a little something Wild for all the great dads out there that they are sure to appreciate. Throughout the summer, Lindsay will be offering up many more delicious and inspiring recipes using Wild Blueberries so check back often.

After a long winter, summer is finally here! In our house, summer means lots of family gatherings, outdoor activities and delicious food. Aside from Memorial Day, which tends to always be a little iffy weather-wise, Father’s Day is typically the first holiday where families can get together and celebrate both the wonderful men in their lives AND the start of summer weather!

I don’t know about you guys, but when we get together as a family, we almost always light up the grill! Plain old burgers and brats are cookout staples, but in my opinion they can get a little boring. So, I’m always looking for fun ways to jazz things up on the grill.

These turkey burgers are far from boring. They’re moist and juicy thanks to the spinach and the sweet Wild Blueberries that perfectly complement the salty bacon and feta!

So this Father’s Day [Tweet this], give your dad a break. Let him sit back and relax while you take over the grill and make him a burger he’ll never forget!