It never ceases to amaze me that when one fruit goes out of season, in our garden, another can take its place. I had but a few days of yearning for fresh berries, when I spied the first of our blueberry crop, already ripened by the summer sun. For the past number of years we've successfully grown blueberries in pots filled with soil, acidic compost and the odd shovelful of rich compost, from our compost container. The blueberries are deliciously juicy, and even seem to thrive without the benefit of a sunny summer. Rather surprisingly, they are the only fruit in the garden that the blackbird isn't drawn to, leaving all the more for us to enjoy.

One of our old, large pots that we filled with soil and acidic compost before planting the blueberry plants.

This little lady is a big fan of blueberries, and loves them best when she has picked them herself for her morning cereal. 

I was recently sent a few punnets of blueberries from a relatively local grower in Ballyteague, Co. Kildare, called Kildare Blueberries. Here they have a farm shop selling their berries, but visitors can also pick their own, if they’d prefer to have a hands-on fruit picking experience. Like my own blueberries, these were remarkably bigger and juicier than many of the foreign, shop bought varieties. We mostly munched on these berries as they were, but with one punnet, in a matter of minutes, I made a tasty compote, which served nicely on that morning’s pancakes. This flavoursome compote also made a perfect accompaniment to a few afternoon scones. When blueberries are at the height of their season, now is the time to buy a few punnets of them, pop them into the freezer and enjoy them winter long in smoothies, jams and delicious compotes, such as the one in the recipe below, (just increase the cooking time by 5 minutes when the berries are frozen).

Blueberry Compote

Ingredients

250g blueberries

zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

2 tbsp water

Method

1.      Place 225g of the blueberries into a medium sized saucepan, along with the orange zest, sugar and water.

2.      Place over a low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. After this time stir through the remaining 25g of blueberries, and let the saucepan remain on the heat for a further minute, and continue to stir well.

3.      Allow to cool slightly and serve with pancakes and a dollop of yogurt. Otherwise allow to cool completely and keep in the fridge for up to three days. 
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In Other News
* I'm thrilled to announce that my blog has been shortlisted for three categories in this year's Irish Blog
Awards. Thank you so much to anyone who nominated me and to the judges who shortlisted this blog.
Also a big congratulations to all my fellow nominees. Best of luck. xx
* Móna Wise has written a great blog post all about blogging, and the opportunity of
gaining employment as a result. I was delighted to contribute to this. Have a read here - http://www.wisewords.ie/index.php/2014/08/blog-awards/

In our house pancakes are never limited to Shrove Tuesday, but are enjoyed whenever there is a little extra time to spare in the mornings. Occasionally if it's a special occasion, say like a birthday, pancakes will always be on the food request list. Pancakes are so easy to prepare and they rarely create too much of a mess, so they're ideal to make with little ones. The boys are planning on having pancakes for their breakfast, dinner and tea tomorrow, so I may get cracking with the batter-making! 

These pancakes can be made plain, but for a fruity pancake mix, I like to add a handful of mashed blueberries or strawberries, or a grated apple, or some mashed ripe banana to the batter. It just really depends on what I have to hand. This recipe is for thick 'American style' pancakes. If you would prefer more of a 'crepe like' pancake just add a little extra milk to the batter and spread it out evenly on the pan at the start of cooking. 

Perfectly Plump Pancakes

Ingredients

150g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

225mls milk

1 egg

50g blueberries/strawberries, mashed, or 1 eating apple, grated

sunflower oil, for frying

To Serve

fresh berries

maple syrup or apple syrup

Method

1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl.

2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Slowly combine it with the flour, using a hand whisk

3. Very slowly add the milk, whisking well after each addition.

4. When the batter is nice and smooth add the mashed blueberries or grated apple. Combine well and then pour into a jug and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least an hour. The batter can be used straight away but it tends to have a better consistency when left to rest. Give the batter a little whisk before cooking.

5. Heat the frying pan and add a little sunflower oil.

6. Add 3 small ladlefuls of batter onto the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until some bubbles appear on the surface. Using a spatula or fish slice to turn the pancake over and brown the other side.

7. To keep the cooked pancakes warm place in a low heated oven and continue cooking the rest of the pancakes. Add the toppings of your choice.

Enjoy straight away!

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Some more pancake inspiration -

Kristin at Edible Ireland shares her recipe for Salted Nutella & Banana Pancakes...these sound amazing.

Rosanne has some adorable looking Buttermilk pancakes over on her blog - Like Mam Used to Bake.

These nutrient-rich Pear Pancakes, from Dorcas Barry, are so tasty and they are a great, healthy alternative for Pancake Tuesday.
Donal Skehan shares a delicious savory Pancake recipe, filled with Ham Hock, Spinach and Cheese.
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There are many more interesting pancake recipes on the web. Feel free to share your favourite pancake recipe, or pancake toppings, in the comment box below. I'm always on the lookout to try something tried, tested and loved!