Blueberry Season is upon us! And the best blueberry recipe around

I enjoy instilling family traditions into my boys' lives, especially those I relished as a child. One such summer tradition is blueberry picking! Here in Southern Oregon, blueberries are bountiful and delicious. By mid July, we've usually visited one of the local blueberry patches and pick a few buckets of sweet, blue beauties.

 

 The little boys love being able to free range thru the rows of ripe berry bushes,  eating as many berries as they can possibly stuff into their little mouths. I love taking home an ample supply of berries for making lots of treats. 

   My absolute favorite blueberry recipe is one I found on a pamphlet from the Bluberry Coucil picked up while blueberry picking with my family as a teenager. Every time we pick berries, I automatically make Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Sauce. We all know that blueberry pancakes are delicious, but this recipe takes them to a whole new level.

 My family loves these pancakes so much, I just had to share the recipe with all of you! 

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Sauce 

Ingredients

• 1-½ cups part-skim ricotta cheese or drained small-curd cottage cheese
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (yellow part only)
• 8 egg whites
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine ricotta, butter and egg yolks until blended
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar and lemon peel
3. Stir dry ingredients into ricotta mixture
4. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks
5. Fold egg whites and then blueberries into batter
6. Over medium heat, form cakes by spooning ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto a hot lightly greased griddle or skillet
7. Cook cakes, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes
8. Serve with Blueberry Ginger Sauce

Blueberry Ginger Sauce

1. In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups fresh blueberries, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystalized ginger or ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger
2. stir in 1⁄3 cup water
3. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil
4. cook and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute

This is one dish that just consistently brings me nostalgic joy. I love these fluffy, moist pancakes studded with fresh blueberries and smothered in a tart sauce with a bite to it! 

My little boys seem to be big fans as well!  I love creating our own family culture- our own traditions, routines and recipes. 

 What are some beloved traditions or recipes your family enjoys?