Summer’s bounty yields Marco Ridge Farm blackberries for an elegantly simple dessert

Last year, peaches from Oxford, Maryland inspired me to recreate my grandmother’s Perfectly Peachy shortcake recipe (http://www.sharonleestable.com/oxford-peaches-inspired-old-fashioned-desserts-on-the-porch/ ) .

This year, plump, juicy blackberries from the rolling fields of Marco Ridge Farm in Davidsonville, Maryland were the inspiration for another old-fashioned dessert. I was lucky enough to buy the last box of berries before they sold out.

Visiting local shops, farmer’s markets and farm stands is one of my favorite things to do. So, while driving through Davidsonville on Route 424, I was delighted to discover Marco Ridge Farm Produce,

Judging by the number of cars pulling in and the well-stocked tables of corn, tomatoes and other veg, I figured the stand had a loyal following. So I pulled in too.

Deciding to save the corn for the next day’s dinner, I laid out some of the other produce.

Along with herbs from pots outside my kitchen door, the tomatoes and peppers would be combined with garlic, onions and zucchini already on my cutting board for pasta with savory summer vegetables.

However, the bowl of blackberries captured my immediate attention. I tasted one, then two. They were scrumptious and I knew they’d be great over a simple cake. You can substitute store-bought pound cake but I like this easy-to-make version of the recipe I featured in March of 2017 for “My Mother’s Cake” (http://www.sharonleestable.com/my-mothers-cake/) .

Fond of layer cakes with chocolate icing, my mother Margaret Owings always used the recipe as written but you’ll see that I’ve split the batter into two pans (for two desserts). Here are the quick and easy directions.

My Mother’s Cake – Plain version

• Grease and flour two 8 inch pans (I used one square pan and one round pan)
• 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) of butter cut in pieces – margarine or shortening work too
• 1-1/3 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour (all purpose or unbleached)
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Cream together the half cup of butter with the sugar and eggs till smooth. Add both cups of flour, three teaspoons of baking powder and a half teaspoon of salt. Add half of the cup of milk and mix with the dry ingredients until blended. Lastly, add the half teaspoon of vanilla and remaining half cup of milk and mix at medium speed.

Pour the batter into greased cake pans.

(I divided the batter into two pans – the square pan for my blackberry dessert and the round one to be saved and split to fill with custard and top with chocolate icing.)

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

While the cake bakes, wash the berries and sprinkle one or two tablespoons of sugar over them depending on their natural sweetness. Fold the sugar in with a spoon and allow the berries to macerate in the refrigerator until the cake is out of the oven.

Slice large or small pieces of cake from the square pan. Remove the berries from the fridge and spoon over the cake. For the perfect touch, add a dollop of whipped cream. Vanilla ice cream works great too.

Enjoy!

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