The Berry Best

If you catch chef Kelly Fields leaving the walk-in at her New Orleans restaurant and bakery, Willa Jean, chances are she has a fistful of, will be published this fall. “They make me think about visiting my grandmother when I was a kid. Her backyard was up against a big field where I’d jump the fence and pick wild blueberries and blackberries all afternoon. I’d return to the house covered in scratches from bushes and brush, with my hands, face, and clothes stained from snacking on my harvest.” Blueberries have a long growing season in the South, with varieties ripening from early spring through late summer. This, along with their versatility, makes them a go-to in restaurant kitchens. Of course, they work well in sweet dishes, but they also elevate savory bites. “I particularly love blueberries in game dishes, where the sweet and tart really round out the flavor,” the chef says. If you’re grabbing some fresh from the farmers’ market, look for a batch with firm, smooth skin and an almost dry appearance. “I’ll be honest, I always eat one—it’s the best test,” says Fields, who favors the Woodard variety early in the season, then shifts over to the Tifblue toward late summer. At home they’re best stored in containers that allow them to be spread out in a single layer—they’ll keep about a week in the fridge this way. “Eat them raw, make them into jam, blend them into cocktails, smoothies, lemonade. Put them in all your baked goods. Try them as a base for barbecue sauce. Seriously, use them in anything and everything—they’re a real gift of summer.”