Accent July 2009_blueberry Thrills

B L U E B E R RY P O U N D C A K E 1 (18 1/4-ounce) box butter cake mix 1 (8-ounce) carton cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup oil 3 eggs, beaten 1 (15-ounce) can whole blueberries

Blueberry T HRILLS

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Beat cake mix, cream cheese, oil and eggs with electric mixer until smooth. Add blueberries and stir by hand until mixed. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan at 350 degrees for one hour.

TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON

B L U E B E R RY PA R FA I T S

When you think of blueberries, muffins automatically come to mind, but the versatile little berry is delicious in everything from pancakes and cobbler to bread pudding. Turn them into jam and spread on toast, or make blueberry syrup and enjoy over shortcake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Layer them with shortbread cookies, lemon curd and whipped topping to make a parfait, or bake them into a pound cake, like my grandfather used to do. Blueberries are such a popular crop in South Mississippi - from backyard bushes to pick-your-own farms - that Poplarville even hosts a blueberry festival each June. Here are four quick and easy but delicious blueberry recipes from “Best of the Best 500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient Recipes,” by Gwen McKee and Barbara Mosely, “the cookbook ladies” from Brandon’s Quail Ridge Press who have sold hundreds of thousands of cookbooks on QVC.

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cup shortbread cookie crumbs tablespoons butter, melted cup lemon curd cup frozen whipped topping, thawed cups blueberries

Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter. Layer 2 tablespoons crumb mixture into each of four parfait glasses. Then layer with 2 tablespoons lemon curd, 2 tablespoons whipped topping, and 1/4 cup blueberries in each glass, repeating layers until glasses are full. Keep chilled until serving time.

S P R U C E D -U P B L U E B E R RY M U F F I N S 1 (7-ounce) package blueberry muffin mix 2/3 cup milk 1/2 ripe banana, mashed 1/4 cup chopped nuts 1/4 cup quick-cooking or instant oatmeal Mix all together. Pour into nine greased muffin cups; bake in preheated 425 degree oven 14-17 minutes.

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L O V E LY B L U E B E R RY J A M

2 1/2 cups blueberries 3 cups sugar 1/3 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 (3-ounce) bottle fruit pectin Wash blueberries and drain. Crush blueberries in an enamel or stainless steel saucepan. Mix sugar, orange juice and lemon juice; add to pan. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in pectin. Seal in hot sterilized jelly jars. Refrigerate.

PICK YOUR OWN BLUEBERRIES AT THESE FARMS COVINGTON COUNTY Mitchell Farms, 605 Leaf River Church Road, Collins; (601) 765-8609. JONES COUNTY Taylor Farms, 3510 Augusta Road, Ellisville; (601) 583-1448. Call for hours and directions.

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a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i

McDonald Blueberry Farm, Sandersville; (601) 428-1920; call for hours and directions, open Monday-Saturday, Sunday by appointment. PEARL RIVER COUNTY Pearl River Blues Berry Farm: 24 Curt Rester Road, Lumberton; (601) 796-9800. Certified organic farm. Open 7 a.m. until sundown daily. Call for directions.

S&M Blueberries: 2629 Jackson Landing Road, Picayune; (601) 799-5570. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Blue Tara PYO Blueberry Farm: 257 Langnecker Road, Poplarville; (601) 4038272. Certified organic. PIKE COUNTY Route One Nursery, 2158 Lloyd Hamilton Road, McComb; (601) 684-9609.