Huckleberry Buckle

Huckleberries are hard to get, but they're delicious when you can get them and afford them.  The first time I got to try them was because a friend picked some up at a farmer's market in July in eastern Washington.  I don't know how much he was exagerating but he said each serving of the buckle ought to cost $5.  That implies perhaps $20 for a 3 c. bag of berries.

The optional lemon juice works best on blueberries.  Huckleberries are like very potent-tasting blueberries and their a fair bit tarter. 

For those that don't want to bother or can't get huckleberries, blueberries work wonderfully.

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. white sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. milk
2 1/2 c. huckleberries
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
optional: 1 tbsp lemon juice

Oven @ 375° F
Butter a 9x9 baking pan.

Cream the butter and 1/3 c. of sugar.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  The mixture should be crumbly.  Blend in the sour cream.  Gradually add the milk until you have a smooth batter.

Spread the batter evenly into baking pan.

Put the berries into a saucepot, and add the 1/2 c. of water and the 1/2 c. of sugar.  A tbsp of lemon juice works well here if you want the fruit tarter.  Cook on stove until the berries have burst and it's got a deep red color and foamy consistency.  Pour this over the batter in the pan. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Port and Berry Cake

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/foris-vineyards-winery-berry-port-cake-10000000523798/

Beauty Berry Recipes

jam #1
American beautyberry berries become edible upon reaching full ripeness which usually occurs in late summer to early fall. They should be a dark purple/magenta color but not turning wrinkled and dry. These berries can be eaten raw and have a mild, slight medicinal flavor. To truly maximize the potential of these berries it is best to make jelly out of them. Combine 1.5 qts of berries with 1 qt. water, boil for 20 minutes and then strain out the solids. Add 4.5 cups of sugar and one envelop of Sure Jell to the liquid. Bring the liquid back up to boil for two minutes, skimming off any foam. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars and seal. The resulting jelly has a unique flavor which reminds me of rose petals and champagne.

Jam #2
1 ½ qts. of Beautyberries, washed and clean of green stems and leaves. Cover with 2 qts. water.Boil 20 minutes and strain to make infusion. Use 3 cups of the infusion, bring to boil, add 1 envelope Sure-Jell and 4 ½ cups sugar. Bring to second boiland boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until foam forms. Skim off foam, pour into sterilized jars, cap.

#3
Insect Repellent
I pretty much chopped up a plant(leaves and stems) and boiled it in a pot and let it cool and strained the brown liquid into my blender, about 1 1/2 cups. In a separate pot I warmed some organic neem oil (1 cup) with 1 ounce of beeswax until melted. Then you turn the blender on and pour in the oil mixture very slowly and it becomes a cream. I have to say hands down the best insect repellent ever! Because its a creme on july/august days one application is all you need for the entire day even when your sweating.”