Here Come the Berries!

I'm always so happy to see the first domestic blueberries of the season, which are coming in now. Hooray for the sweet little blue guys now coming in from Florida and Georgia -- not Chile and Argentina. (Thanks, South America, for getting us through the winter, but those sour berries that have traveled thousands of miles to get to our cereal bowls just don't measure up to the delicious fruit from such states as North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan.)
In honor of the new crop, here's a pudding recipe from my friend, Mary Ann Barnes. Although she made it with blackberries, not blueberries, I'm making mine with the blue fellas!

Banana-Berry Pudding

RECIPE: Banana-Berry Pudding

(Serves 6 – 8)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup natural sugar

¼ cup ground tapioca flour

3 eggs

2 cups (preferably whole) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute with plant sterols)

2 bananas, chopped

6 ounces blueberries (or blackberries, chopped)

1 pound strawberries, chopped (reserving 6 – 8 for decoration)

Instructions:

Rinse berries and set aside to dry.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.  Pour into medium saucepan and cook on medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken (about 15 – 20 minutes).  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

Gently stir fruit in pudding mixture.  Spoon into serving dishes.  Decorate with reserved strawberries.  Chill until ready to serve, or for at least an hour.