LOCAL DISH | SHELLEY HANDLER

Somewhere over a hill and around a corner in Fort Mason is a virtual wall of blackberries growing a good 10 feet high. In summers past I used to cruise by there and casually pick a container full — then try not to eat them on the way home.

My trips were never planned, so my container could be an empty coffee cup or a random ziplock bag lying in the bottom of my purse. If I managed to get them home, I’d wash them and toss them on top of my oatmeal the next morning, if I hadn’t given in and eaten them unadorned the night before, while watching something edifying on PBS.

For the life of me, I cannot remember where that massive bramble is today. I have imagined going back there prepared with a bucket to pick enough for a small batch of jam. I’ve made several swipes at finding it lately, to no avail. So to assuage that blackberry pang, I turned to a tasty, albeit lazier solution and brought home two containers of blueberries from the Ft. Mason farmers market. They’re in the Fillmore and Clement Street markets as well.

Why blueberries? They’re cheaper than blackberries and make equally tasty jam with no seeds to take up half the batch. This time I intensified it with a handful of dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s and added some zing with a bit of Vietnamese Cinnamon from Oaktown Spice on Fillmore Street. And rather than relegate it to something as predictable as toast, I surprised myself by making a quick batch of ricotta. Okay, not exactly ricotta, more just ‘cotta, since no initial cheese was made to leave whey for the second round. It is also more luscious as it lacks the grainy texture of actual ricotta, and it’s richer since I added cream to the base.

If the urge strikes and you have an hour and some blueberries, you can make yourself a deep blue jam that nestles beautifully on everything from bagels to your own batch of ‘cotta, and keeps nicely in the fridge, no fancy canning measures needed. 

DEEP BLUEBERRY JAM 

4 cups blueberries, washed and well-drained 
1 cup granulated sugar 
¼ cup dried wild blueberries 
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Put all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed two-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly (a few breaks are okay) until the mixture thickens, approximately 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to let cool and then place in a jar or a plastic container with an airtight lid. Store in the refrigerator.

If you’d like a copy of my ‘cotta recipe, drop me an email at chefshelleyteaches@gmail.com and say “Cheese me!” 

Shelley Handler, a longtime local who was the first head chef at the legendary Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley and an instructor at the California Culinary Academy, now teaches her neighbors, in their own kitchens, to cook better.