Fancy Friday: Berry Season

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This is my first summer living in British Columbia. I can't even get over how much I am enjoying it. I love how most of the foods we buy, come from a farm within just a few kilometres of where we live. I especially love the abundance of summer berries. We've been spending quite a few sunny afternoons at are newly beloved Krause Berry Farms picking, eating and learning about berries. It is amazing. Nothing beats a fresh berry dessert in the summer, and to avoid having the oven on, I opened up a favourite cook book for inspiration and served our weekend guests a simple custard with fresh berries. You should probably make some too – recipe below.

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Custard
Via  Yvette VanBoven's 'Home Made'

2 cups milk
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 1 tsp real vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch 

*top with your favourite berries

Heat the milk with the crème fraîche  the vanilla seeds, and the bean until hot (do not boil) and leave to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch into a foam, and while stirring, add the hot milk. Return the mixture to the pan. Heat slowly on low heat while stirring, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until used. The custard will further thicken. If you want to serve the custard warm, keep it over a double boiler. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly down on the custard to prevent a skin from forming.