Berry picking is a summer tradition in Alaska.  The plump, abundant and delicious species in Southeast Alaska usually grows around abandoned logging roads and recently logged over areas.  It is browsed by goat, deer and of course the black bear.

Come early summer we would troop off to the forest with our baskets or pails tied around our necks to free both hands for picking, with bear bells jingling on our arms. We never did come across any bears where we picked.  They probably had their own sweet personal patches to feast on.

In later years when we moved to the Pacific Northwest we did not get as much of a chance to go berry picking.  We lived in the country and commuted to the city.  Most week-end mornings were spent catching up on sleep and tending to our prolific garden.

I do treasure the memory of one special morning's berry picking.  The previous evening we had gone for a walk along a dead-end country road fairly close to our home.  We came across these bushes - thickly laden with blueberries and ripe for picking.

Early the next morning we gathered our pails (no bear bells this time,) and strolled down the country road to harvest the berries.  The soft, early morning mist swirled and lingered around us creating an almost mystical feeling.  In the stillness, we could hear the rustle of birds in the bushes.  As the morning progressed and our pails filled we heard more stirring and chirping.

We wended our way home savoring the morning and sampling some of our harvest. The blueberries from that harvest tasted richer, sweeter, more divine.

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“Blueberry tea cakes" (Recipe)

Ingredients for Cake:

3/4 cup sugar
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter softened
1 egg beaten.
1/2 cup milk (or cream)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups blueberries. Remove mushy berries, stems, leaves and rinse the berries.

Ingredients for Crumb topping:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter softened

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 375 F
2.   In a large bowl mix sugar, baking powder and salt
3.   In a separate bowl mix butter, egg and milk.
4.   Pour the dry ingredient into the liquid mixture.
5.   Sift the flours in a separate bowl.
6.   Add flour to the liquid mix. Consistency should be like thick pancake batter.
7.   Gently add the blueberries to the batter.
8.   Grease and flour 2 small meat-loaf pans
9.   Pour the batter into the pans
10. In a separate bowl mix the topping ingredients.
11. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter.  Bake until golden brown
(If the cake is not golden brown, bake for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.)
13. Set the cake on a rack to cool.
(Best served warm.)

(Note: You can bake this in a 9 inch square pan and serve as coffee cake. Small loaves, I call “tea” cakes, are best served with tea!)