Its July and the peak season for fruits at the local farm stall – berries in particular. Blueberries are my favorite, with raspberries, cherries and strawberries close behind. Theres something about blueberries. Bluish-black tinged, tiny, no seeds, tangy and barely sweet, and my tongue turns blue! When I wrap handfuls in a napkin and toss in my bag, they don't get squishy either.
Many recipes call for smothering the blueberries in pancakes, choking them in muffins, preserving them in jam, pickling them in a lemony cheese tart, freezing them, whipping them in a smoothie, or covering them in chocolate. I ask, why this obsession with messing up something so delicious to start with? I love my blueberries just plain – no recipes needed, thank you!
And if taste doesn't convince you, they have the highest anti-oxidant activity which protects from the detrimental effects of aging (I should know), prevents cancer and heart disease!
After a satisfying run, my dinner on Sunday was a bowl full of blueberries, a handful of cherries, papayas and a strawberry-mango lassi, which you needed to spoon out. Burp! Aaaaah! Life!
Notes: Unwashed blueberries shot in natural light of the setting sun, with my Olympus C4040
Arun Shanbhag 
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