Easy Recipes from the Pot Rack – July 2023

So here we are with two serious questions; is a marionberry kinda like a blackberry (yes), and is a buckle the same thing as a cobbler (no). Bottom line on the berry question, not all blackberries are marionberries, but all marionberries are a type of blackberry. You can tell the difference because the marionberry is longer in shape and sweeter. The buckle vs cobbler question is more debatable. Basically a buckle is more cake-like BUT because the berries are placed on top of the cake batter at the time of cooking, they collapse into the cake making for a cool design and a nice crusty top. I think the Marionberry Buckle should receive honors as our state dessert.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups fresh marionberries

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter (one stick, cold)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Cream butter, sugar and eggs with mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients except marionberries and mix well.
  • Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread batter in the bottom of the dish.
  • Carefully place marionberries on top of the batter mixture, spreading apart evenly.
  • Mix together topping ingredients in a bowl except for butter. Sprinkle the flour mixture over marionberries.
  • Cut the butter into small pieces or pats and spread over the entire dish.
  • Cook 40 – 45 minutes until brown and crusty on top.

Makes 8 to 10 servings and is awesome served warm with vanilla ice cream on top.

Beyond the Recipe—I must admit, I wasn’t a big lover of the Black/Marionberry until I moved to Oregon. But even then, it was hate at first sight. You know what I’m talking about. Those pesky, thorny bushes that invade every space they shouldn’t! Is Peter Britt responsible for this agriculture wonder, too!? I needed to find out. So, I Googled it!

Oregon.gov had this to say about the subject, “The Armenian blackberry was first noted in Oregon in 1922 in Marion County (aha! the Marionberry connection). Originally named Himalayan blackberry after its place of origin, it was introduced by Luther Burbank for berry breeding in the Willamette Valley.”

I found another website called Oregon-berries.com. Wow… cool site! They said, “While the true story may be lost to history, we do know that the European native “Evergreen” blackberry was brought to the Oregon Territory in the mid 1800s either from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) to be grown at Fort Vancouver, or it was brought by immigrant settlers on the Oregon Trail.”

No matter how our delightful berry arrived, we can be grateful for the bounty we receive every July. And if you really want to keep your neighbors out of your business, you can plant a few blackberry bushes along a property line and in no time they will never cross boundaries again.