Photo by Tom Iraci
Summer Cuisine
Summer Feast
Meditation Point Huckleberry Dumplings
Timothy Lake, circa 1969
The following recipe is shared by the Sargent family who, a little over 35 years ago, named this recipe in honor of their unexpected harvest on Meditation Point near Timothy Lake. The family matriarch prepared these dumplings with impromptu cookery over a campfire. As with many family recipes, this one is not entirely precise and is certainly open for modification. For the Sargents, the essential ingredient is the family memory of berry-picking on a still, sunlit August afternoon, with birdsong, the elders' murmuring conversations and the fragrant breeze of dumplings cooking over the campfire. They suggest you stir in your own family memory and rename the recipe if you like. Enjoy!
- 2 quarts of huckleberries
- ½ cup or so of sugar
- 3/4 to 1 cup of water
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup milk
1. Build a campfire and create a good bed of coals. Be sure to have a water source nearby for dousing the fire completely when finished.
2. Put the huckleberries into a heavy cast iron skillet. Add the sugar and cook over a moderate to low heat.
3. Put all the dumplings' dry ingredients in a bowl, stir about. Then stir in the milk.
4. When the berries are bubbling, drop the dumpling batter in small spoonfuls on top of the bubbling berries.
5. Cover the skillet and cook about 15 minutes or so. The dumplings will approximately double in size. (Keep the coals burning steady.)
6. Immediately spoon up the dumplings and berries and savor the results of your labor
Variations: add a pinch of nutmeg to dry ingredients.grate some orange peel or lemon peel into mixture or a bit of lemon juice. Serve with cream, or heavy cream whipped and sweetened.
For a huckleberry read, we recommend The Huckleberry Book by 'Asta Brown, 1988. It carries the delightful subtitle "All about the West's most treasured wild berry, from botany to bears, mountain lore to recipes." It is a memorable read, particularly the chapter "Wild Mountain Heather" which includes A Huckleberry Trip, 1930 Vintage, A History of Berrypicking in America, Native American Traditions, etc.
Two of our favorite "Picking Tips" - (from page 66) are: "...pick uphill, from bottom to top of a slope; it's easier to see the berries underneath the leaves." and ".whistle while you pick (especially children with purple lips), the bucket will fill faster."
The Huckleberry Book is available from the Mt. Hood Information Center (888.622.4822) or the Wy'east Book Shoppe and Art Gallery (503.622.1623.).
We wish you a good harvest! For further information, call the Mt. Hood Information Center, 888.622.4822.
August/September 2006