Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I decided on a simple pound cake to highlight the distinctive flavor of our freshly picked huckleberries. I began with Nick Malgieri's Classic Pound Cake recipe in Perfect Cakes. You almost don't need a recipe since it's based on the classic proportions of a pound of each ingredient - butter, sugar, flour, and eggs - but this dosen't make such a large cake. 2 C softened butter 1 C organic granulated sugar 2 t liqueur of your choice (I used a passionfruit liqueur) 5 large eggs 2 C white whole wheat flour 1-1/2 C fresh huckleberries Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar together. Add liqueur and eggs. Gently fold the flour into the batter. Once the flour has been completely absorbed, use a rubber spatula to incorporate the fresh huckleberries into a batter. Pour into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for 75-90 minutes until the cake is well-risen and the top cracked. Cool cake in pan for a few minutes before unmolding it onto a rack and turn right side ...

I have heard of Huckleberry Hill Nature Preserve for a long time, but today was the first time I ventured up there. The hike is not for the faint of heart; it begins with 184 stairs followed by two steep uphills. But it was totally worth it. We plucked handfuls of the fruits though more made it into our bellies that our baskets. But I will be making something to highlight this deliciously tart treat. Apparently the word 'huckleberry' refers to more than one bush and fruit and in some places blueberries are also called huckleberries. Here, in central California, 'huckleberry' refers to the red huckleberry, scientific name Vaccinium parvifolium .