An Evening of Wild Blueberry Delights
You have more than likely come across Van Dyk’s 100% Wild Blueberry Juice if you do any sort of grocery shopping in Nova Scotia. It is sold at local grocery stores, farmers’ markets and pharmacies.
This Nova Scotian product is the work of Casey and Henrica Van Dyk who came to Nova Scotia from Holland in the mid-1950s. Over time, they accumulated between 700-800 acres of wild blueberry fields between Caledonia and Yarmouth. With this abundance of wild blueberries, they made it a priority to develop a product that would provide Nova Scotians with the health benefits of wild blueberries all year round. The result: Van Dyk’s 100% Wild Blueberry Juice!
Van Dyk’s Wild Blueberry Juice is a unique product in the sense that it only has one ingredient- wild blueberries! This is the exact kind of pure product that nutritionists, like myself, and health-conscious cooks seek out.
There is the same amount of antioxidants in 3 oz of Van Dyk’s Blueberry juice as there is in 1 cup of wild blueberries. This is a jammed-packed burst of antioxidants which all of us can use in our day-to-day lives to help prevent damage to cells and tissues. What’s even better is that this juice is so versatile. You can drink it straight, add it a smoothie or mineral water and create endless recipes.
To put its versatility to the test, I organized a Blueberry Potluck with four foodie friends. The result: an amazing evening full of blueberry delights! See links in text below for all recipes.
The evening started off with Wild Blueberry Martinis made by Marielle.
These were a sweet and delicious treat to sip throughout our dinner. The hint of lime and lemon brought out a great flavor of Van Dyk’s Blueberry Juice and the drink was enjoyed by all!
Next up was Sue’s Wild Blueberry Chutney. This tasty appetizer was a great start to the meal. Sue prepared two versions- one on a thin ginger snap and the other on a plain cracker. The ginger snap combo was everyone’s favorite. Paired with old cheddar cheese, this appetizer set the tone of delicious eats for the evening. I am definitely making this delicious app over the holiday season!
Following that we indulged in Jaclyn’s Green Salad with Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette.
The vinaigrette recipe, taken from Van Dyk’s website, is nothing short of amazing. The only change we made was to use olive oil. Olive oil is a key ingredient in ensuring that you are receiving all the vitamins that are contained in the vegetables of the salad.
Vitamin A, D, E and K are all fat soluble vitamins (meaning they only get absorbed by your body when they are eaten with a healthy fat) and this salad dressing allows for that to happen. Delicious and healthy- the perfect combo! It is has been my main salad dressing choice for the past few years and gets rave reviews from everyone who tastes it.
There was no exception the night of the pot luck- everyone loved it.
For the main dish, we ate Wild Blueberry-Maple Salmon, made by yours truly. Although the blueberry juice turned the salmon a slightly weird purple colour, the flavour was great. Not to mention, we were getting our intake of healthy omega-3 fatty acids for the day.
I sprinkled some pecans on top to give the fish a bit of a crunch and it did just that. This is a simple recipe that I will be sure to use again.
Finally, dessert…
A Wild Blueberry Chiffon, made by Krista D, with a little help from her friend Shawn Peck, the Cheesecake Wizard. Well , actually, a lot of help from Shawn- he actually made the cake for her!
Though Krista D is a totally awesome cook, she did not want to disappoint with her baking, so she enlisted a no-fail friend to help her out. Since she hosted the dinner we can forgive her for that, and I think we were all thankful to have indulged in a delicious creation by the Cheesecake Wizard!
If you have yet to pick up a bottle of this wild blueberry juice, I’d highly recommend it. A true Nova Scotian product, Van Dyk’s Wild Blueberry Juice, is a staple in the health-conscious cook’s kitchen. You may even want to have a Blueberry potluck of your own! It was a great evening, with great company and some delicious wild blueberry inspired food.
Just a reminder that all the recipes in Krista’s blog can be found in the recipe section of our website.