Munching on Fruit, Veggies, and More Idaho Treats

August 18, 2021

Who hasn’t heard of the Idaho potato? Yes, the potato is the state “vegetable” (although, there is discussion about the potato, and whether it’s a veggie or a starch or a starchy veggie…but we digress), and if we didn’t know better, we’d say there isn’t any other potato. That was until we visited England and learned about the Maris potato. Oh! Then there’s the Long Island potato. (Did you know Long Island used to be one of the U.S.’s top five potato-producing areas? At least until tracts of single-family homes popped up on Long Island in the post-war years.)

Well, Idaho produces more than just potatoes...they are also known for their huckleberries. In fact, there are several species native to Idaho, so they honored it by making it their state fruit. My Girlfriendships® has a great recipe to honor the state fruit!

Let’s Eat…in!

Since it’s still summer and one of our favorite desserts is ice cream, let’s make huckleberry sauce to drizzle over the top. This is a good one!

Ingredients for 3-4 | Multiply by degree of hunger, divide by number of girlfriends!

Prep time*	5 mns
Cook time	10 mns
Total time	15 mns

*of course this doesn’t include the fun you and your friends will have picking a bunch!

Ingredients

2 cups wild blue huckleberries (frozen or fresh)

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients over medium heat. Crush huckleberries against the side of the pan as you stir until smooth.

Step 2
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Step 3

Cook for 5 minutes at a gentle simmer.

Step 4

Serve hot or cold over ice cream or your favorite cake—short-, pound-, bundt-, cheese-, cup-, birthday-, angel food-, even carrot-!

Let’s Eat…out!

Looking for a place to gather with girlfriends when weekending with your crew in Boise or Coeur d’Alene? Here are two great options:

The Lively | The tag line for this Boise restaurant is: “Eat. Drink. Be (at the) Lively.” Taking advantage of the bounty of the region, everything about this restaurant says “unique”. That includes the menu as well as the art and furnishings in the restaurant. The obvious goal is to welcome diners with hospitality into their “home”, resulting in a place guests want to return “to eat, drink, and be lively.”

When in Idaho, how can we not order their Local Potato Bisque—Idaho Springs sturgeon caviar, lemon oil, and chives? Yum!

The Garnet Café | Speaking of garnets, The Garnet Café is the place for breakfast in Coeur d’Alene, before you and your girls head out for the day’s adventures. The Northwest omelet with smoked salmon lox, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and goat cheese is the perfect start to the day.