Always bet on black (berries)

I have a funny confession to make. When I moved to the Oregon Coast 12 years ago, I would notice people parked on the side of the road standing in front of a huge tangle of thorny bushes and would wonder what they were doing. I didn’t have a clue. Back then the only thing I knew about the coast was that it was beautiful and I hoped to make it my home. I finally asked someone and was told that the people were picking blackberries. I was so excited to learn that there were wild blackberries growing out here. What a delicious sweet treat.

For me, there is no greater pleasure than walking around my sister’s property and picking sweet delicious blackberries. The trick to this though, is getting to them before the animals and birds do. I can’t say I blame them; they have good taste! It’s like nature's candy.

We are now in the midst of the harvest season, which can run from July to September. When picking or purchasing blackberries, look for plump deeply purple ones. Some are so dark they can almost look black. Blackberries tend to ripen rather slowly to allow their sugars to develop, so the later in the season the sweeter they will be. Oregon has several different varieties of blackberries with a relatively new variety called Hall’s Beauty. This berry has the distinction of ripening early in the season and is thornless.

I couldn’t possibly talk about blackberries and not mention Marionberries, the Rolls Royce of blackberries. They are known for their richness and their perfect blend of tart and sweet. Marionberries were born and bred right here in Oregon and are a cross between Olallie and Chehalem blackberries. Their name comes from the fact that they were created and grown first in Marion County in the 1950s. Now, more than 25 million pounds of Oregon Marionberries are grown and happily devoured every year.

The recipe this week doesn’t use fresh berries but rather jam. You can use either Marionberry or blackberry jam. Both are available at most major grocery stores and can also be found at select farmers markets.

I love a good fruity barbecue sauce. It’s sweet, tangy and can be as spicy as you like. This recipe calls for jalapenos but you could certainly use whatever hot pepper you like. If you do not want chicken, you can easily substitute it with pork shoulder. I’m also going to propose some fun toppings, like crispy bacon, a mound of coleslaw, onion rings or a slice of cheddar or pepper jack cheese: whatever makes your heart and your tastebuds happy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Blackberry BBQ Sauce

serves 6

10 ounces berry jam

3 tablespoons ketchup

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

½  teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 to 3 jalapenos, sliced thin, seeds removed; optional but recommended

1 medium onion, sliced thin

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Salt and black pepper, to taste

6 buns, toasted – I suggest either onion rolls, brioche buns or pretzel buns

In a medium bowl, whisk together the jam, ketchup, vinegar, molasses, ½  teaspoon of salt and mustard. Set aside.

Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper on both sides. Place in the slow cooker.

Pour the sauce mixture over it.

Sprinkle on the jalapenos if using, the sliced onions and minced garlic.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low and cook for five to six hours. I don’t recommend using the high setting. Low and slow is the way to go.

Check the slow cooker after five hours. Chicken should shred easily with a fork. If it’s not fork tender, cook it for an additional hour.

When it’s through cooking, take two forks and start shredding the chicken. Don’t shred it too finely, you want some chunks. Stir it into the sauce and make sure it’s all coated.

If you haven’t already toasted your buns, now is the time to do it. I feel this step is mandatory. You’re adding a toasty and buttery flavor to the sandwich. Lightly butter the inside of the buns and toast the buttered side in a large skillet until they are lightly browned.

Pile the saucy mix on the buns and spoon on extra sauce if you like. You can stop right here and enjoy this delicious sandwich or proceed to the next step.

This is where you can customize your sandwich. You can pile on either crispy bacon, coleslaw, your favorite cheese or onion rings. The sky’s the limit!