The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council hosted an event to teach chefs how to add blueberries to more recipes.

The “Blueberry Boot Camp,” as the Folsom, Calif.-based council referred to the event, featured Culinary Institute of America chef Lars Kronmark, who worked with 16 chefs on using blueberries more in their cooking, according to a council news release.

The chefs chosen for the event work at campuses, restaurant chains, hotels, a theme park and other large-volume operations.

The recipes Kronmark taught the chefs how to cook included Flank Steak Marinated in Lime, Garlic and Blueberry Powder with Blueberry-Chimichurri Sauce; Sausage Banh Mi with Blueberry-Pickled Vegetables and Blueberry Aioli; and Smoked Trout Guacamole with Blueberry-Lime Dusted Tortilla Chips.

Another highlight of the event was Kronmark’s demonstration of how to quick-freeze blueberry ice cream with liquid nitrogen.

“Blueberry Boot Camp was an eye-opener for the chefs who discovered the potential for blueberries to add a spark to their menus,” Mark Villata, the council’s executive director, said in the release. “The chefs we worked with at the (Culinary Institute of America) were absolute professionals, and the quality and creativity of the food they prepared was beyond what we could have imagined.”

Also at the event, Villata talked with chefs about the blueberry industry, where blueberries are grown, their year-round availability and other topics.

Karen Brux, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, talked about the Chilean industry and Chile’s growing conditions, which provide the U.S. with fresh blueberries from November to March.

The Packer