Just Desserts: Blueberry Cream Cheese Torte

The History

When we think of Blueberry farming, we think of Pitt Meadows, or at least we at the Museum do (but we are a little bit biased). These sweet little treats are extremely popular, and we have lots of local farms that produce quite a few! But have you ever wondered how and why blueberries are so popular in the area? Well, you have one family that we can thank for it, the Austring family and their Blue Boy Blueberries!

The Historical Story of Pitt Meadows writes this about the company: J.K. Austring has made a name for himself with his Blue Boy Blueberries. It all started in 1942 when a young man came and asked him if he had any place to plant 100 blueberry bushes that he wanted to save from destruction by calves which were eating them. These bushes were set out on the Alouette Peat land eventually purchased when the Blue Boy Blueberry Company Ltd. purchased the first approximately 40 acres of land from Alouette Peat. John Kildahl Austring was a pioneer resident who worked in Peat farming and then turned land over to blueberries by the late 1940’s. He established the industry in Pitt Meadows. He also served the community as an alderman. During the 1960’s and 70’s the farm was a large employer especially during the summer blueberry picking season. John Austring along with his sons (Oscar and John O.) were involved heavily in the formation of the B.C. Blueberry Cooperative Association. Always pushing onwards with new ideas and innovations, George and Ragna Flynn began cranberry growing which began the widespread growth of the cranberry industry in Pitt Meadows.

It seems as though berries are in their blood!

The Cookbook

This cookbook is “The Best of Pitt Meadows supporting the Pitt Meadows Airport Pathway”. This cookbook was created as a fundraiser for the Pitt Meadows Airport Pathway c.1990/91. The group wanted to create sidewalks in the area around the airport as a project to better our community. The foreword states this “The airport district is a favourite walking and jogging route for locals, including school children who frequent the area. The lack of sidewalks created an increasingly dangerous mix of pedestrians and cars, drawing attention to the need for a safe alternative to walking on the road. Our group saw an opportunity to participate in the construction of a linear park and bikeway that will provide a lasting benefit to the people of Pitt Meadows and visitors to our community for many years to come”.

The Recipe

Can we talk about how beautiful the colour on this Torte is? If you want a showstopper of a dessert, this one is a winner. The added benefit is Pitt Meadows is home to some amazing blueberry farms that you can also support local!

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Return to the kitchen.