Georgia is known for its production of peaches, pecans and peanuts, but did you know that Georgia was named the number one blueberry producing state in 2014? These delicious and popular berries have just 80 calories per cup and no fat, which makes them a perfect addition to your summertime menu. Be sure to stock up this month while you can on fresh blueberries and freeze them to use later in the year. And try this delicious, summery recipe from the Georgia Blueberry Commission:
Baked Tilapia with Fresh Georgia Blueberry and Mandarin Orange Salsa
Ingredients for the fish:
- 6 pieces of tilapia
- 2 tbsp of butter (melted)
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp tarragon
- ¼ tsp salt
Ingredients for the salsa:
- One-half of a 15 oz. can of mandarin oranges in light syrup
- 2/3 cup fresh Georgia blueberries
- ½ an onion (minced)
- ¼ cup of juice from the mandarin oranges
Directions:
Drain mandarin oranges, but reserve the juice. Mix onion, mandarin orange segments, and Georgia blueberries in a bowl. Pour about ¼ cup of the reserved liquid from the mandarin oranges into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place fish on pan and baste with butter. Sprinkle lemon pepper, tarragon, and salt evenly over each piece of fish. Bake fish until done (approximately 15 minutes).
Arrange fish on the plate and serve with salsa over the top.
As with any salsa/sauce, the flavor develops with time so it is a good idea to make it ahead of time, or at the very least, make it before assembling the rest of the dish.