By Schools are closed in Vermont. The country has essentially stopped. I have been following the news carefully — three newspapers, radio, the occasional update from David who works for the state and has information earlier than most — and the picture is not reassuring. But I am sixty-seven years old and I have been through things before, and what I know is that clarity is better than panic and preparation is better than either.
The pantry: full. Two months of staples conservatively. Helen has been gradually expanding it since late February — extra flour, extra beans, extra salt pork, extra rice, the shelves in the basement that my grandfather used as a root cellar now lined with the kind of food that doesn't require the grocery store. Helen has been doing this quietly, without ceremony, in the way that Bergstrom women have managed the household through difficult times for seven generations. You assess. You prepare. You do not catastrophize. You cook.
The maple season continues. I cannot bring myself to feel anything but grateful for it. The sap running is a proof that the world's biology continues regardless of what the humans in it are doing. I boiled Friday and Saturday — a total of three gallons of syrup for the week. The cumulative for the season is twelve gallons so far, which is already a full year's supply. If the season ends tomorrow I have enough syrup. The seasons ends when it ends. I continue to boil while it runs.
Sarah called at eight o'clock. She has never called at eight before — our calls have always been at our convenience, usually Sunday afternoons. She said she was going to call every night at eight. I said we have discussed this. She said yes. She said she is going to call every night at eight anyway. I said all right. She said how are you. I said fine, we are fine. She said good. She said I love you Dad. I said I love you too, Sarah. We hung up. She will call tomorrow at eight.
We have twelve gallons of syrup in the basement now, and it seemed right to use some of it — not to celebrate exactly, but to mark the season and what it means that it continued. Helen made this casserole on Sunday morning, the bread soaking overnight in the refrigerator while we slept, and when she pulled it from the oven the smell of it moved through the whole house in a way that felt like an answer to something. We poured our own syrup over it and it was, without question, the best breakfast we have had in weeks — simple, warm, and entirely ours.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus overnight soak) | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (plus overnight) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (about 16 oz) brioche or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Powdered sugar, for serving
- Pure maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish and scatter 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries over and around the bread.
- Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
- Soak the bread. Pour the custard evenly over the bread and blueberries, pressing the bread gently with a spatula so every piece absorbs the liquid. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over the top. Dot with the small pieces of butter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat and bake. When ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set and no longer jiggly.
- Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup poured generously over each portion.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 380mg