They’re not cheap but worth every perfect tiny globule. Spotted roadside, on one of Ontario’s busy autoroutes were these babies, at $140 a basket.

I passed, but will admit to thinking I would fork out my last dollar if I had to as we could dine on these gems all summer. Popping up in farm stands and grocers this month, wild blueberries are preferred by many over their cultivated cousins.

You can fold them into just about any baking treat and taste the difference.  I make up a slab ( translated: big rectangle) pie for extended family meals lakeside but, truth be told, these babies are delicious snacks all on their own and provide the perfect punch to a summer salad.

For a decadent parfait for summer brunch, try them doused in maple syrup. You can’t get a more Canadian dessert.

Blueberry Parfait

makes 8 parfaits

What you need:

4 cups wild blueberries

1 cup pure maple syrup

( I use the #3 dark from Forbes Wild Foods)

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

6 ounces crumbled ginger snap cookies

6 parfait glasses or clear ice cream bowls

What you do:

1. Cook 2 cups of the blueberries with 3/4 maple syrup in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the berries have burst. Immediately pour mixture into bowl to cool and set bowl in an ice bath.
2. While berries cool, whip the cream with the remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup in a bowl using an electric mixer, just until it holds soft peaks.
3. Add lemon juice to the remaining 2 cups of blueberries then add to the cooled berry syrup mixture.
4. Spoon a few tablespoons of the berry mixture into each parfait glass then top with crumbled cookies, then half the whipped cream. Add more berry mixture then whipped cream and top with a few berries and a drizzle of the berry liquid.
5. Serve with a spoon and a smile.
6. This will only keep assembled for a few hours in the fridge before the crumbs get soggy. You can make all the layers ahead and just assemble it before serving. The blueberry maple mix is best cold anyway and can be drizzled over Greek yogurt for a less decadent version.

The combo of ginger, maple and blueberry is a triple threat for those worthy. Tell the brunch crowd it’s ok to lick the spoon.