Huckleberry Sundae, Cole's Drugs, Big Timber, Montana

By Michael Stern:
If your sweet tooth was honed in the high mountains of the northern plains, you know how good huckleberries can be. Similar to blueberries, but not as sweet, the wine-purple fruit, a favorite of grizzly bears a well as humans, delivers a flavor punch as rich as dark chocolate. They are seldom seen outside the plains, but if you crave some, the place to know about is a shop in Bigfork, Montana, named Eva Gates. Mrs. Gates started putting up preserves in 1949, and now her progeny offer a small inventory of products that reflect the fruity bounty of the Flathead Valley: syrups made from black cap berries and chokecherries, huckleberry preserves, and huckleberry fudge. Christmas gift baskets, tins, and boxes are available. Eva Gates Homemade Preserves: 456 Electric Avenue, Bigfork MT. 406-837-4356. www.evagates.com