Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

I thought I'd start off our recipe blogging with a recipe everyone will love!
It's fall and that's a perfect time for baking something that will fill your house with delicious smells.


We are going to be posting two or three recipes each month as we cook our way through the Heritage Family Farms Simply Delicious Blueberry Recipes book.
Hope you enjoy making at least a few of these delicious dishes.






BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS
Southern Living

1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 ounce dry yeast (I used 2 tsp.)
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 1/4 cups flour, divided
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
`/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons milk

Directions:
Combine 1/4 cup milk, sugar, salt, and 3 T. butter in a saucepan: heat until butter melts.
Cool to 105 degrees or so.  See note below:

Let me interject something here about baking with yeast.  You can use a thermometer and make sure the temperature is right but that's too much trouble for me so I have always followed the advice I got from a veteran bread maker some 20 years ago.  "The liquid for yeast should be the same temperature you would bathe an infant in.  If it's too hot or cold for a baby then it's too hot or cold for yeast".  I've been baking homemade bread every week for almost 20 years so trust me on this, it works. 

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
Stir in milk mixture, 1 1/2 cups flour, and the egg;  beat on medium speed.
Stir in remaining 3/4 cup flour.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic ( about 8
minutes.)  Or you can use your Bosh type mixer and save your arms! (I don't usually flour the counter as I don't want to add more flour to my dough.  I butter the counter and knead the dough that way)

Place in a well greased bowl, turn dough over so the top is greased.
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees or so) You can warm up your oven for a few minutes and put the bowl in if the room is too cold.  Just don't leave the oven on very long.
Let rise until almost double in bulk...about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; turn out onto lightly floured surface. 

Roll dough into 12x8 inch rectangle; spread with 2 T. butter. (You can use more if, like me, you believe that butter makes the world a better place to live in!  I used more!)
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over dough.
Sprinkle with blueberries.  (If you use frozen blueberries you need to run them under warm water to thaw them out.  Then you need to drain them on a paper towel so most of the moisture is removed. This way there won't be excess moisture to cause soggy spots in your rolls.)
Roll dough beginning at the long edge.
Cut into 1 inch slices; place slices cut side down in 8x8 pan.
Brush tops with 1 T. melted butter (or a little more)
Cover and let rise in a warm place.  About 40 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Combine powdered sugar and milk and stir well.
Drizzle over warm rolls.

Now, remove a roll from the pan and put a slather of butter on top (you know why!), get a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!  These really were very nice cinnamon rolls and the addition of blueberries makes them extra special.

Let me know how you like them.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

CLOSED for the season......

We are sorry to disappoint those of you who were planning to come out later this week and pick but your picking experience would be highly unpleasant.

Right now there are an abundance of critters flocking to get the remaining berries.


This is a Green June Beetle and NO that is not my hand holding it.  On my  "100 Creatures that I Adore" list these rank at number 879.  I understand that they have their place in the food chain but it bothers me that when it comes to blueberries I have to compete with them.  But apparently blueberries are one of their favorite foods because they are all over the bushes.  I hold the belief that sucking blueberry juice intoxicates these beetles because when they try to fly away, which they do as soon as you disturb the branches, they fly like Otis Campbell is at the controls.  This means that they will usually hit you in the face, head, legs or feet.  They may end up in your hair or worse yet, your shirt!  All of these factors make picking less than fun.  They have relatives that have joined them.
The Japanese beetles have landed as well. 
Did you know that in your home garden you can hand pick these beetles (wear gloves because they feel creepy when you touch them) into a bucket of water.  If you check your plants early in the morning or late in the evening you'll find them lounging on the edges of the leaves.  They are lazy at these times of day and won't fly away when you reach for them.  After you get them in the water you can feed them to your chickens, if you have any, and they'll thank you profusely! If not, just dump them out and squish them!

We want to thank each of you who came out to the farm this year.  It's always fun getting to know our customers.  We appreciate each of you and look forward to seeing you next year.

We do have a limited number of frozen berries that we'll sell on a first come basis.  Call 540-0866 to reserve some and get an appointment for pick up. 

In the meantime we are going to be making some blueberry recipes and blogging about it here so check in when you can and see what's cookin'.  We'll keep you up-to-date on what's happening at the farm as well.

Have a great summer!


Saturday, July 17, 2010

CLOSED Monday through..........

The farm will be closed until later next week.  We are thinking of opening Thursday evening or Friday morning or both or.......

We'll let you know so check back.

Thanks for your patience..........

Friday, July 16, 2010

OPEN Saturday

The farm will be open Saturday, July 17 from 7:30 until 12 noon.

There are still a lot of nice berries on the field that need to find a good home!  It will take you longer to fill a bucket but you'll be rewarded with nice, sweet blueberries.  Today, six of us picked over 50 pounds in a little less than 2 hours!

For those of you who might not have noticed..........it's HOT outside!  So, bring plenty of water to stay hydrated.

We will be open later in the week next week so you still have time to get more berries.  Stay tuned and we'll let you know when we'll be open after tomorrow.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

OPEN Friday

The farm will be open Friday, July 16 from 7:30 until 12 noon. 

The berries are ripening well in this heat so brave the temps and come out and get the last of the season's berries.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

OPEN Thursday

The farm will be open Thursday July 15 from 5-8pm.

This will be the last week for blueberries so if you have been putting off coming out to the farm now is the time!
The Lateblue's have plenty to pick.

Hope to see you there.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

OPEN Wednesday

The farm will be open Wednesday, July 14 from 7:30 until 12 noon.

The two rows of Lateblues have lots of berries and there are still a good number of berries on the 8 rows of Bluecrop as well.

The season is winding down so don't dely in getting out to the farm to get your berries!

Monday, July 12, 2010

OPEN Tuesday

The farm will be OPEN Tuesday, July 13 from 5-8pm.

The season is coming to a close so be sure to get your yearly supply of berries before it's all over!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

OPEN Monday

The farm will be open Monday, July 12 from 7:30 until 12 noon so if you need more berries come out and get a supply!  The berries are smaller now and not as plentiful but you can still fill your bucket with some nice berries.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Open Saturday

There are still berries so if you haven't gotten all you need yet come out Saturday, July 10 and get your supply!  The farm will be open from 7:30 until 12 noon.

OPEN Friday

The rain has moved out so the farm will be open today from 7:30 until 12 noon.

The cooler temps and cloud cover will make picking very pleasant so come out and enjoy a morning of picking blueberries!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Closed

Looks like rain again for this evening so the farm won't be open.

We'll try again tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Picking Thursday evening

The farm will be open Thursday, July 8 from 5-8pm...... if it's not raining.

NOTE: The LateBlue variety is ready for picking so if you like those now is the time to come out and get your supply.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Raining on our parade!

It looks like the stormy weather is going to stick around so the farm will be CLOSED this evening. 

If the weather is good tomorrow morning we will open at 7:30.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Monday, July 5, 2010

DID YOU KNOW......

That July is National Blueberry Month?

It's true.  For the entire month of July blueberries are the celebrated fruit in the U.S.A. 
It just so happens that the farm still has a good supply of blueberries to help you enjoy this unique event .

Come out Tuesday evening July 6 from 5-8pm and enjoy National Blueberry Month by picking your own blueberries.

Then you can take them home and turn them into something like this.....

Blueberry cheesecake!  Could there be a better way to celebrate National Blueberry Month?

Tuesday Evening picking

There are still berries to be picked so plan to come out Tuesday, July 6 from 5-8pm and get some while supplies last!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Happy 4th of July!!

We hope you all have a safe, fun 4th of July.

The farm will be open Monday, July 5 from 7:30 until 12 noon.  Unless it rains.

Hope to see you there.

LOST AND FOUND:  Two customers left containers at the farm today.  We'll hold them for you if you want to come back for them.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

CLOSED Friday

The farm will be closed Friday, July 2 to give the field time to ripen berries for Saturday picking!  Plan to come out Saturday and get some fresh blueberries for your Fourth of July celebration!
We'll be open Saturday from 7:30 until 12 noon.

OPEN Thursday

The farm will be open Thursday from 5-8pm.


Please wear appropriate shoes as it is very wet out in the patch today. 

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Closed Wednesday

The farm will be closed Wednesday, June 30.

Not sure when we'll open again but there are still a lot of berries to ripen so don't worry if you haven't
been able to get out and get some.

We'll let you know when they are ready!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Open Tuesday

The farm will be open Tuesday, June 29 from 5-8pm.  There are a lot of nice berries out there so come and get enough to last through the winter!

There are some wet spots because we have the drip lines on.
There are tall weeds because we don't use herbicides.
There are juicy, sweet berries in spite of the weeds and puddles.

We also have cookbooks for sale!

Picking is going to be nice because the humidity and temps are both down.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Open Monday

Yipeee!  The berries are ripe for picking so we'll be open Monday, June 28 from 7:30 until 12 noon.

Hope to see you there!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Closed Saturday

Lots of berries still need more time to ripen so the farm will be closed Saturday, June 26.  We're hoping to be able to open Monday so stay tuned!

Enjoy your weekend.  Stay cool.  Check in Sunday night............

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Closed Friday

So sorry for the inconvenience but we will be closed Friday, June 25 to give the field time to ripen more berries.  This is in hopes of having plenty of berries for picking Saturday.

There's still quite a lot of berries to ripen so there's still time to get your supply before they are gone!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Thursday Picking

The farm will be open Thursday evening from 5-8pm. 

I keep hoping to look at the forecast and see that temps will be in the 80's with a cool breeze of 5-7 mph.  Today I finally found it!  Tomorrow it will be 81 degrees with a 5-6mph breeze...........in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Sometimes you just have to think outside of the box!
So, tomorrow evening think Minnesota and it might not feel so hot.  Maybe.  Probably not.

Well, come prepared like these kiddos did, with some fluids.  They came in hot and sweaty from picking this afternoon but they still looked so cute!  Cuteness and sweat do not go together in the same sentence after a certain age but this group hasn't gotten there yet!

See you at the farm!

NOTE:  Our apologies to the boys and girls we got photos of last Tuesday evening.  The camera card decided to malfunction that night and all those pictures were lost.  We sure wish we could have gotten the pictures posted.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Open Wednesday!

The farm will be open from 7:30 until noon Wednesday, June 23.

Same weather as today........HOT.  Bring plenty of water!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Lots of berries

We've got lots of nice ripe berries so plan to come tomorrow evening, June 22 to pick betweem 5 and 8pm.

It's really hot so bring some water to help stay hydrated.

PICKING NOTE:  Lots of people begin picking on the bushes they come to first so the front (east) side of the field is usually more picked than the middle or back of the field. You might find more berries toward the back of the rows.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Open Monday!

Even little people can become experienced berry pickers!  She's got some nice berries in her bucket.

We have lots of berries so plan to come out and pick a bucket or two.

We'll be open Monday from 7:30 until 12 noon.

 

Friday, June 18, 2010

Open Saturday

We are opening the farm tomorrow but will only have 1/2 the field open.  The other 1/2 still has some ripening to do. 

The berries won't be as plentiful as the first few days so plan on it taking longer to fill a bucket.  That's the nature of .............nature.  You have to take it as it comes.  All the blueberries on a bush don't ripen at the same time and there are only so many berries produced.  Once those are gone there are no more for the year.  So, as the season goes on there are fewer and fewer berries.

We've got lots of berries ripening so the season isn't coming to an end.  Plan to come and get some yummy berries.

PICKING NOTE:  We have two rows that are very ripe and very sweet but the berries are really small.  Yes, it will take a lot longer to fill a bucket but these berries are perfect for muffins, pancakes, rolls and cookies!  They are my favorite berries at this time of year because they are so sweet.  I think they are worth the effort it takes to get a bucket full so if you like baking with blueberries you might consider picking on the two rows marked "Bluetta".

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Picked out!

Lots and lots of berries left the farm yesterday and today and what remains needs time to ripen so we won't be open tomorrow or Friday.  We'll evaluate the field Friday to determine if we can open Saturday.

We apologize for any inconvenience.  Also, our apologies to anyone who called the farm and was told that we would be open tomorrow.  We had more berries harvested than what we'd anticipated.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Picture the FUN!










Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Lots of berries

We will be open tomorrow from 7:30 until 12 noon.  Come out and get a few buckets of sweet, juicy berries. 

It will be wet in the rows so come prepared for that.

Reminder: we don't spray our berries with pesticides so they are great eating right out of the bag!

See you there!

Ready, Set, Go........again!

Looks like the rain has cleared out so we will open the farm from 5-8pm tonight.

Be prepared for wet conditions at the farm.....water in some of the rows, wet bushes, etc.

Hope to see you there!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Rained Out!

The rain doesn't look as if it's going to stop any time soon so we'll be postponing our opening until tomorrow evening at 5pm, provided the rain has moved out and conditions are good for picking. 

Hope to see you then!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ready, Set, Go!

The berries are ready so we will open the farm for the season Monday, June 14 from 7:30 until 12 noon!
Farm hours are the same as last year:  M, W, F, Saturday from 7:30 until noon.  Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5 until 8pm.

Prices are the same:  $2.25/pound if you pick them.  $3.95/pound if we pick them.

It looks like a good chance of rain Monday so please check the phone message, blog, or Facebook to make sure we are open.  We don't allow pickers in the field during rain storms.  Hopefully, the rain will hold off until after noon.

Reminder:  Always call or check the blog or Facebook to make sure the farm is open the day you want to come out.  We close the farm if the field gets picked heavily to allow remaining berries to ripen.

We're looking forward to a great year of berry picking!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

At last!





The seasons have at last brought us back around to berry time!  It's such a joy to see the plump, juicy berries ripening on the bushes.  The crop looks good but we have to wait a little while for more berries to ripen.  

Not long.  Maybe two more weeks.
We'll be announcing the opening of the 2010 Blueberry Season soon so stay tuned.
As always, be sure to check the blog or call the farm before you come out.
This year you can follow us on Facebook, too!

Monday, April 19, 2010

The workhorses of the blueberry farm

Our farm employs thousands of these little guys.  THEY are the reason there will be berries to pick in the summer.  Pruning is important  but pollinating is essential.  Without honeybees pollinating the bushes there wouldn't be luscious berries to enjoy.  In fact, one third of our diet comes from insect pollinated plants and honeybees are responsible for 80% of that pollination according to the USDA.

Today I spent some time in the field watching the bees at work.  Not only do they pollinate the flowers that will give us blueberries, they also gather nectar from the flowers and make honey! 

A walk down the rows at this time of year is a very sensory-filled experience.  You can hear the buzzing all around you, watch the bees, and smell the fragrance of the flowers.   All the bees buzzing and flying around you would be a little unsettling if you didn't know that the bees were in a friendly mood.  Working from flower to flower in the warm sunshine puts the them in a good mood.   Combine flowers, sun, and warmth and you have all the ingredients to make happy bees.  On cloudy, cold days with no flowers they are usually grumpy and unfriendly.


Bumble bees like the blueberry flowers too!

So, when you are picking all those plump, juicy berries this summer remember who did the work to help make them.
The humble honey bee!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

April Flowers



My favorite time of year is spring.  Everything is fresh and new.  Greens are the most vibrant at this time of year.  And the outburst of flowers sends intoxicating waves of fragrance through the air.  April is flowering time for blueberry plants.  A freeze at this time of year will put an end to the blueberry crop as we all found out a few years ago!



But things are looking pretty good this year!

Just think......every flower represents one blueberry!  I wonder if that's where the term "Flower Power" came from?  Remember that from the '60's??  Anyone? 


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wait Five Minutes

Friday, March 19 was the last day of Winter.
The temperature was in the upper 60's that day!
A wonderful day for pruning.  We've had a number of mild days this month so we were able to get out in the field.  Finally.
In fact, Friday, March 19, the last day of Winter, was our last day of pruning.

The weather was gorgeous so we got a lot done.
We cut and hauled loads of canes to the burn pile.

I took a quick look around the farm and saw evidence of Spring, which would officially be here the next day.
The bees were out enjoying the warm sun foraging for I'm not sure what but whatever it was it had them in a good mood.  Not good enough, however, for me to move in close for a close-up.

Flowers were blooming.......

Ahhhhh, Spring!

Well, enough of this joy riding around the farm.  I knew I needed to get back to work.  I was, after all, here to prune.  The team needed me and I didn't want to let them down so I high-tailed it back to the bushes to get the job done.

I got there just in time, too.  Just in time to snap some shots of the last bush being pruned.  Man, it's a good thing I had my camera and could document the moment.  A fact none of the others seemed impressed by.  I think they thought I was using my photography as a way to get out of pruning.   Not me.  I accomplished two jobs that day....pruning and photography.  I was willing to put in the extra effort. It's just the kind of person I am.  Sacrificial.  But, I don't think they get it.


Anyway, here's the picture I snapped of the last branch being pruned off the last bush.  They all look pretty happy to be finished.  And it wasn't just a put-on.  We were happy.  So happy in fact that we decided to celebrate the close of another year of pruning by going to Sonic for some treats.  We also celebrated the first day of pruning with a trip to Sonic.  We've done it every year so we felt we needed to keep the tradition going.


The weather was so nice we were able to sit outside at Sonic!  I didn't get a picture of that but I had my camera with me intending to.  I was just more occupied with munching my treats so the photo opportunity came and went and I didn't discover my oversight until we were on the way home.

In our family we like to celebrate things and we had decided that Spring was worthy of celebrating. So we had grilled pizza that evening.  One of the girls made a cake decorated with spring colors that we enjoyed after dinner.  There were even some spring decorations hanging from the ceiling.  Tomorrow was the official start of Spring and we were not going to miss the opportunity to celebrate.

There is a saying in Missouri:  "If you don't like the weather just wait five minutes.  It will change."

That saying has never been more true than it was the next day, March 20th....the first day of Spring.


We woke up to temperatures some 30 degrees lower than when we went to bed!
   This is what the first day of Spring looked like outside the window after a snow storm that lasted all day.

  This is our back yard on March 20th, otherwise known as the First Day of Spring!

The sunny yellow flowers of yesterday were buried under 7 inches of snow.    The warm balmy breezes were gone and in their place was cold harsh wind mixed with snow and freezing rain.

It was quite a slap in the face for those of us who had been reveling in the springtime conditions of yesterday.

But, that is Missouri.  It's a state where you can enjoy a good taste of all four seasons.  Sometimes from one day to the next.  Really.........if you don't like the snow just wait five minutes, spring will be here in no time!

You'll be glad to know that the berries are fine.  The buds are forming but not open enough to be harmed by the cold. 


March 19, 2010

March 20, 2010

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

February Pruning Report

No pruning. 
The end.




I suppose you deserve more explanation than that.  But, there isn't too much to say.  Either the weather didn't cooperate or our schedules didn't mesh with any nice weather we had in February.  So, no pruning.

It was a busy month in other ways.
We attended the annual Small Fruit and Vegetable Growers conference and enjoyed learning some new things and talking with fellow growers.

Well, March better prove more productive!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Waiting


In January we usually start watching for days that are mild enough to get out in the field and prune the bushes.  Pruning almost 1,000 bushes takes many days and many hours so we really like to get started as early as possible.

The following is a pruning/weather report for January 2010.

January 1-10:  Temps well below 30 degrees most days.  We had a really nice 6 inch snowfall in late December and it's still on the ground.  No pruning.

January 11-24:  There was a warming spell with some days seeing temps as high as 63!  The snow melted but left behind some very sloshy ground.  Getting down on your hands and knees or sitting on wet, muddy ground while you prune is no one's idea of fun.  So while the weather was picture perfect for pruning the ground conditions weren't.  No pruning.

January 25-31:  Temps went back down into the 20's and we had another 5-6 inch snowfall.  No pruning.

The month of January was pretty quiet at the farm.  There's a peacefulness that blankets the bushes waiting to bud, the bee hives waiting to bustle with activity, and the pond waiting for life to take on it's spring and summer energy.

And yet with all the stillness there is a lot going on that can't be seen.  New buds are forming and waiting to flower and become the new crop of blueberries we'll all enjoy this summer.  We'll wait for the berries and we'll leave the pruning to another day while we wait for mild weather and dry ground in February.