Orchard Talk

This cookie starts with a basic Oatmeal cookie recipe (I use the one from Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats). I’ve been making them with farm fresh eggs and real butter. They never last very long around our house, especially when it’s cold and blustery outside. Made a batch this weekend, with good intentions of sending some to our daughter Lexi, a sophomore in college. You know what they say about good intentions. By Monday, I would’ve been shipping a box of crumbs. Sorry Lex

1/2 pound margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup dried tart cherries (King Orchards’ of course!)
1/2 bag Chocolate Chips – (I like using white chocolate for these… I love the white chocolate/cherry combination. My hubby likes the semi-sweet chocolate. Either way, it’s all good.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats, cherries and chocolate chips; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely (or test while still warm – it’s what we do!). Store tightly covered.

Enjoy!
Patty

Tags: cookies, dried cherries, Dried Cherries Recipes, Recipes

Double Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Combine canned cherries, dried cherries, granulated sugar, tapioca and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well
• Let cherry mixture stand 15 minutes.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill with cherry mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Dot with butter.
• Cover with top crust. Seal and flute edges.
• Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven about 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If necessary, cover edge of crust with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Note: 2 lbs. frozen tart cherries, thawed to room temperature and well drained, can be substituted for canned tart cherries

Tags: Recipes

I’ve had lots of e-mails on how people are using dried cherries. One of my favorites is dried cherries chopped finely and added to egg batter for french toast. Coat bread and cook as usual.

Here is a recipe using Maraschino cherries. Yes, we grow the light sweet cherries that are used for Maraschino cherries.

Maraschino Pound Cake

prep time 20 min—-cook time 1hr 20 min

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and halved

1/4 cup all- purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour ad 8 inch tube pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Dredge cherries in 1/4 cup flour, then fold into batter. Spread into prepared pan. Bake in oven 80 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

Tags: Recipes

Well, today it is nasty weather here on the farm. No school for the local schools so the kids are having a ball! They’re doing flips behind the snowmobile! No really! Oh, to be young enough to do it. Cherry Juice is being packed. Its Cherry Month too, so the creativity with the Dried Cherries is great. Rose

Tags: Crop Updates & Orchard Talk

Did you know? Montmorency dried tart cherries are certified heart-healthy by the American Heart Association.

To help raise funds in support of the American Heart Association’s mission, for every person who visits choosecherries.com to learn more about the heart-health benefits of cherries, a donation will be made in their name (up to $5,000).

The American Heart Association’s mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Tags: Tart Cherry News

Our plan for our blog is to have ongoing discussions on a variety of topics:

• What’s happening on the farm and in the markets this week.
• What does a real 21st century farming family look like?
• Sustainable, responsible and scientific growing methods.
• Montmorency Cherries! Why we love our Montmorency cherry juice concentrate and dried cherries.
• Apple varieties, including the famed Honeycrisp apple.
• Tips and Recipes for our fruits and cherry products.

We invite you to share with us your comments and suggestions.

Looking forward to hearing from you as we embark on our blogging adventure,

Patty

Tags: Crop Updates & Orchard Talk