We got the sweet cherry pitter out today! It is one of the coolest things to watch, so ask about getting some cherries pitted when you pick some. It makes for super easy freezing and eating and saves you a ton of work!

We just got done picking off of our early apricot trees. Our big crop will be coming in about 2 weeks or so. These early ones were amazing so I think it is safe to say we will be expecting many more delicious apricots available for u-pick and in the market.

We got our first shipment of Michigan blueberries in today. They look great and taste even better! Prices on blueberries are as follows:
$3.75/pint
$6.25/quart
$12.00/2 quarts
*We will be getting in 10lb boxes on the 9th and have begun taking orders for those

We have been getting lots of questions about when veggies are going to start coming in. Betsy talked to our Bay City farmer today and we are hoping to get onions, potatoes and possibly sweet corn next weekend!

Unfortunately, we are still thinking that there will be no tart cherries available for u-pick. The good news, however, is that we had a great crop last season and stocked our freezers with pitted tart cherries. Making a cherry pie just became way easier, no pitting or picking necessary

Also, strawberries have ended now. Thanks to our strawberry man for another great season and wonderful berries. We can’t wait til next season!

Here’s a quick pic of the Montmorency cherry block from outside the office door this morning. Won’t be long before peak bloom!

1. The foodies of the world need something to get excited about. In Michigan there are no fresh local veggies right now and cherries, “our local state crop,” adds spice to any dish. One just needs to be creative to find great recipes, not just desserts either that use cherries.

2. In Michigan, you have to remember, we have “winter white blindness” and the thought of red cherries is so welcome.

3. February is a great month for cherry farmers to get on board. I’m sure I would not have been able to spend the time in July on marketing that I have here in February.

4. In July, people are already eating cherries. We need people to remember to use cherries in their recipes in a different month like February and March and April.

5. Cherries thickened can top yogurt or oatmeal and add color and zest. What better time to do that then February?

Whatever the reason we have National Cherry Month in February, King Orchards is happy to head the parade reminding everyone to “EAT CHERRIES”. Keep watch as we will have a fresh blog everyday in February.

Now available in our online store!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Key lime juice
2 cups frozen (IQF) tart cherries (Canned tart cherries would work for this recipe, too)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:
3 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar and butter. Add eggs; beat 1 minute. Slowly add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture; add lime juice. Beat on low speed until smooth.
Toss cherries 1/4 cup granulated sugar. By hand, stir cherries into muffin batter.
Grease muffin tins or line with baking cups. Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full with batter.
For regular-size muffins, bake in a preheated 375 degree conventional oven 15-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
For jumbo-size muffins, bake in a preheated 375 degree conventional oven 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

If desired, drizzle with glaze before serving. To make glaze, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add lime juice and confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Directions:
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove to a large mixing bowl. Add butter, onion and squash to bacon drippings. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until squash is semi-soft. Add cherries and rosemary; continue cooking until squash is soft.

Add squash mixture to bacon. Stir in nuts and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Add broth, one tablespoon at a time, if dressing is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving suggestion: Use to stuff pork chops or pork tenderloin. This is also a good stuffing for chicken breasts or Cornish hens.

Makes 1 1/2 cups or 6 (1/4 cup) servings.

Nutrition Info:
Nutrition Facts per 1/4-cup serving: 189 cal., 11 g total fat (5 g sat. fat), 20 g carbo., 20 mg chol., 3 g pro., 2 g fiber, 244 mg sodium. Daily RDA values: 100% vit. A, 15% vit. C, 4% calcium, 6% iron.

CHECK OUT YOUR CHERRY SMARTS!

1. Melatonin is:

A. The color of a melon.

B. A mythical Greek goddess.

C. A naturally occurring antioxidant in Tart Cherries that helps maintain normal sleep patterns.

2. Were Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries certified heart healthy by the American Heart Association?

A. I don’t think so.

B. I know so.

3. Do Tart Cherries help sustain healthy joints?

A. No.

B. Yes.

4. What helps speed post-exercise muscle recovery?

A. More exercise.

B. A Boston cream donut.

C. Tart Cherry Juice.

5. Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate has an ORAC rating of over 7000 units per serving, making it very healthy indeed. ORAC:

A. Vacuums your floors.

B. Is a global intelligence-gathering satellite system.

C. Stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (measuring the antioxidant capacity of foods)

Tart Cherries:

The Answer to Everything

Check tomorrow’s blog update (8/26/2009) for answers.

Prep Time:  60 minutes

Cook Time:  45 minutes

Ingredients:

****Strudel Dough****

- 1/2 cup of lukewarm water

- 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar

- 3/4 teaspoon of salt

- 2 cups of all-purpose flour

- 1 tablespoon of cold butter

- Melted butter

- Flour for rolling

****Cherry Strudel Filling****

- 8 cups of washed, stemmed, pitted sour cherries

- 2 teaspoons of grated lemon rind (optional)

- 1  1/2 to 2 cups of sugar or to taste

- 3/4  cup of ground (not chopped) walnuts

- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1.  In a small bowl, mix water, vinegar and salt.  Place flour in a large bowl and cut the butter in as for pie dough.  Add water mixture and stir by hand for about 5 minutes or until dough becomes smooth.

2.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding as little extra flour as possible.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, prepare the cherry filling by combining the cherries, lemon rind (if using) and sugar in a large bowl.  Set aside.

4.  Cover a large table with a tablecloth (it will become stained from the fat in the dough, so use and old tablecloth).  Sprinkle the cloth generously with flour.  Place the dough in the center of the cloth and brush it with melted butter.  Roll the dough to an 1/8-inch thickness.

5.  Begin stretching the dough either over the backs of your hands or palm-side up, whichever works best for you.  Work quickly, continually lifting the dough and stretching it by pulling your hands apart until it is almost paper thin and drapes over the sides of the table.  Using kitchen shears, trim off the thicker outer edges of the strudel dough.

6.  Place rack in middle of oven and pre-heat to 4oo degrees.  Brush the dough liberally with melted butter.  Place the cherry filling along one long edge in a 3″ wide strip, 2 inches from the edges.  Sprinkle ground walnuts over the filling.

7.  Using the tablecloth to roll the strudel away from you, jellyroll fashion, until it is completely rolled.   Brush the top of the strudel with melted butter.  Cut into sections that will fit your baking sheets and tuck in ends of strudel.

8.  Place parchment on baking sheets and transfer strudel sections to them, seam-side down.  Bake 10 minutes,  reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until strudel is crisp and golden.

9.  Remove from oven, cool slightly and then cut on an angle into slices.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar.  You may also cool completely to make the slicing easier and then rewarm in a microwave.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.