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Some farmers markets--and venders--are better than others. Our small local farmers market does not have particularly good prices on many items. The quality, however, is usually excellent. I paid $7 for a quart of mixed cherry tomatoes, and that might be about what the grocery store has, but the flavor is superior. The organic potatoes I buy are also more expensive, but there is a notably much better texture and flavor. The strawberries I bought earlier this year, at $6 per quart, were somewhat more expensive, but since there were more small berries, I think that I actually paid about the same amount as in-store. The strawberries I have bought there the last few seasons has led me to swear off of ever buying what the stores sell.
Aaron--the blueberry sweet rolls are made like regular cinnamon rolls. I sprinkled the cinnamon sugar directly on the dough, then evenly put the blueberries on top of it and slightly press them into the dough. It can be a bit challenging to roll the dough to be sliced. I think that is why the recipe specifies dividing the dough and rolling each piece into 14x8 inches, spreading with the cinnamon sugar and blueberries, then rolling up the long side. The blueberries hold their shape, which is very nice
For dinner on Monday, I made a doubled recipe of my Turkey and Zucchini Meatloaf with Peach-Dijon mustard. I roasted cut up small red potatoes, tossed in olive oil and seasoned with Penzey's Chicago Steak blend. We had the rest of the Michiana Bean salad with it.
Kimbob--My husband, older stepson, and I went blueberry picking last week. I froze ten (4 cup) bags. I baked a blueberry crumb-topped pie last week. This morning, I baked blueberry cinnamon rolls from dough I made and shaped last night. Blueberry muffins or bread is on the agenda. We plan to go back and pick more berries, so that my husband has plenty for his oatmeal, I can use some on my oatmeal occasionally, and I can bake with them. The frozen ones work well in muffins and in my pie recipe. The sweet rolls I made must have fresh blueberries.
I baked the blueberry sweet rolls this morning. I should have used two Pyrex dishes of different sizes, since the rolls have fused together, and I had a bit of spilling onto the oven floor. However, the rolls are delicious and much better than the ones I tried making with blueberry pie filling. I have not baked this recipe for some years, and for some reason I did not have notes written on it.
I made 20 rolls; the recipe says 20-24. The lower number works better, since the blueberries are rolled up in the dough with the cinnamon sugar, and unless the blueberries are small, they would be harder to slice without the blueberries falling out. When I type up the recipe with my other changes, I will add that a 13x9 for twelve rolls and a smaller glass dish for eight rolls is needed. It is a wonderful recipe for fresh blueberries. I do not think that frozen ones would work, even if not parking the sweet rolls overnight in the refrigerator. I find that it does help to have let the blueberries dry at room temperature after washing and to use firm blueberries.
As Mike Nolan foretold yesterday, north-central Indiana on Sunday had a drizzly day and, in the evening, some serious rain, which made for a great baking day. I made the little oat cakes (cookies/biscuit/cracker), a recipe adapted from a Bob's Red Mill recipe, that my husband and I like so much.
I also baked the multigrain cracker recipe that I adapted from King Arthurâs Whole Grain Cookbook.
In the evening, I started Blueberry Sweet Rolls, a recipe that I adapted from Recipes from the Old Mill. I made the dough, and after the second rise, shaped the sweet rolls and put them in a large glass baking dish. I will let the dish rest overnight in the refrigerator, then bake the rolls tomorrow morning. the rolls are packed tight. I am second guessing whether I should have used an additional baking dish.
I cooked a pot of black-eyed peas today and froze two containers. I used another 15 oz. to make my Michiana Green Bean Salad, which uses black-eyed peas, along with cherry tomatoes, green onion, black olives, goat cheese, toasted almonds, and an excellent dressing. The salad used a pound of green beans from our garden. We had it with the rest of the buns and salmon patties.
Mike--We had some light rain in the early evening at the park we visited. We got another .17 inches overnight, according to the rain gage. It is overcast this morning, so I am hoping for more rain to keep the blackberries on the terrace and in the woods watered, so that I get a good crop for jam.
You are having lots of fun experimentation with your grill, Mike!
I made salmon patties on Saturday afternoon. I packed some of them, along with the rolls I baked yesterday, and some condiments and carrots, and we drove to a state park for an evening picnic and a bit of hiking, although we mostly drove to various areas of the park. It was warm and humid, so the hiking had to be limited. We then drove home leisurely. Our town had an annual festival this weekend, and the fireworks were Saturday night, so the trip was to get our dog out of town and away from the fireworks. The last time she was around major firework activity, over a year ago, she was close to catatonic, and we never want to see that again, nor do we want to use strong medication to drug her. Leaving is the best solution, although living in a rural area limits where we can go without an overnight stay.
Today was a great day for baking, as we have been blessed with rain since late midmorning. I baked a blueberry pie with crumb topping on Friday. It will rest overnight, and I expect we will start slicing it at lunch tomorrow. The convection setting of 375F is great for berry pies.
I also baked my version of Ellen's bun recipe as ten buns this evening for a picnic we are planning for tomorrow.
For Friday night dinner, I made a stir-fry using cooked farro, leftover pork and drippings, broccoli, green onion, mushrooms, snow peas, and red bell pepper--the latter two from our garden.
I also made yogurt today.
On Thursday, I made dough for my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I will bake them next week.
We have a nice green bean crop coming in, for which I am thankful since the farmers' market charges $5 per pound. Snow peas are not as prolific. Blackberries are ripening on our terrace, and today, I went to one of our woodlands with my husband and picked two scant quarts of blackberries. I am hoping to be able to make jam this weekend. I need a lot of blackberries, since I seed them.
Yesterday we went to our favorite blueberry U-Pick, along with my older stepson. We picked around 20 pounds. However, it turns out that inflation has hit there as well, and the total came to $72. (Gasp.) I have ten 4-cup bags of washed, dried, and ready to freeze blueberries. I have washed some more, which are now drying, with plans for a blueberry pie. In spite of the cost, my husband and I will go back and pick some more, so that we are set for the year.
We have two blueberry plants, but only one flowered. It had a bunch of 4-5 berries, and that was it. I did not bother trying to protect them, and the birds have eaten them. My husband thinks they did not get enough sun, but we got half a cup of blueberries last year, so I'm not sure that is the problem.
Of course, we have plenty of bread and no tomatoes yet:
After I roasted potatoes for dinner on Wednesday night, I baked my adaptation of The Shipyard Galley's Zucchini Muffins, which King Arthur posted some years back. I made mine all whole wheat and halved the sugar. I also replace half the oil with buttermilk and add 2 Tbs. milk powder. I baked them as six large muffins. I am trying to arrange my baking, so that I can use an already heated oven for a second project.
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