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The Berry Best of Summer

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One of my very favorite things about living in a place with four very distinctive seasons to enjoy is the opportunity to pick our own seasonal fruits and vegetables at local farms.  Living just north of New York City we are fortunate to have a plethora of friendly, "U-Pick" farms just a stone's throw away from our home. Over the years we have gotten to know a number of these farms and the farmers and caretakers who work them (I see a Christmas tree farm post in my future!), but one of our family's favorites is Fishkill Farms in East Fishkill, NY.  Nestled just 40 minutes north of us, Fishkill Farms has become our regular go-to for fresh picking, particularly during the summer berry season. The workers are friendly, the scenery lovely, and the berries luscious! Yesterday the boys and I ventured to the farm to see who could (eat) pick the most.
When we reached the blueberry patch, Alejandro realized that since it is still relatively early in blueberry season most of the berries required some digging to find. Most of the ripest berries were hidden deep into the bushes themselves and out of little hands' reach. I had to laugh at the logistical issues this caused because I had spent much of the ride on the way to the farm talking about how much easier blueberries usually are to pick than any other kind of berry. The irony. 
Speaking of little hands, this picture was taken shortly before Antonio accidentally tripped and sent his blueberries flying and all scattered to the four winds. Thankfully we kept the (emotional) damage to a minimum and managed to save (a couple) most of his bunch. At the end of the day I ended up celebrating the fact this scene didn't replay itself more than once during our excursion. In my book, only one spill per session means we're doing ok.
Have to say it was hot as blazes underneath the mesh overlays that cover the blueberry bushes, reinforcing the need for the boys' "lobster hats," as we've dubbed them since the start of summer. I tend to be a bit of a zealot when it comes to sun exposure and these Gymboree Sun Hats always come through. Super lightweight and keep their heads cool -- not an easy task with all of that hair! (More on the boys and their hair in a post yet to come.)
One of my favorite things about this particular farm is that there is so much shaded seating to take much needed water (mostly snack) breaks from picking your fruits and veggies. There are also chicken coops and bunny houses nearby to entertain the (parents) kids. 
No surprise to see where my two chose to hang out!  
Fresh lemon sorbet from the farm store was a welcome refresher after picking until the boys could pick no more. Despite being warned by the market employee that sorbet really isn't suitable for sitting on top of a cone. . . Tino asked for a cone anyway. . . which he then had to eat independently of the aforementioned sorbet. Ah, three year olds! 
Just when I thought the sweet treat would be the highlight of the day for this big little guy....
. . . Alejandro was given the opportunity to hold one of the chickens he had been (watching) stalking for the better part of the afternoon. A kind farm expert happened to be collecting eggs and saw the boys intently watching him and proceeded to give Alejandro this thrill of his young life. He spent the rest of the afternoon talking about how he'd gotten to hold a "real, LIVE chicken!" Meanwhile, Tino could not have been less interested or gotten away from that chicken fast enough. He literally flew the coop. 



As soon as we got home, the boys wasted no time in holding me to my promise that I would produce (from the fruits of their afternoon labor) a blueberry cobbler for dessert. While I have long used my own mom's recipe for her cobbler batter, I did some digging this evening and managed to find this Blueberry Cobbler Recipe that very closely mimics hers. I added a pinch of cinnamon here and a splash of agave syrup there, but this batter recipe is almost identical to what I use and love. A secret for me is to generously (I won't get into measurements here, if you catch my drift!) butter the baking dish so the batter develops a nice, rich crust as it hugs the sides and bottom of the dish. You could certainly use a less fattening cooking spray and be just fine, but if you're in the mood to splurge . . . grab the butter. You can also substitute any kind of berry or fruit in this recipe and it would be equally delicious.

While on the subject of cobbler, let's talk about the apparent culinary debate that surrounds what actually constitutes a cobbler. I remember taking a peach cobbler to a picnic several years ago and there being no shortage of shock or surprise that my "cobbler" did not have a biscuit-like topping. Or an oatmeal crumble topping. Or that I served it in a round baking dish and not a square or rectangular pan. Never in my life had I known that cobbler could stir such controversy. I learned on that afternoon that one person's cobbler is another person's crisp is another person's crumble. I learned, for bakers at least, that not even cobbler is safe from debate. :)





Regardless of what tops your cobbler, the boys and I agreed that it was a wonderfully sweet ending to another beautiful summer day. I confess that, at the end of these days, I grow more and more sad in knowing that they are numbered and that before we know it the hustle and bustle of the school year will be upon us. I get weary just thinking about it. But, for just now, my biggest concern is keeping my 3 year old's fingers out of the homemade whipped cream and trying to talk my 5 year old out of requesting a coop full of chickens for his 6th birthday. Such simple concerns are gifts in and of themselves. 

xoxo
Ashley

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