(5/2019) I had the opportunity on March 21 to participate in Ag Literacy Week in our local Elementary School. Ag Literacy Week is funded by the Charitable Organization titled PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation and is supported by PA Farm Bureau. The book I read was "Right this Very Minute" by Lisl H. Detlefsen and it encapsulated how each meal of the day – including snacks – is compliments of a farmer!

Information from the Foundation also provided some very interesting "farm facts" that I thought you might enjoy. There are 2.1 million farms in the US and 99% of them are family owned. The average farm size is 434 acres. One US farm feeds 165 people annually in the US and abroad. Farm families make up less than 2% of the US population. The average age of farmers is 58.

Those statistics make me both proud – and a bit alarmed! I’m proud to say that Hollabaugh Bros. – who farm on just shy of 500 acres – do their part to feed the world AND to bring that average mien age down to where it is. We’re proud to boast our "next generation" is back from college and working beside us – and have been for quite some time! We surely hope that the next generation might produce some farmers as well!

Spring has certainly sprung on our farm with tiny purple and green tips beginning to appear in our asparagus fields. Asparagus is the first crop that we harvest each year and is certainly the harbinger of good things to come. Asparagus must have extended warm days and nights in order for it to really push. Although we’ve had some warm days, our nights continue to drop. I’m sure that by the time you are reading this in early May, we’ll be cutting asparagus. Once it gets going we cut 7 days a week. I’m hoping you might enjoy some of my favorite recipes!

Hot Asparagus Rolls

Ingredients:

• 50 fresh asparagus spears
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (4 oz.) package crumbled blue cheese
• 1 large egg
• 25 slices thin sandwich bread
• 1/3 cups butter, melted

Cooking directions:

Snap tough ends off asparagus. Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket and place over boiling water. Cover and steam for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from steamer and place in a single layer on a paper towel to cool.

Combine cheeses and egg in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until blended.

Trim crust from bread and roll each slice with rolling pin to flatten. Spread cheese mixture on bread. Place 2 asparagus spears, tips pointing toward opposite ends. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Brush with melted butter. Freeze until firm.

Place in an airtight container and return to freezer. To serve, thaw and cut in half. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Shrimp & Asparagus Linguine

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. Linguine
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup butter
• cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
• Salt & pepper
• Old Bay seasoning
• 1 Lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Lb. (16 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cooking directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Heat the oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Roast the asparagus until tender, adding the salt, pepper and Old Bay. Add the tomatoes and shrimp until the shrimp is cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Asparagus with Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

• 10 to 12 fresh asparagus spears
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
• dash of paprika
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of sugar

Cooking directions:

Place asparagus spears in a large saucepan. Barely cover with boiling salted water. Simmer over moderate heat (about 250 degrees) for about 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. In a small bowl, combine butter, mustard, paprika, salt and sugar. Blend well. Pour over drained asparagus and toss lightly to blend. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Asparagus and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breast halves
• salt & black pepper to taste
• 8 asparagus spears, trimmed and divided
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch-baking dish. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.

Place 4 spears of asparagus down the center of a chicken breast and spread about ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese over the asparagus. Repeat with the other chicken breast and roll the chicken around the asparagus and cheese to make a tidy, compact roll. Place the rolls seam side down in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle each with about 2 T. of breadcrumbs.

Bake in the preheated oven until the juices run clear when pricked with a fork – about 25 minutes. When I make this recipe, the 8 spears of asparagus is never enough. I simply put some around the chicken breasts in the baking pan and sprinkle with butter/bread crumb mixture.

Asparagus Horseradish

Ingredients

• 32 asparagus spears
• 1½ cups sour cream
• 1 teaspoons of garlic salt
• 1½ tablespoons of horseradish
• 1½ tablespoons of butter
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs

Cooking Directions

Steam the asparagus until crisp tender. Place in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix all other ingredients together and spread over the asparagus. Melt butter and add breadcrumbs to the melted butter. Broil till brown.