(8/2018) I am writing my monthly article for the Emmitsburg News Journal on Wednesday, July 25. It has rained – pretty much non-stop – since July 21. We are now over 12 inches of rainfall for this 6-day period in July - which is unheard of! Likely the readers of this publication were experiencing much of the same weather, and it likely affected us all differently. Perhaps vacations were spoiled, or basements were flooded. Maybe roads were closed and detours were selected. Sadly, Fireman’s Carnivals and Fairs were poorly-attended.

For us, the impact was quite profound. For example, many varieties of vegetables – and even some tree fruits – have shallow roots. Lying in water of this magnitude for this amount of time causes "root rot" and can result in the death of the plant; we have experienced a lot of erosion on our farm roads that will require loads of stone and leveling; we are already seeing fruit cracking on peaches that were due for harvest – as they filled with water and simply broke open. Prolonged periods of wetness also allow for the potential for disease and pest interference in the orchards. And of course – there’s the mowing that will need done, and the weeds that will need to be pulled! I’m pretty confident that you ALL can relate to that!

On the positive side? For trees that were planted this year, they are getting more than ample water to encourage their growth, which is especially important when the trees are so young. Obviously, we’re not irrigating anything on our farm right now, so we’re saving water and fuel by not running our pumps. And for fruit that is still in its early developmental stages? Providing we can keep it disease and insect-free, it’s going to have great size!

So let’s talk about one of my favorite fruits of the summer – blueberries! We have grown blueberries for years and found them to be a favorite of many of our customers – retail and wholesale alike! It took us only one year in production, however, to realize that we needed to "net" the berries, as the birds also love them! We typically begin to harvest berries very early in July, and in a good year will pick well into August. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite blueberry recipes!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Topping:

• 1 Stick Butter, Softened
• 2/3 C. Sugar
• ¼ C. Brown Sugar
• 2/3 C. Flour
• ½ C. Toasted Pecans, Chopped
• 1 ½ Tsp. Cinnamon
• ½ Tsp. Nutmeg
• ¼ Tsp. Salt
• Filling:
• 12 Oz. Cream Cheese
• 1/3 C. Sugar
• 1 Egg
• Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 T. Lemon Juice

Cake:

• 4 C. Flour
• 4 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Stick Butter, Softened
• 1 ¼ C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
• 1 Tsp. Almond Extract
• 1 ¼ C. Milk
• 3 C. Fresh Blueberries

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Butter a glass 13x9 inch baking dish. Prepare the topping by using a pastry blender or your fingers until large crumbs form. Set aside.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg, lemon zest and juice and almond extract. Set aside.

Cake: Combine flour, powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs until smooth. Beat in extract. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed, alternating with milk. If batter is too stiff, add a little more milk. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spread half the cake mixture in dish. Spread filling over the cake batter and sprinkle ¼ of the topping over the filling. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over top and spread evenly. Try not to mix layers. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake about 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean. Cool until just warm. Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream!

Blueberry Buckle

• ¾ C. Sugar
• ¼ C. Softened Butter
• ½ C. Milk
• 2 C. Flour
• 2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ Tsp. Salt
• 2 C. Blueberries

Directions: Mix sugar, shortening, and egg together thoroughly. Stir in milk. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Finally, blend in carefully 2 C. of washed blueberries. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9x9 pan.

Top with:

• ½ C. Sugar
• 1/3 C. Sifted Flour
• ½ Tsp. Cinnamon
• ¼ C. Butter

Sprinkle this mixture over the batter. Bake at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Overnight Blueberry Coffee Cake

• 1 Egg
• ½ C. Sugar
• 2 T. Sugar
• 1 ¼ C. Flour
• 2 T. Baking Powder
• ¾ Tsp. Salt
• 1/3 C. Milk
• 3 T. Butter, Melted
• 1 C. Fresh Blueberries

Directions: In mixing bowl, beat egg and 1/2 c. sugar. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with milk to sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in butter. Fold in berries. Pour into a greased 8 inch square baking pan.

Cover and chill overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 min. before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes