I'm done sharing

I worked really hard this spring transplanting my raspberry canes. I amended the soil, dug up the old canes, planted them, mulched heavily and then watered really well so they wouldn't suffer transplant shock. The plants were looking great, they blossomed, set berries, those berries started to ripen as I watched in anticipation - ice cream in the freezer and ready to scoop. Well...somebody else was watching too - birds, big mean raspberry eating birds. I finally got a berry yesterday, the birds must have gone on a little 4th of July holiday.

I'm trying to be kind and share, but I've had it. The berries are going to the birds. And the bunnies....oh those dirty rotten bunnies. They have been dining on arugula, beets, sweet peas, sugar peas - all of this is organic mind you, those must be really healthy bunnies.
Oh yeah, they also have a fondness for carex, echinacea, geranium, pennisetum rubrum...just to name a few.

I don't eat bunny, but if anybody out there does...come on over, help yourself...I have a good crop, I hear it tastes like chicken.
I know, that was kinda creepy - but I'm cranky.

What's a farm girl to do?

Strawberries With Lemon Cream

I love making pretty food, of course I want it to taste good too. This past Saturday I co-hosted a brunch for a bridal shower, I made these strawberries with lemon cream to serve to the guests. Since June is Dairy Month (and we were dairy farmers for more than twenty years) I thought I should share the recipe. I wish I could have used some of our fabulous local berries but they're not quite ready for harvest.
This recipe was clipped out of a magazine more than twenty years ago, it's been in my recipe binder all these years...unfortunately I don't have the foggiest idea which magazine it came from.

Strawberries With Lemon Cream

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (I use a Microplane grater)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 containers (1-pint size) strawberries

1. In bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon peel and juice til smooth. Cover; refrigerate. Filling can be made ahead and kept refigerated.
2. Remove hulls from berries; place on paper-towel-lined tray, hulled end down. With sharp knife, cut an X through the top of each berry (don't cut all the way through). Pull sections apart slightly.
3. Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch star tip. Pipe a heaping teaspoon in center of each berry. (Berries may be filled 2 hours before serving.)
To serve: Place in paper petit-four cups.
Makes approx 3 dozen.

notes: I use my "Super Shooter" electric gadget to pipe the cream into the berries. I also make sure the cream is chilled before I pipe it into the berries, if it's room temp it's too soft and the piping doesn't look as pretty.

I'm hoping to post some more dairy/berry recipes this month. My friend Tami made a Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake for the bridal shower...it was absolutely fabulous. Pop on over to her blog if you're interested in the recipe, she kindly blogged it for us.