Recipe: Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

2 c Flour 2 tb Sugar 2 ts Baking powder 1 ts Baking soda 2 c Buttermilk 2 Eggs; beaten slightly 2 tb Butter; melted Strawberry sauce: 3 tb Brown sugar 1 tb Cornstarch 1/2 c Orange juice 1 pt Strawberries; sliced 2 tb Butter To make pancakes combine dry ingredients, add milk, eggs and melted butter. Stir until moistened (there should be some lumps). Use 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. Makes 15 4-inch pancakes. To make sauce, combine sugar, cornstarch, and orange juice. Heat in saucepan until thickened, add straw berries. Use to top pancakes.

Berry Update 4/27/06 - The berries are turning RED!

Hi gang,

Oh happy days!!!! All of you must have had stern words with the rain Gods. The weather has turned and the berries are getting RED. If this weather keeps up we should be harvesting next week. I'm guessing starting around Friday. That's only GUESSING gang :) :). I know you're being as patient as possible and salivating at the same time. As soon as we have enough to bring in a respectable amount we'll open and YOU will be the first to know about it.

I see a few red berries that can take 3-4 more days of ripening, many white stage berries (1-1.5 weeks away), lots of green (2 weeks away) and TONS of white blossoms (20-30 days away). Keep the pressure on the rain Gods. Let's hold the nice weather (70 degrees is perfect) and let all those blossoms mature! If all goes well we should have a bumper crop during May and thru most of June.

Update: The stand will be in the same location as last year through June. PEP housing (the new owners of the original property) kindly have agreed to let us stay until the new parking lot will be ready on the lot next door. We just have to drag the stand over and get set up!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy I can hardly wait to see you!

Cheers,

Sally Strawberry

Berry Update, 4/10/06 Enough with the rain already

Hi gang,

Gee, it's been so long since I've written. I forgot how much fun it is to compose my little "Berry Updates".

Your little strawberry plants have been growing all winter and doing fine. NOW we need the rain to QUIT. We have small green berries and lots of huge blossoms out there. My guess is we're about 2 weeks from red berries. Of course you seasoned berry groupies know how bad rain can be on red berries. Daily I ask the rain God to shut the storm door. Maybe if we ALL chatter to the rain God he/she will get the message loud and clear and shut this stuff off! If I wanted to live in Portland I would have moved there :)

For those of you that noticed our stand moved and sign was down - don't panic. Since the land was sold to PEP housing this past summer we need to move. We're moving our stand right next door. We may have to use the old parking lot to get started and maybe drag the stand there for a month or 2 but I'll keep you updated.

Housekeeping Chores
I'm updating my mailing list and "Berry Update" email list. I could use your help to make sure I get berry news to you.

If you have moved and we're receiving a postcard in the mail:
Email your name, old and new address so I can update you. If your card is returned because your forwarding instructions expired I have to delete your name and you won't get your card.

If you receive a postcard and email updates and prefer only email:
Email your name, address and email address. I'll take your name off the postcard list and make sure you're on the email list.

If you changed your email address:
Email your old address and your new address.

If you're happy with everything:
DO NOTHING LOLOLOLOL

Please feel free to forward "Berry Updates" to family and friends. If they would like to receive their own "Berry Update" without relying on your forwarding speed:
Send a message titled "Berry Updates" to me at sacvegggie@aol.com. I'll be glad to add them to the list.

NEW THIS YEAR
I know how you fret if you miss a "Berry Update" or didn't save a recipe I sent a few weeks back. NOW, all my "Berry Updates" and recipes will be on my new site at: Carstensenfarms.blogspot.com
You can direct friends to this site if they want to see our gleaming faces, luscious berries and access the map/directions to our stand.
A HUGE thank you to my awesome mastermind Anthony Tusler for helping me pull the blog together. I couldn't do it without you my friend.

Back Again This Year
The O'Honey gang will be back with their awesome local honey. We will have the pleasure of their company and demonstration hive again on several Saturdays throughout the season. I'll let you know in advance of the dates.

Andersons Organics will be back IF the rain lets up to allow them to plant their crops. Our plan is to have them with us every Saturday. Please keep your fingers crossed for them. . This weather is really serious for farmers in our area. Plants and seeds can't go in ground covered with an inch of water. Seeds won't sprout if the soil temperature is too low or too wet. Fields can't be prepared in the mud.

We hope to bring you blueberries and blackberries once again. I'm also working on bringing other fruit like peaches, nectarines and apricots in with another growers.

Lee's Plums should have a good crop in June if grandma's tree manages to set fruit through this rain. The tree did have a good flush of blossoms.


I've missed your excited, happy faces and can't wait to get back to the stand and in the SUNSHINE. Berry time is happy eatin' time :)

Cheers,

Sally Strawberry

Carstensen Farms located on Casa Grande Rd in east Petaluma across from Casa Grande High School 10 - 5:30 daily, closed Tuesday find us at Carstensenfarms.blogspot.com to request "Berry Updates" send a message titled "Berry Updates" to sacvegggie@aol.com