Cherry Picking

Aksel and I ventured up to northern Montgomery County on Friday to pick sour cherries. It was the first day Rock Hill Orchard was open for cherries and the trees were just dripping with them. We picked two buckets full -- about 15 pounds. So far I've made two cherry pies and sour cherry jam. We've frozen a bunch and I still have about 5 pounds still to pit.

DC State Fair

It's not the Iowa State Fair. There is no life size cow sculpted in butter, and there aren't any pig races. But, for a city without any agriculture except for backyard and community gardens, the first DC State Fair got off to a great start. There was a photography contest, largest and strangest looking vegetable competition and contests for home brew, cupcakes, pickles, jam and pie. I had to enter Blueberry Jam, Cinnamon Peach Jam, Bread & Butter Pickles and Sour Cherry-Peach Pie.



To be honest, I didn't think there would be much competition. How many folks in DC actually make jam and pickles? But folks did come out -- dozens of them -- and my jam and plain old pickles (pickled peaches won the blue ribbon) didn't place. I admit I was a bit bummed out and didn't really feel like sticking it out in the heat for the pie judging.

So imagine my surprise when my pie won first place! Slices were sold off for donations to the DC State Fair so this is all that was left of it. The lead judge and sponsor of the competition, Fat Man After Dark, told me my pie was the only one he gave a perfect score. I'm so proud!

Blackberry Peach Pie

We had blackberry peach pie for dessert last night with some peaches and blackberries we had picked late last week. Once again, the cookbook, Pie, was the inspiration.

Father's Day Cherry Pie

On Friday morning, Aksel and I drove out to Rock Hill Orchard and picked sour cherries. It was a gorgeous day -- the cherries were beautiful against the clear, blue sky.



Aksel enjoyed being my trusty assistant.


And the sour cherries made a very good pie for Father's Day.

Blackberry-Sour Cream Pie

Malin declared this pie as her all time favorite. All that's left after one evening's dessert is one lonely piece. The recipe is from the cookbook, Pie. The blackberries and raspberries were picked last summer up at Butler's Orchard.