Another blueberry season is about to begin at Parks.  Our u pick is opening Wednesday, July 15, 2009 and it will be open daily 8am – 5:45 pm weather permitting.

We will have ready pick blueberries available for you inside and for the more adventurous type, come out and pick your own.

Our friendly and courteous staff will be glad to greet and inform you of the different types of blueberries ready to pick and give you a lesson on blueberry picking if you decide to pick your own.

After an outing at blueberry picking, don’t forget to join us in our store for delicious treats and check out our wonderful selection of crafts.

For those of you visiting with an empty tummy, come in and have a delicious lunch, or just a cool drink.

Thanks to all of you that have supported us all these years.  Your loyalty means a great deal to us here at Parks.

Come out, have a wonderful time and make Parks the first place you think of when you think Blueberries.

Thank you,

Bill and Diane Parks

Tom and Shelly Parks

For further updates as to picking conditions, check out our website at www.parksblueberries.com

For a refreshing summer treat, try a Blueberry Banana Smoothie:

1 cup milk

1 cup orange juice

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 medium bananas

1 cup applesauce

1 cup Parks blueberries

(For a colder treat, use Parks frozen blueberries.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and run for 30 seconds or until desired consistency.  Pour into glasses and serve.  Makes 4-6 servings.

On sunday May 10, Mother’s Day 2009, Parks would  like to invite your family to bring Mom to Parks for a wagon ride around our fields, and a chance to browse our store and have a chance to sit together in our café.

We are approaching bloom in the blueberry field and with Sunday’s weather forecast we’re anticipating a beautiful spring day in the country.

Our guides will be able to explain what is occurring in the fields while the blueberry bushes are pushing bloom.

The wagon rides will run at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30.

The café staff would like to offer a Fruited Waffle with coffee at $8.99 + tax

Blueberry Salad Plate with a tartlet dessert plus tea or coffee at $15.00 + tax

For the afternoon tea we will have the tartlet dessert with tea or coffee for $5.00 + tax

Our regular menu featuring our custom make sandwiches and quiche will run throughout the day.

Our bakeshop is there to help Mom with all her baking needs. Baking with blueberries offers all the healthy benefits which blueberries provide.

Helping Mom’s keep the family healthy.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms of every age.

Bill and Diane Parks

Tom and Shelly Parks

Welcome back,

            Another season at Parks is about to begin.  We are opening tomorrow, April 22, 9am – 6 pm daily.  The blueberry bushes are starting to push buds and the fields will soon be filled with beautiful blossoms and happily buzzing bees making a new crop of berries for us to enjoy.  We still have a plentiful supply of frozen berries until the fresh crop in July.  The girls have been busy setting up for a new and exciting year for you.  Our phones have been steadily ringing with anxious customers eagerly awaiting our opening day.

            We would like to invite you to come in and check out our new gift shop displays and items.  Don’t forget to say hi to our friendly and courteous staff who are always happy to help any way they can.

            As a special treat for Mom we are offering a guided blueberry blossom tour on Mother’s day May 10.  Wagon rides will be at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and 1:30.  It will be a fun ride for the family around the blueberry field with beautiful scenery.  While you’re here for the tour take Mom into the store for our Mother’s Day Tea.

            We will be pleased to welcome you back and thank you for your continued support of our blueberry business.  The most important people to visit us are you, our valued customers.

Hope to see you soon,

Bill and Diane Parks

Tom and Shelly Parks

P.S. we’ve attached a blueberry cornmeal cake recipe that is excellent with blueberry sauce on it and is sure to become one of your favorites.

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake & Crushed Blueberry Sauce

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prepare glaze ahead of time and set aside.

Glaze:

1 ½C                        powdered sugar

2 Tbsp.                    lemon juice

Stir with spoon until smooth. Add more lemon juice if required.

Stir glaze until blended. While cake is still very hot, drop glaze by spoonfuls onto cake; spread to within ½”of edge. Glaze drips down sides of cake.

Serve slices with Crushed Blueberry Sauce

Cake:

1 C                           buttermilk (1C milk + 1 tsp. lemon juice)

1/3 C                       yellow cornmeal

Mix together and set aside for 5 minutes.

½ C                          melted margarine, cooled

¾ tsp.                      vanilla extract

2                              large eggs

Blend and add to buttermilk/cornmeal mixture

1 ½ C                       all purpose flour

¾ C                          sugar

3 ½ tsp.                   baking powder

½ tsp.                      salt

1 Tbsp.                    finely grated lemon peel

1/2C                        frozen or fresh blueberries

Grease and flour a 9” cake pan with 2” high sides. 

Mix dry ingredients together. Add blueberries at end and flour with dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted margarine into flour mixture. Using rubber spatula,

Fold liquids into flour mixture just until blended (do not overmix).

Place in greased and floured pan and bake at 350F (preheat oven) for 30-35min. or until cake tester comes out clean and cake is pulling away

from the sides.

Immediately run a knife around sides; place a rack on top of pan and using oven mitts, hold pan and rack firmly together and invert cake onto rack. Remove pan from cake.

Place another rack on bottom of cake; invert 1 more time so that cake is top side up. Ice with glaze

Crushed Blueberry Sauce

Yield: 1 ½C

3C                    fresh or frozen blueberries

2/3C                packed brown sugar

2 tsp.               lemon juice

½ tsp               finely grated lemon peel

Simmer on stove or micro in a large bowl the above ingredients. When liquid is syrupy and berries soft then gently press blueberries against side of pan until lightly crushed.  Sauce may be made up a few days ahead.

Serve chilled or heated over cake slice