Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Days and Hours Open 

Thursday – 9 am to 6 pm
Friday – 9 am to 6 pm
Saturday – 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday – 9 am to 4 pm
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – Closed

We are often working somewhere around the farm, so if you need something on a day we are closed, just call for an appointment and we can try to meet up with you.  269-244-5690.
Tomorrow (Thursday) is officially the first day of Summer, although as Farmer Beth has said all year, we never had winter or spring and have been stuck in summer for many months!  This is definitely the week to stay near cool water or a pool!  And to stop by for one of our ice cold slushies!

Thursday is also the longest day of the year for daylight.  Sunset is not until 9:21 pm giving us over 15 hours of available daylight to complete all our outdoor tasks!

Everyone and everything seem to be sweltering!  Even our heat loving plants like peppers and tomatoes are tired of it.  Of course, the weed and insect populations are loving every hot moment!

On the market you will find that we are keeping more things in the cooler, so if you don’t see it out just ask us.
We thank the Sweeps and Sculls, Midwest Junior Championship Rowing Team 2024 for taking time out during their training last week to come visit our farm and get slushies and cookies.
Produce Update
What is in Season Now?
…is a frequently asked question, and this year, you probably need to ask it more often and earlier.  Due to the mild winter and summer-like spring, fruit crops are running two weeks early.  This week would normally be our first full week of strawberries, but they are already finished for the year.  Having sweet cherries and blueberries in June (typically they come in July!) is a nice treat.  So, we all need to do a reset on this, especially so you don’t want to miss one of your favorite fruits.

Cherry Season is Here!
The season for Michigan sweet and tart cherries has begun.  You may have noticed that we removed our aging sweet and tart cherry orchards, so we no longer grow any, but we are working with a local farm to supply us with sweet cherries.  They are available in quarts, pints, and bulk quantities.

If you are interested in picking tart cherries, we recommend you contact Shultz Fruitridge Farms in Mattawan, 269-668-3724, regarding their upcoming picking season.
We also have an abundance of cherry products (some are pictured below) for you to enjoy this time of year!
  • Cherry Jam
  • Cherry Butter
  • Sweet Black Cherry Salsa
  • Cherry donuts (Sat. and Sun. only)
  • Cherry muffins
  • Chocolate covered cherries
  • Dried cherries
  • Cherry White Chocolate Chip cookies
  • Cherry fry pie
  • Cherry “bake and enjoy” fruit pie
  • Michigan Cherry BBQ chips
  • Double Cherry wine
  • Cherry Hubbard’s brandy
  • Cherry Olipop Prebiotic Sparking Tonic
Blueberry Update 
Already Picked.  We are hoping to have already picked blueberries on the market this weekend from Brookside Farms in Paw Paw, our long term supplier.  We won’t know for sure until Friday if they are available and how many we can get.  Their season is just beginning also.  Look for a Facebook update when we know, or feel free to call us or check the homepage of the website.

U-Pick.  We will be opening our small U-Pick blueberry field on Saturday and Sunday.  In order to give everyone a chance to have a berry picking experience, we will be limiting the quantities until more blueberries ripen.

Time for a Caprese Salad! 
A Caprese Salad is a pretty platter for entertaining this summer and a cool relief in this hot weather!  It is easy to make, and we have all the ingredients you need!  Serve with bread for lunch or with beef or Italian fare for dinner. See the end of this newsletter for a recipe.
Pick your own basil from our herb garden, grab some of our greenhouse tomatoes, and we have packaged mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar.
We also have basil plants for sale as many of you will want to have your own basil handy to use all summer.
 What is on the Market
Fruit
Sweet cherries – sold in pints, quarts, and bulk
Black and red raspberries – sold in pints
Blueberries – maybe (check on Facebook page, website, or call us)

Bankson Lake Produce – starting Friday
Fresh spring vegetables – Just Lettuce, Spicy Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Kale, radishes, mushrooms, and garlic scapes.  The lettuces are prewashed, bagged, and ready to use.

Tomatoes
From our greenhouse and from Indiana (grown the same, both taste great).  We are so glad our greenhouse tomatoes are finally ripe!
Vegetables
Broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, red potatoes, carrots, cukes – most from our fields!

U-Pick Herbs
Bring your recipes!  You will find the herb listing on signs in front of each row.  Herbs include: cilantro, dill, basil, parsley, mint, thyme, rosemary, chives, oregano, and others.

Straw Bales
Perfect for your gardening needs.

Flowers
Fresh cut flower bouquets from Flowerfield Farmstead.

Baked Goods
We have lots of wonderful baked treats available!

In our freezer section:

  • Fruit pies in assorted farm fresh flavors – just “bake and enjoy”.  Rhubarb pies are only available for a short time longer.
  • Stromboli’s – various types in breakfast, sandwich, and pizza styles – just “bake and enjoy”

This week we made a new stromboli – Buffalo Chickenmoli with ranch.  Our staff thought the spicing was perfect, not too hot or mild.

Being cherry season, we are making delicious cherry pies!
  • Freshly baked:
  • Assorted cookies, breads, muffins.
  • Saturday and Sunday only, or until we run out:
    • Donuts in buttermilk, blueberry, and cherry
    • Special iced yeast donut rings decorated with sprinkles and “googly eyes”
    • Cinnamon rolls, a favorite of many of our customers

Two of our customers enjoying their yeast donut rings!
Alcohol
Hard Cider and Wine Sampling – this Saturday, from 11 am to 1 pm
Stop by the market and try a sample of several of our hard ciders and wines.  We will also have samples of our fruit yogurt parfaits!  Look for us outside the bakery doors.

Check out our assortment of alcohol products – wine, hard ciders, and spirits.
Our products are made on-site in small batches.  We distill the brandies on the farm and use our fresh apple cider as the basis for fermenting our hard ciders.

This is a great week to try our Double Cherry Wine.  It is a sweet red and is one of our top sellers.  Enjoy its nice taste – fruity with an abundance of cherries.
Grocery
We have a great selection of local products we know you will enjoy:

  • Brown eggs from local farms
  • Amish Fry Pies from Yoder’s Deli, Centerville.  These individual, hand-held size pies are available in Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, Strawberry-Rhubarb, Black Raspberry, and Red Raspberry.
  • Pork products from Jake’s Country Meats, Jones.
  • Gluten-free items from Gluten Free Sensations, Three Rivers.  Find cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, granola and more in the freezer section.
  • Oat Bites snacks in several flavors.
  • Amish made jams, jellies, and salsas, made by Scherger’s Kettle, Shipshewana
  • Hand-crafted popcorn – in Lavender Lemonade, Cheddar Gold, and Birthday Cake flavors from Hamlett Lavender Farm, Grand Rapids.
  • Pure honey from bees buzzing just a couple of miles away at Babcock’s Apiary.
  • Maple syrup products including the new Barrel-Aged Bourbon Maple Syrup (non-alcoholic) made by Maple Row Sugarhouse using our bourbon barrels.
  • Olive oil, vinegar, and salad dressings
  • Snacking items: potato and tortilla chips, sweet potato chips, crackers, pretzels, flavored mustards, and snacking cheese.
  • Greek style freshly made yogurt in pints and quarts from Mattawan Creamery.
  • Locally made vanilla ice cream from Plainwell Ice Cream
  • Fresh, local, milk in gallons, half gallons, and single-serve bottles from Amish Country Dairy.
Gifts
Check out our wide range of hand-crafted gift items and original artwork, most of it made by our local artisans.

  • Paintings
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen items
  • Tote and shopping bags
  • Candles
  • Seasonal lakeside living gifts
  • Corey Lake Orchard branded items – golf balls, insulated bags
  • Corey Lake Orchard gift certificates
Inviting Spaces
While at the market, we invite you to take a moment and relax in our many outdoor spaces.  There are tables and chairs in the play area, tables set up in the “onion barn” and tables and chairs, coloring/games, and kids activities set up on the west side of the market that we call “the breezeway.”  Find a game or puzzle to do with Dad!

Find a place to savor our baked goods and beverages like slushies, milk, coffee, hard ciders, and sodas while conversing with friends or families, or just taking a much-needed “escape”.  Please color a page and feel free to add it to our wall.

We also rent out the space for private events.  For more information on reserving the space, please see our event space website page or contact Brenda@coreylakeorchards.com.

Last week we hosted a graduation open house.
Caprese Salad Recipe
This salad recipe is from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman.  It serves 8 so consider halving it if needed.

What’s in Caprese salad?  Fresh, thick-sliced tomatoes, equally thick slices of mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.  That’s it!  There’s nothing complicated about it.  A drizzle of olive oil, some balsamic reduction, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

PS – balsamic reduction is balsamic vinegar that’s cooked down until it’s a little thicker.  Or you can use a splash or two of Balsamic vinegar to add flavor and acidity to the salad.

For the best texture and flavor, this fresh summer salad should be eaten just after it’s assembled.  You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, but if fully assembled and dressed, it will probably become watery as it sits.  If you do plan to store it for later, leave off the basil, olive oil, and balsamic reduction until just before serving.

YIELDS: 8 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 5 mins
COOK TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced thick
  • 12 oz.  fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thick
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat.  Cook until the balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze, 10 to 20 minutes.  Remove it from the heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet.  Allow to cool.
  2. When you’re ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter.  Arrange basil leaves between the slices.  Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice.  Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want.  Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.
  3. End with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread, or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.
‘Yoga at the Farm’ – Saturdays @ 10:30am
‘Yoga at the Farm’ is back for the summer each Saturday morning through August 17!  Join us for a rejuvenating and beginner-friendly yoga experience presented by Harmony Yoga Three Rivers!  Ages 8 and up (with a parent), all yoga abilities welcome.

Saturdays, 10:30-11:30 am
$20 per person, includes a small slushy.  Class is free for Harmony Yoga members; Class Pack Holders – use one of your classes.

–Registration through Harmony Yoga is recommended but not required.  To register or learn more go to harmonyyogatr.com/events.
–Parking:  Park west of the market and farmhouse by the greenhouses, next to the yoga yard.
–Check in with the instructor in the area in front of the farmhouse, next to the red truck.
–Please bring your mats as they have a limited number to borrow, bottled water, a beach-size towel, and shoes for walking to the class.
Happenings on the Farm
Squash
Squash is a heat loving plant, that are producing like crazy this week!  It is keeping us busy harvesting so please plan to use zucchini and yellow summer squash into your menus this week!
Green Beans
Everyone is anxious for green beans.  They are finally blooming, which means they will be here soon.  Check back in about another week.
Tomatoes
With this heat, the tomatoes in the field are in a race for the ones in the greenhouse as to which ones will get ready first.
This week we put the second string around them to keep them staked and upright.
Onions
Our onion crop is looking really good and will probably start pulling some of these soon to have on the market.
Pumpkins
Our pumpkins are up and thriving, maybe this will make us think about fall and forget how hot it is!
Thank you for your continued support and for buying local.  Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards wishes you a safe and happy Summer!
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