employee of the week-month-year-decade!!

This is CINDY. She doesn't like to have her picture taken, but she does like to smile and talk to the customers at Sauvie Island Farms. If you have visited our farm in the past 15 plus years, you have probably talked to Cindy, but you may not know her name...or even who she is. So we thought we would like to introduce you to her. Cindy is a REAL farmer's daughter. (the farmer's wife has only had the 'farmer' label attached to her since marriage.) Cindy's dad is the original owner of Sauvie Island Farms.
Now the farm is owned by Cindy's brother. So she is also a farmer's sister!!...and sister-in-law. You may not have realized this, because Cindy loves the farm and works so hard...you might have thought she had ownership in it. Cindy started working in the u-pick fields when she was in elementary school. She left the farm for a while...went to college, got married, had 5 kids...and eventually found her way back to her roots and what she loves. She loves to talk and assist our customers in finding their way to the best spot to pick berries or peaches. She is also an excellent cook. Today we are sharing a couple of her recipes with you. When asked what her favorite berry is, she says that she likes 'em all. For fresh eating, she likes strawberries, for smoothies and jam she prefers raspberries, and for pie baking she makes a perfect marionberry pie. This is the recipe that she uses to make any kind of berry pie:

Berry Pie:
pastry for two crust pie
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, if desired
5 cups fresh berries
1 T. lemon juice
2 T butter or margarine
Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Mix with berries. Turn into pastry lined pie pan, sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, which has slits cut in it, seal and flute edges. Cover edge with 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 35-45 minutes until juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Another exellent recipe that Cindy's relatives request for christmas gifts!!
Marionberry Syrup:
1 1/4 cups berry juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 T lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in large, heavy kettle. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute after the mixture comes to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Pour into clean, hot 1/2 pint or pint canning jars. Adjust lids according to the manufacture's directions.......This syrup can be 'canned' or you can freeze it without doing the hot water bath process. If you want to can: Place jars in hot water bath. Be sure the level of the water covers the top of the jars by at least one inch. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove from the water bath and cool. Check to see that the jars are sealed. Label and store on a cool, dark shelf. Once the syrup jar is opened, store in refrigerator. This syrup is so good on pancakes, waffles, crepes, ice cream...!!

Come out to the farm, and say HI to Cindy!! She might be surprised that YOU know her name:)