It's time to celebrate the strawberry in Connecticut!

Berry season is upon us and some nearby farms offer Pick Your Own" strawberries and raspberries including Lyman Orchardslocated at 32 Reeds Gap Rd in Middlefield, CT. The farm is open from 8am to 5pm daily and best picking is early in the day. Pick your own prices at Lyman Orchards are $3.60 per lb for strawberries and $5.40 per lb for raspberries. 

Call the Lyman Orchards Pick Your Own Hotline for up-to-the-minute field & crop conditions & market prices 860-295-3465.

Jones Family Farm, located at 606 Walnut Tree Hill Road in Shelton, also offers Pick Your Own strawberries! Before coming out to pick, please call the farm's Crop Report for the latest info at 203-929-8425. Learn more here.

Find a Strawberry Festival near you by clicking here.

Learn about other farms that offer "Pick Your Own" here.


After you pick some berries, hunker down in your kitchen get to work!  Master baker and HamletHub contributor, John Barricelli has a wonderful Mixed Berry Turnover recipe sure to make summer even sweeter!

Tuck berries into flaky pastry for sweets that are good enough to give -- but better to keep. The recipe is extra easy, and once the pies are baked, you can forget fussing with a fork to enjoy them. The dough comes together in seconds thanks to the food processor, and forming the turnovers is simple and fun.

Prep Time 1 1/2 hours

Total Time 2 hours plus cooling

Yield Makes 12

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

  • 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen), such as blackberries (halved if large), blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (quartered)
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Prepare dough: In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 4 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not over-process.

Divide dough into two equal portions; form each into a square 3/4 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Prepare filling:

In a medium bowl, toss together berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each square of dough to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle; cut each into six 4-inch squares (you should have 12 squares total). Dividing evenly, spoon filling onto center of each square. Brush two adjoining edges of each square with some egg wash. Fold these edges over filling to form a triangle; press firmly to seal (dough should be tightly pressed around filling). Crimp edges.

Transfer turnovers to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining egg wash; sprinkle with sugar. With scissors, snip centers to create a steam vent. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

John Barricelli is the owner of The Sono Bakery & Cafe in South Norwalk, Westport and Darien and author of the award winning Sono Baking Company Cookbook and The Seasonal Baker, and was the former host of Martha Stewart's Everyday Baking.

R
Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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