TEST KITCHEN......Part 7 /The Muffin Man's Secret

 

                                                                  Part 7.......Test Kitchen

O.K. Enough talk......It's time to bake. Red has chosen Jimmy's Original Recipe , after all, they are at Squam Lake and they have picked Jimmy's blueberries. Red knows that baking is serious business, that there's an order to how things should be done, not just throwing something on the grill. That immediately puts Daddy B.B. out of his comfort zone. On the other hand they have given Yello the responsibility of 'pureeing' the blueberries. He's definitely in his comfort zone!

                                                                      Working together

                                                                         makes things 

                                                                        come together.

Tip One: 'Smash half cup of blueberries and mix with the batter.

Tip Two: Sprinkle course sugar over the batter once the cups are filled.

Tip Three: For larger ( therefore more yummy) use a muffin tin for nine ( instead of twelve).

                                                        A successful batch! Thanks Jimmy!

                                                      The Original Morrus Muffin re-born.

                                                                               The End

THE SECRET......Part 6 /The Muffin Man's Secret

 

                                                                              Part 6

The next morning the Heartfelts awoke to a new day and a fridge full of blueberries. Red hadn't slept all that well because she kept thinking. " Why did Jimmy plant so many blueberry bushes?" She figured that Margaret would need a lot for her pies, but how many could she use?

Comparing the seemingly 'same' recipes, she noticed that written in pencil at the bottom of the Morrus recipe ' Hi- bush from Squam, half a cup smashed'. Hmmmmmm.

                 The recipe from Jordon Marsh didn't state what kind of blueberries, just blueberries.

This must be it, Red thought, Jimmy was using only hi-bush blueberries from around Squam Lake! Maybe it had something to do with the moisture from the lake, the south facing slope or what some say is ancient volcanic soil. Whatever it is, it produces the sweetest berries. Jimmy must have planted so many bushes so that future generations would be able to enjoy these blueberries. 

Being an honest guy, Jimmy had tried to explain this to Freddy. But Freddy dismissed him saying,"Look kid, I'm a business man. I get my blueberries from who ever is cheapest, Maine, Canada or Pluto..... I don't care.....Blueberries is Blueberries."

Red had figured out the Muffin Man's Secret, now it's time to  put all that fruit to good use!.Clear the decks, there is baking to be done!

                                                                     To Be Continued............

P.S. Join us next time for the exciting conclusion of the Muffin Man's Secret!

PICK YOUR OWN ( PYO) / Part 5 : The Muffin Man's Secret

 

                                                             PART 5 : PICK YOUR OWN

After 2 years well spent working for Freddy in Boston, Jimmy finally returned home to Moultonborough. It was good to be home. He immediately took some of his savings and bought that parcel of land at the end of High Haith. He built a fine house and married his High School sweetheart, Margaret. Together they had a daughter named Julie. He then began to fulfill his dream. 

One day Jimmy showed up with a couple of pots of High Bush Blueberry plants, then more and more. He then started planting them in neat rows along side the lake. " Well, that's what city livin' will do to you!" fumed the locals, but that didn't bother Jimmy, he knew what he was doing.

Although he had pledged never to bake Blueberry Muffins again, that didn't mean that Margaret couldn't do whatever she wanted to. She was no slouch in the kitchen and pretty soon she was baking her favorite pie, Blueberry. You know.... people would come for miles around just to buy one of her pies, there was something special about them. They eventually started the Country Store so folks wouldn't have to go all the way to Meredith for their shopping. She could also sell her pies at the store. You see, Jimmy was Ed's grandfather and Margaret his grandmother.

Ed took a shine to Red's curiosity so he gave her an old photo of the Pick Your Own sign  that Jimmy had painted to indicate which field was ready. Jimmy never charged anyone for the blueberries, it just wasn't his way.

Ed told Red that the orchard still exists, just drive down High Haith Rd. until you come to Rudyard's Landing and look for a PYO sign, and true enough the Heartfelts found the field.

Pretty soon the Heartfelts were picking all the blueberries that they wanted. Jams, pies and of course muffins were being planned.

At the end of a long day working in the fields it sure is nice to come home and 'Take a Dip.' Tomorrow will be a busy day.

                                                    To Be Continued..............