Benjamin Dziuba flew during the Korean War and refueled on tiny islands in the Pacific. The son of Polish immigrants grew up in Laceyville and after his military service, worked as a commercial airline pilot. He raised cattle in Wyoming County between flights.
He cared for his wife as her dementia progressed. When he received more support for her in-home care, his children asked him what he wanted to do with his “free time.”
The 89-year-old wanted to start a blueberry farm.
Seven years later, those blueberries are picked by families and made into treats by his own children, such as Polish blueberry buns.
Dziuba is now 96 and still tends to his farm.
“I enjoyed picking them myself, and I wanted to offer it to other people to enjoy,” he said.
Down a long gravel driveway, the blueberry bushes grow near the Susquehanna River in Eaton Township, where the cattle once grazed. Berries and Blooms at High Horizons Farm opened for picking several years ago and offers flower arrangements each Friday.
Dziuba’s daughter, Jennifer Kozlansky, picked berries the day before, preparing to make Polish blueberry rolls, called Jagodzianki. She received the recipe from her cousin, who was born in Krakow, Poland.
“It actually works best with fresh blueberries,” she said. “So it's perfect for a day after blueberry picking.”
Kozlansky misses the cooking and baking of her late mother, Lou Ann Dziuba, who could pick random ingredients from the pantry and make a dish her whole family would enjoy.
Kozlansky doesn’t have as much experience, but explains how to make the dough for the soft, fluffy buns filled with berries.
“You mush it all together, and you think you're not doing it right for a while if you're me,” she said. “Eventually it starts to look like dough. And you're like, ‘OK, maybe I did do something right.’”
As the dough rises, Kozlansky prepares the filling – blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and a splash of lemon juice. She separates the dough into 12 parts, flattening them, adding berries and then sealing the roll.
Kozlansky’s older sister, Catherine Biro, joins her at the farm. Biro offers some tips on sprinkling powdered sugar onto the top of the cooled rolls.
The sisters then reminisce about their parents, who met when their father was a pilot and their mother an airline stewardess. Their mother grew up in the Smoky Mountains and then moved to southern California as a preteen.
When their father flew, their mother took care of the cattle. Sometimes the cows got loose.
“She'd be out in her pink fluffy slippers, chasing cows through the field. Kid you not,” Biro said.
The couple had been married for 48 years when she died in 2021.
Kozlansky cut the roll, topped with powdered sugar, and revealed the juicy blueberries inside. Those berries – a dream of her father on the farm her parents loved – are now part of the family legacy.
“He really smiles from ear to ear every day, because he really loves working,” she said. “Now we're in the place to do follow-up and to make the dream continue to live.”
Polish Jagodzianki (Blueberry Sweet Buns)
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Splash of lemon juice
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Topping
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Prepare the dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes until frothy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter and eggs. Mix until a soft dough forms.
2. Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice until well coated. Set aside.
4. Shape the buns: Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle and place a spoonful of the blueberry filling in the center. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal the filling inside and shape into a bun. Place the buns seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Second rise: Cover the buns with a towel and let them rise for another 20-30 minutes.
6. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash.
8. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Allow the buns to cool on a wire rack before dusting with powdered sugar.
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