oh how can it already be our last weekend of the season to to invite you to pick apples?

finally last but not least to be ripe are our granny smith apples. 

we still have mutsu, idared, russet, empire and johnagold red apples for you.

granny smith

 originally from australia, granny smiths are named after maria anne smith, 

who discovered a chance seedling and was responsible for propagating this new cultivar. 

granny smiths are a favourite for their tart, sharp taste. 

they store very well.  

wonderful and crisp enjoyed fresh, they are also terrific to cook with!

hello crumbles, pies, tarts and cakes! 

isn't this just gorgeous? 

it is an apple rose tart with maple custard and walnut crust.

you can find the recipe here. 

you will also find a little video that is very helpful. 

this takes a while to make…a perfect rainy day project. 
the custard requires chilling for a couple of hours. 

i was lucky to have a partner in crime.. my sister nancy 
who was visiting from the west, and is a marvellous, patient cook.

a few things we thought you might like to know if you make this…

keep a close eye on the walnut crust while you are baking it…i burned the first one we made. 

i don’t have a microwave, so we simmered the apple slices in water and lemon juice 

for a couple of minutes until they were pliable. 

we used empire apples.

 the custard thickens very slowly while you are stirring, 
and then all of a sudden it becomes exceptionally thick.  

it is a lovely breakfast. 

nancy dusted the tart with icing sugar for a special finish. 

have you met our animals yet? 

we have fallen in love with all of them. 

and what a pleasure to enjoy fresh eggs from the ladies!

is anyone else getting excited for hallowe’en?

put on your favourite rubber boots and come and visit the farm this weekend!

warm hugs,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards

bumper crop

we sure have a bumper crop of apples this year!

we are still picking our idareds, mutsus, johnagolds, red delicious, golden delicious, and empires.

all of these late harvest apples are excellent apples to store.  in a fridge is ideal. 

the idareds are exceptional…they will last ’til the spring. 

i don’t know why, but on dreary rainy days, i love to bake. i have so many apple recipes to try…

this is my new favourite apple cake.

i think it is a combination of its italian heritage and my new love of cardamom that has me smitten.

 after our farm tour of italy, i love everything italian.

this tuscan apple cake with olive oil is dreamy…not too sweet and deliciously appley. 

it is a perfect little breakfast bite…or a late afternoon pick me up with a cup of tea.

the apples make it very moist. it keeps for a few days on the kitchen table, covered with a tea towel...

unless you have friends drop in. 

the original recipe is from giulia scarpaleggis who’s instagram and blog i follow and love.

 i did change it a little. i am sure you will love it too! 

apple olive oil cake 

ingredients 

•    5 apples 

        i used idared apples. you could use cortland, mustu, golden delicious or jonagold. 

 •     juice from 1 lemon

• 4 medium eggs

• 180 g - 3/4 cup - 6.3 oz of sugar + 2 tablespoons for the apples

• 120 ml -1/2 cup - 4 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

• 240 g -1 3/4 cup - 8.4 oz cake flour

• 8 g - 1 3/4 teaspoon - of baking powder

•     1/2  teaspoon of cardamom powder

• 1 pinch of salt

• Butter to grease the cake mould

• 2 tablespoons of apricot jam

Instructions

1   Preheat oven to 180°C. - 356˚F. 

2 Peel, core and slice three apples. Put aside the other two apples. You’ll need them later. Collect them in a bowl, drizzle them with the juice of a lemon and sprinkle them with two tablespoons of sugar. Give them a quick stir and put aside.

3   Whip eggs and sugar until light and foamy. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil, then fold in the flour sifted with baking powder, cardamom and salt.

4   Now add the apples, also pouring in the lemon juice left in the bowl. Gently fold the apples into the batter.

5   Grease a 26 cm round cake mould with a knob of butter and dust it with flour. Scrape the batter into the cake mould and smooth the surface with a spatula.

6   Peel core and slice the two apples you put aside. Use these apple slices to decorate the surface of the cake, placing them in concentric circles, starting from the outside.

7   Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, checking if the cake is done with a toothpick: when you insert it in the centre of the cake it should come out clean.

8   Once ready, remove the cake from the oven, allowing it a few minutes to cool down on a wire rack, then remove it from the cake mould and place it on a plate.

        9   Dissolve the apricot jam in a saucepan with two tablespoons of water, warming it on low heat until it starts to boil. Brush the cake with the apricot glaze. Let it cool down completely before slicing it.

 we have a bumper crop of pumpkins too!

have you seen the quaint pumpkin washing tub we have for you?

find our enchanted pumpkins right from the fairy tales

 in pinks, dove greys, greens, buttercup yellows, creams…

who else is thinking about halloween? 

 warm hugs on this chilly october day,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards

wasn't that a short and sweet week? 

it certainly was sweet to have summer visit again!

we still have so many apples to pick… 

red and golden delicious, mutsu, idared, russet, empire, and jonagold red are plentiful. 

there are some cortlands and smoothies too.  

i love making apple sauce with a mixture of apples…every batch is a little different. 

what a pleasure to pick to press apple cider for you. 

did you know we have a pumpkin patch for you to peruse?

i love how each pumpkin has its own personality!

every year the salmon join us on their journey. 

they are currently spawning in the credit river that runs through the farm.

  it is pretty special!

isn't october just lovely? 

and dramatic!

warm hugs,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards

thank you

thank you for joining us this holiday weekend!

we are open on monday too. 

we really do love being part of your family’s traditions. 

this is one of the best times to visit us…there are oodles of varieties to choose from!

it is the beginning of the harvest for our

red and golden delicious, jonagold red, mutsu, ambrosia, russet,

 rhode island greening, and idared apples. 

and we still have 

macintosh, smoothie, silken, and empire apples that are perfect for picking. 

did you know that we have pumpkins and squash to pick too?

our barn market has a lovely selection already picked for you.   

golden delicious 

so rich and sweet with gorgeous creamy flesh! 
we know a pastry chef who only uses golden delicious apples for baking.  

perhaps it is because you don't have to peel them and they keep their shape well. 

they are so worth trying!

red delicious

sweet and crunchy…they taste entirely different when you bite into one freshly picked.
the only apple we grow that we do not recommended you use for baking.
red delicious store very well...by christmas you will love them more!
the cute little bumps on their bottoms are their signature shape.  

rhode island greening

the tartest apple before the granny’s are ready.

granny smith’s little sister.  

russet

an apple that is very much like a pear in texture. 

the flavour is very different too. 

russets have a mild nutty flavour that can be tart to sweet, 

depending on when they are harvested.  

 did you know that shakespeare wrote of them? 

ambrosia 

grown in one of our newer orchards, 

ambrosias are royal gala’s big sister…crisp, sweet and juicy.

oh and and that delicious pink colour!

wonderful for pies, tarts and baked apples. 

mutsu

a brilliant apple that you probably need to share...they are so big!

 definitely the apple to enter in the fall fair! 

a fantastic fresh, tart flavour at this time...the beginning of harvest.

 as they ripen more, mutsus will sweeten and mellow. 

they are fantastic to bake with.

jonagold red

our friend’s mom only bakes with jonagolds!

firm and crisp, juicy and sweet with low acidity, they are so easy to love.

idared

the idared orchard is my favourite part of the farm.

 it offers a breathtaking view of the river and valley. 

and the trees have such character! these are my second favourite apple to bake with. 

their taste is quite similar to a cortland with a hint of lemon.

these are the apples to tuck in your extra fridge. 

they will store until the spring. really!

wishing you a wonderful long weekend full of joy and loved ones. 

and second helpings of pumpkin pie. 

happy thanksgiving!

grateful hugs,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards