a new apple

there are oodles of apples for you!

we are still picking macintosh, royal gala, cortland, jonagold, and spartan apples.

we will begin picking our empires.

we are thrilled to introduce you to our newest apple, the aurora.

aurora

we are excited that we can finally invite you into our aurora orchard. 

you may have walked past it many times.

new orchards look a little like vineyards when they are first planted. 

 this orchard is four years old and we have been patiently waiting for a crop. 

auroras are very juicy and sweet with a marvellous crunch. 

be sure to pick the very yellow ones. if they are a little green, they still need to ripen. 

auroras are best enjoyed fresh, as an apple to snack on or sliced in a salad.

they store very well, keeping for months.

 the skin is very thin and the creamy flesh is fragile, so we recommend picking with care. 

we always say treat your apples like eggs!

the little trees look almost comical when they are so loaded with fruit. 

empire

with mac and delicious as parents, empires are such a versatile apple.

 crisp, sweet and tart, you can do anything with an empire…

juice, sauce, bake, dry, and of course enjoy fresh out of hand.

these are farmer spencer’s favourite. 

these will keep in your fridge until january.

empires are such a gorgeous apple too, turning a deep burgundy.

we have a wonderful, plentiful crop to share. 

you will find the empires in another of our newer orchards 

and the view from here is stunning!

  

hope you are enjoying this first week of autumn.

who else has started thinking about halloween?

 we look forward to seeing you!

hugs,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards 

summer’s end and apple picking are a dreamy best of two worlds.

this weekend we invite you to pick

macintosh, silken, cortland, royal gala, sunrise fuji, 

and we are starting our mcgowen, spartan, and jonagold apples. 

 mcgowen

this cute apple has a rich apple flavour with hints of berry and spice.

another apple to enjoy for a short and sweet time.

as soon as mcgowens are ripe, they start falling. 

spartan 

a plentiful crop this year to share…

both sweet and mellow, they are a fabulous all purpose apple.

excellent for pressing, spartans are very juicy and low in acid.

jonagold 

a cross of a jonathan and golden delicious, 

pale yellow flesh with a juicy, crisp texture, jonagold has a sweet flavour with a lovely balance of tartness.  

you can enjoy these fresh, and they are also a great baking apple .

crisp? crumble? tomato, tomaahto…

i think crisp is canadian and crumble is english. 

delightful no matter where you are in the world!

ginger apple crisp

adapted from deb perelman’s wintry apple bake found in her cookbook

 ‘the smitten kitchen every day.’

for the filling

10 apples   (i used our entire crop of wealthy apples

from one of our new, baby orchards.) 

zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

a pinch each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

splash of vanilla

1 tablespoon of sugar

pinch of salt 

for the crumble topping

2/3 of a cup of butter, flour, oats and sliced almonds 

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown or turbinado sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

11/2 teaspooons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon  ground ginger

3 tablespoons of candied ginger sliced 

heat the oven to 375˚

in a large bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, spices, sugar and salt. 

peel, core and slice the apples.

add to bowl..toss to combine and coat the slices.

place this mixture in a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.

to make the crumble topping,

combine the butter and sugars a mixing bowl.

in a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, almonds,

  candied ginger pieces, salt, and baking powder.

 add this to the butter mix. 

sprinkle over the prepared apples.

bake for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is lightly browned. 

let this cool for  15 minutes before serving. 

ice cream or creme fraiche, whipped cream or unwhipped cream

 poured on top are perfect additions!

enjoy

we have fallen in love with our new kids! 

 

goat kids that is!

...and our chickens and pigs. 

we think you will love them too. 

enjoy the last weekend of summer!

warm hugs,

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards 

these cool nights and warm sunny days are exactly what the apples need

 to develop their distinct tastes and become perfect for picking. 

this weekend we are inviting you to pick:

macintosh, ginger gold, royal gala, cortland, honeygold, honeycrisp and sunrise fuji. 

royal gala 

one of my favourite apples to photograph because they are so pink and pretty!

aromatic and semisweet with a creamy flesh, they truly are delicious. everyone loves a gala!

they pair nicely with soft mild cheeses. 

cortland 

still my favourite!

cortlands are full flavoured, crisp, juicy and sweetly tart. 

i love the balance of flavours and gorgeous texture.

you need a partner in crime to pick. 

they grow in twos and when you pick one, the pair falls. a perfect first date adventure. 

cortlands are excellent in a pie, tart, or crisp. 

they are also a brilliant choice to pair with cheese. i think every apple has a cheese to compliment it. 

i just love the big older mature trees. even their bark is beautiful.

 silken  

how cute is the little snail?

juicy and crisp with a hint of honey flavour, 

these are an exceptional apple to enjoy fresh. 

their firm white flesh, and nice thin skin add to their appeal. 

silkens will keep for about a month refrigerated.

honeygold

another sweet, lovely apple with adorable freckles to enjoy fresh.

they make a nice substitute for golden delicious in baking, 

although it’s been too hot to turn on the oven this week. they will store for 3 months. 

honeycrisp

their name certainly says it all! 

a pure delight to eat right from the tree..they are so thirst quenching.  

we have a very tiny crop of honeycrisps this year and will probably be picked out on saturday.

unfortunately some guests picked them last weekend before they were ready. so disappointing. 

 sunrise fuji

perfect for little hands, these sweet, mellow apples have a lovely crunch. 

they are also great for drying and juicing.

still a baby orchard, our adorable little trees bear an incredible amount of fruit!

we have their sister fuji apples too, that will ripen in october.  

did you know we have a corn maze this year? 

you will find it in the valley.

but will you find your way out?

this gentle shift towards autumn is so lovely to witness.

most mornings there is a dramatic fog drifting languidly along the river. 

every apple and leaf sparkles with dew.

honking geese practice their signature arrow formation while other 

birds are starting to gather

flowers are turning to seedpods

monarchs are dancing in the sunflower patch.

endless wonder. 

i hope you can take a moment to notice all the magic while you visit the farm.

hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

cider, sunflowers and a galette

wasn't that the fastest week ever? 

we are currently picking macintosh, gingergold, and the last of the gravensteins. 

oh these cooler days have really made me want to bake.

have you ever tried a galette?

a rustic easy dessert that is perfect for any time of the day. 

i had a slice for breakfast this morning. 

i love how it’s kind of free form and unfussy.  

there is a recipe on our website for one. 

this one is a little bit different.

i used our gravenstein apples. 

it has sugar, lemon zest, salt and butter underneath the apples! 

you will need:

pastry for 1 pie  also on the website 

6 gravenstein apples 

1/2 teaspoon of maldon salt

2 tablespoons of sugar

the zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut in small cubes and frozen. 

2 tablespoons will go under the apples and, 2 tablespoons will go on top.  

1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of cream

1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar to sprinkle on the pastry. 

1/4 cup of apricot jam with 1 teaspoon of water

roll out the pastry to 1/8 inch.

transfer to a glass pie plate. it will be larger that the plate. 

combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest.

spread this on the bottom of your pastry. 

dot with 2 tablespoons of frozen butter cubes. 

chill this while you are preparing the apples. 

peel, core and slice the apples, keeping the slices together.

i halved the apples, used a melon baller to take out the core, and then sliced them. 

cover them with lemon juice. 

arrange the sliced apples in the chilled pie shell. 

sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of frozen butter cubes. 

fold the edges of the pastry in, and brush with the egg and cream wash. 

sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

bake at 425˚ for 15 minutes and then another 40-45 at 350˚. 

heat the apricot jam with water til it boils.

brush on the apples. 

let the galette cool before you slice it.

enjoy!

we pressed our first batch of apple cider for you.

a gorgeous blend of macs and gingergolds.

have you taken a selfie amongst our sunflowers yet?

they are still blooming! 

aren’t they just the cheeriest of flowers?

looking forward to seeing you this weekend, 

hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards