mystery and magic

november can be quite dreary,

but a beautiful dreamy fog drifted into the valley for a couple of days…

enveloping the farm in mystery and magic. 

i feel like we could all use a little magic these days!

i hope you are well.

hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

quirky

i try and walk the farm every day.

it’s amusing to notice the quirky apples!

 and it’s a great reminder that life is never perfect.

i imagine this one has been gold leafed by fairies!

 

at the end of the season, some look so forgotten and unloved...

and some look quite sinister!

where are the bad witches and what potion are they going to use this in?

a very strange and sad pear in one of our old orchards 

 

this one is my favourite...to me, it looks like a heart!

i believe it’s a good omen of things to come. 

hope you are well 

and can appreciate something or someone quirky! 

hugs,

laura  

carl laidlaw orchards

strudel

some november days are so lovely! 

especially when they feel like august days! 

there are leaves still swirling, 

and the colours in the orchard are still gorgeous. 

after our busy harvest season, our lives are less hectic 

and i love having a little more time to bake..

here is a fabulous, easy strudel to make. 

adapted from donna hay’s recipe book  ‘seasons’ 

apple and date strudel

 

8 sheets of filo pastry*

7 apples cored, peeled and sliced 

i used idareds and jonagolds 

(cortland, golden delicious or empire would be great too.) 

6 dates, chopped, (pits removed)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon 

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup whole, raw almonds coarsely chopped or pulsed in a food processor

1/2 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour

1/4 cup sliced almonds

150 grams melted butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds (this is for the top of the strudel)

preheat your oven to 350°. 

in a large bowl, combine the apples, dates, sugar, vanilla, cardamom or cinnamon, lemon zest and almonds. 

place a large piece of parchment on your work surface.

place one filo sheet on the parchment paper and brush with melted butter. 

layer the next 7 sheets, brushing butter between each layer. 

brush butter again on the last piece. 

place the apple mixture along the middle of the pastry, lengthways. 

fold in the ends, and roll fairly tightly to enclose. the edges will be on the bottom. 

brush the top and sides with butter, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of sliced almonds.

lift the parchment and strudel onto a baking tray and bake for 25 ish minutes, until crisp and golden. enjoy!

   

my oven took closer to 35 minutes, and i turned the strudel after 15 minutes. my oven has a hot spot, and if I didn’t do this, 

one side would burn while the other wouldn’t be baked enough. 

*you can buy filo in the freezer section of your grocery store. this recipe uses 1/2 of a package. 

it will thaw in a few hours at room temperature, or over night in the fridge.

once opened and unrolled, cover the pastry with a damp tea towel to keep it moist, but not wet. it will become too dry and brittle if you don’t. 

this strudel will keep for a few days, covered with a tea towel.

it’s so very easy to keep slicing off a little piece throughout the day…lovely with a cup of tea. 

i have had it for breakfast too!

 

stay well! 

hugs,

laura

 

thank you

and just like that, our season ends.

it always feels a little sad to close our gate.. especially this year, 

 after sharing a strange and yet lovely autumn with you. 

thank you for being patient and kind, and lining up, 

and doing all the things we requested,

 ensuring our guests and staff and family remained healthy and safe.  

we always say we have the nicest families visit us!

and we do have the best staff!

we are so grateful that we were able to invite you to our farm

 and so appreciate your support.

be well!

hugs, 

laura

i will share this easy apple strudel recipe this week..

add filo pastry and dates to your shopping list!

 (assuming you have some apples in your fridge.)

carl laidlaw orchards