season's end

every one of our apples have been picked!

what a wonderful autumn we have had with you!

thank you so much for supporting us through another 

season. especially with the pandemic unexpectedly lingering.

  

well, not quite every apple is picked..

some quirky ones get left behind..

i love finding them!

although we are closed, 

we aren’t on the couch eating bonbons just yet..

we’re busy doing numerous jobs before the winter..

signs and scarecrows, baby buggies and bushels 

are stored away til next autumn.

we give the brooms and cauldrons and tea sets back to the witches. 

our sweet farm animals that we fell in love with go back to our farmer friends

 who kindly let us borrow them. 

fields get plowed and planted with wheat,

enriching the soil, enabling us to plant again next spring.  

irrigation lines are repaired and readied for the cold temperatures.

orchards are mowed. 

machinery is repaired.

tool sheds, and barns get organized.  

everything gets scrubbed clean.

yes..its very glamorous!

 

i try and wander through the orchards every morning.

this morning was gorgeous.. as the fog lifted and frost melted,

every thing sparkled!

we often get asked: “what do you do all winter?” 

i will share more answers to that another day,

but after our farm commitments, we do look forward to a break 

where we can hopefully travel and visit new places to be inspired. 

it’s also our cherished time to be with our friends and family once again.  

my dad will be blowing out 92 candles this month!

hope you are well,

stay cozy!

big, grateful hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards 

happy hallowe’en!

it’s our last weekend to invite you to our farm this year.

it’s all about the spooky this weekend..

are you ready for hallowe’en?

                

            eye of newt and toe of frog.     

you can’t have too many pumpkins!

we have every colour and shape imaginable..

cinderella’s fairy  god mother shops here!

it’s so much easier to stack pumpkins than to carve them! 

did you know we have garlic?

sought after by chefs and garlic lovers.. 

grown in the valley by our friend david.

it just happens to be a gorgeous pink too!

foggy mornings are part of the spell… 

“double, double toil and trouble

fire burn and caldron bubble”

you may see a witch or two this weekend.. 

happy hallowe’en!

scary hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

yes..there are still apples to pick in our mutsu orchard.

they are such a versatile, fabulous apple..

a slice makes a perfect ‘cracker’ for a nice strong cheese, 

or a crunchy nut butter like almond or peanut. 

you can elevate your grilled cheese sandwich with a slice of a mutsu inside..

 on walnut or cranberry bread perhaps? 

our mutsus are so terrific for baking..

filled with pistachios, cranberries, butter and sugar, and baked in our apple cider..

 what’s not to love?

and with your favourite vanilla ice cream.. 

an absolutely dreamy, comforting dessert on a crisp autumn day.

it was my cozy breakfast recently.. with a dollop of yoghurt. 

you can find the recipe on aran goyoaga's website.

i have her inspiring cookbook too! and her instagram is so gorgeous.

oh i love how things are starting to look a little spooky!

have you been in our pumpkin patch?

we also have a field of sunflowers still in bloom!

right beside our corn maze. 

mr. hitchcock would love our other sunflower field!

how sweet is this wee snail?

so much to love on our farm..

see you before the witches put a spell on us! 

hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

crushes on squash

well that sure was a short and sweet week!

i hope you had a wonderful long weekend. 

 

yes we still have apples to pick, 

and yes we will be open til the end of the month!

to our delight our mutsu orchard has been prolific..

they are much more sweet and mellow since we began picking them..

now tasting similar to a golden delicious. 

mutsus are the perfect apple to share with a loved one.. they are sooo big!

 perhaps an apple picking date is just what you need!

there are blossoms in the mutsu orchard.. see if you can find them!

did you know we have pumpkins with the most personality?

ohhh the colours, ohhh the textures, ohhh the shapes! 

there are acres still in the field that you can pick, 

and oodles already picked for you

the fog and mist and dew has cast a quite spell on the farm..

things are beginning to spook up...

we have been enjoying all the squash the kids have grown.

denise, who you’ve probable met since she’s been helping us on the farm for decades, 

shared this fabulous recipe. you will love it. 

i changed it a teeny little bit…adding butter and chestnuts.. 

2 of my favourite ingredients.  

 sage apple chestnut and quinoa stuffed squash

 you will need..

2  acorn squash.. i used our autumn frost 

6 ish tablespoons of olive oil

2 ish tablespoons of  butter 

stuffing..

3/4 cup of quinoa

1 large mutsu apple chopped

1 medium onion, chopped 

1/4 cup cooked chestnuts chopped  

several fresh sage leaves.. leave a few tiny ones whole, but chop the large ones

salt and pepper

saved seeds to roast later

method..

preheat your oven to 350°. 

add the quinoa to 1 1/2 cups of boiling water, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, then set aside.

cut the squash in half,  or 2/3 and 1/3  

scoop out the seeds and reserve.

cover a baking sheet with parchment. 

brush the squash flesh with olive oil and set on the tray, flesh side down.  

bake until done.. about 40 - 60 minutes. keep checking. 

while the squash bakes,  sauté the chopped onion slowly on low heat in  2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter until it is browned. 

add the chopped apple near the end and sauté until soft.

add the sage leaves and chestnuts. combine the sautéed mixture to the quinoa. 

clean the squash seeds and pat dry.

toss them with a little olive oil and salt and roast for about 10 minutes..

'til they just begin to brown and are dried. 

fill the squash halves with stuffing.. there will be some left over. (dreamy with tomorrow’s eggs for breakfast.)

garnish with roasted seeds and a couple of fresh sage leaves. 

enjoy 

  

enjoy the beautiful changing colours..

autumn hugs

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards