Happy Fall and welcome to the October edition of the Laughing Duck Farm newsletter. Did summer go by as quickly for you as it did for me? Did you get all of your summer work and fun in, or are you like me and trying to play a frantic game of catch-up? Whichever it is, I hope this newsletter finds you healthy and filled with joy.
On the Farm
I will start with the most exciting news (in my opinion). Those who were at the pig roast in August and went on the farm tour may remember our livestock guardian dogs, Tuesday and Jupiter. You also may remember me mentioning that I was hoping for puppies someday. Well it is looking like “someday” will be early October. If you would like to see pictures of the little fluff balls when they arrive, make sure to follow our facebook page, as that is where I will share photos.
Aside from the dog thing, everything else is winding down. The pigs are going in to the butcher this week. We still may have one left but you must let me know right away if you want it. The turkeys will also be going in to the butcher in early October. These will be available beginning October 8th on a first come first serve basis. You can find the prices on the meat list which is linked below.
The big projects this month involve cleaning things up and getting ready for winter. The biggest of these projects will be the garden that never happened this year. I was so overwhelmed by all of the personal events (mostly good things) that the garden just never happened. Much to my embarrassment, the garden space is now filled with pigweed reaching 10ft tall. I will knock it all down and mulch it heavily, first with cardboard and then with old hay and rabbit manure. The very nice thing about gardening is that there is always next year for a fresh start!
Recipe
This month I thought I would share a recipe with you. This one will use up a little of that garden or farmer’s market produce as well as quinoa. Quinoa is one of those things that is so good for you, and yet I have always had a hard time getting my family on board. This was mostly because I didn’t understand the most important thing about quinoa. You must rinse it well first. This is true for most grains, but especially important for quinoa because it has a bitter coating on it that rinses away fairly easily. Also, it has a bit of a boring flavor but does well when kicked up a little in this salad.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon evaporated sea water
- 1 bunch finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup diced cucumber, seeds removed
- 1 cup cored and diced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup red onion sliced thin
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions: Rinse quinoa well in a fine strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth. Combine quinoa and 1 3/4 cup of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa starts to look translucent. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes before fluffing and refrigerating. I like to chill it overnight, but at least leave it in there for a couple of hours until it is cool.
Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice and ESW. Stir until the salt dissolves, then add in the olive oil, and garlic. Add to quinoa. Next add parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, onions, olives and feta. Serve! This salad keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.
Bulk Food Order
This month’s bulk food order is due by 7pm on September 27. It will be ready here on the farm for you on October 3 after 4:30 pm. The November delivery will be on November 14th.
If you would like to see all of the items available for bulk delivery, see ingredient lists, or just have an easier time searching, you can check out wallnutcreekfoods.com. You cannot, however see the prices there. For that you must use the list attached below. When ordering, please send me an email at northhaus@gmail.com. Include the item description, item number, and price. I cannot be held responsible for you getting the wrong item if you do not include these three things. There are usually multiple types of something as well as multiple sizes so it is very easy to accidently order something very different than what you actually wanted. If you do not get a conformation email from me by Friday night, feel free to check in. I will be watching my grandson next week so life will be a little chaotic. I’d hate to miss your order.
On Thursday, October 3rd, after 4:30 you can pick up your order here on the farm. My address is 2482 170th Ave Emerald, WI. I imagine the weather will be a little cooler, but keep in mind that I don’t really have anywhere to store frozen or perishable items for a long time. You are more than welcome to shop in the store when you do your pick up and choose your meat or dried goods from the shelves. It is always a good time and I enjoy meeting and sometimes re-meeting so many of you.
Make sure you really check out what is available! You can really save yourself a lot of money by ordering in bulk. I recently discovered that they carry Pop Corners. I love those things because they are gluten free, non gmo, and low in fat. (I get the sea salt ones, I’m not sure about the gluten or gmo status on the flavored ones). My point being that you may discover that you can find something you really like and save some money by ordering it in bulk. If you would like to read a little bit more about buying in bulk, the planning and some how to advice, I would recommend the book A Year Without the Grocery Store by Karen Morris. It can be a little tricky to find, but it is a great little book, as interesting as it is helpful.
Well, I hope you have found some value in the information provided. I’m looking forward to seeing those of you who will be visiting us this month and I hope this month is one of joy and blessings for you and your family. If you have any questions or want to stop out for a visit, please feel free to give me a text at 612.202.4359. If not, you will hear from me again in about a month. Hopefully with exciting puppy news!
Kathy
Laughing Duck Farm 