Market & Dumplings
Winter is here! This morning, we woke up to our second snowfall of the season. I lugged on the winter boots and toboggin and made my way out to get some feed for the egg layers, to let them out of their coop, and crack their ice. They’re not a fan of this winter wonderland, taking a few pecks at their feed and then making their way back in the coop to roost.
I came back to the house, fed the stray cat that showed up a few weeks ago that has taken up residence on the front porch in the little cat house I made - I even stuck one of my heated seedling mats in there so it has a little warmth. Kitty is here to stay, so if you have any name suggestions, leave me a comment! Then I came back in, lit up the fireplace, made some coffee and eggs, and started thawing out a whole chicken. Today seems like the perfect day for chicken and dumplings!
Jeremiah left early before daylight, taking our last round of meat birds to the processor, so we’ll have extra whole chickens this winter, perfect for soups and roasting. We’ll be picking them up from the butcher tomorrow, so one of my tasks today is reorganizing the freezer, making room for all these whole chickens. Then we’ll put out more hay for the cattle, feed the hogs and turkeys, and then I really need to start working on our farm taxes 😖
Most of our farmers’ markets have come to a close for the season, but we are still coming to the Lexington Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 9am-1pm. We have already moved into our indoor market space at 101 W Loudon at Greyline Station, so if winter weather has deterred you from venturing out to the farmers’ market, I invite you to come and shop; we are nice and warm indoors! Last year, Greyline even had some seasonal attractions/special events that coincided with the market, such as an indoor ice-skating rink and holiday craft markets. There are also several restaurants and wine bars to grab a drink or something to eat after you shop the market.
This winter, I am making weekly pre-order drop-offs to the Chevy Chase Farmers’ Market every Wednesday at 1:00 pm. If you have not signed up for my Wednesday preorders, you can do so here. I send out a text/email every Monday to collect pickup orders for Chevy Chase on that Wednesday. For Georgetown customers, I am having to change our pick-up to Friday evenings at 6 pm instead of Saturday morning. To get on the Georgetown list, you can sign up here. As always, you can order anytime for home delivery or farm pick-up, just visit the shop page.
Hope everyone is staying warm today! Enjoy the season and hope to see you at the market soon!
P.S. - Chevy Chase Farmers’ Market Polar Bear Pop-Up is this Wednesday 12/10 from 10am-1pm!
P.S. - Chevy Chase Farmers’ Market Polar Bear Pop-Up is this Wednesday 12/10 from 10am-1pm!
Chicken & Dumplings
I have a tendency to just make up recipes as I go, but if you’re looking for a good recipe, this one from Roots & Refuge most closely resembles how I make my own chicken & dumplings. With a food processor, these are quick and easy dumplings!
More often than not, I do not plan ahead and do not have a thawed whole chicken on hand. On those days, I pull out my Instant Pot, throw in the whole frozen chicken, along with a couple cups of water and whatever seasonings I like, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes per pound of chicken - I usually have a cooked chicken in under an hour to start off my dumplings. You can always use breasts, thighs, legs, whatever you have on hand.
