Winter Reflections
Here is our puppy Murphy having a cool drink from the creek!
January 25th, 2022 Missive from J.K. Farm
There is a special stillness that descends upon the village following a significant snowfall. In winter it is already quiet in the village, but the snow muffles the sounds of traffic and voices. Even the birds seemed to have gone to earth except for the feeding frenzy that occurs at the bird feeder, the bright colours of the cardinal and the blue jay in stark contrast to the snow and to the halftones of the leafless skeletons of trees, their boughs bending under the weight of the new fallen snow. Only the creek is fully visible, coursing through the landscape. The black water thickening as the temperature drops. By morning a crystal clear mantle of ice has formed over the water still coursing through below the surface. The pulses quicken on the skaters in the family who rush to warm their skates by the wood stove before sallying forth onto the creek. They know the sheer joy and exhilaration of whizzing up the creek is an ephemeral experience bound to change with the next snowfall that will cover the black ice by tomorrow. Off they go, seizing the moment and witnessing the view from the creek, as only the ducks and herons do at any other time of the year.
Winter is a time to marvel at the seasons we have in Southern Ontario. Each one allowed to display its unique splendour as time marches on. Winter is also a time to plan for the seasons ahead. The end of the market season coincides with Thanksgiving. I always have much to be thankful for. I am also exhausted and ready for the winter hiatus to rest, reflect and recharge. Making hay while the sun shines is an apt cliché to describe the intense activity that the summer and fall seasons demand. In an operation as "simple" as a chip wagon there are still myriad details that after a day's busy service need to be renewed in time for start of service tomorrow. The quiet days following Thanksgiving grow ever shorter as the season changes and the days draw closer to the longest night, the winter solstice. It is December 21st thereabouts and we are falling into the depths of winter even as we are moving towards the light. Imperceptibly at first, the days begin to get longer. The forecast calls for minus 24 tonight but I cheer myself up thinking about Spring and the new farmers' market season. The chip wagon needs to be refreshed; a coat of paint, new signage and a good deep clean. This year I will be expanding the offering to include some of the larder items I introduced last year at the chip stand. The expansion will inform a new design for the point of sale table. We need to increase our display area. We also need to keep some things cold. The design process will evolve over the next three months and be unveiled at the first market in May!
In the meantime Jamie Kennedy Kitchens is pleased to announce a new larder delivery service for residents of Prince Edward County. Visit my J.K. Larder page to view the list of items for sale each Monday from 12:00 pm, beginning Monday January 31st. The store will remain open each week until Thursday at 5:00 pm. On the first week your purchases will be delivered to you on Friday February 4th. The cycle will repeat itself each week until the Market opens in May. The menu will change weekly and will be posted on my website by noon each Monday. Here is a sneak peek at some of the items that will be for sale the first week:
-Liter of Vegetarian Beet Borscht with Herb garnish
-Packages of 2 JK Sausages made from Tamworth Pork sourced from Haanover View Farms
-Jar of Organic Chicken Liver Pâté sourced from Thyme Again Gardens
-Jar of JK Mayonnaise
-Individual sized ready to bake Tourtière
-Ready to bake Tourtière for 6
-JK The Jamie Kennedy Cookbook
We look forward to exploring the County roads on delivery day as this new winterized iteration of Jamie Kennedy Kitchens unfolds.