Exercise, fresh air, and squirrel stew!

Being in the woods can be an adventure, and since squirrels are obviously the lifeblood of our nation, perhaps you should try stalking them in the woods. If nothing else, you'll get a little exercise, get a break from politics [insert Amen here], come away with some good memories, and maybe earn good table fare too. No, seriously!

October 3 deadline

The end of an era

Our current debit and EBT tokens will be retired/destroyed/turned into fire starters at the end of the 2020 market season. If you'd like to help design new ones, the deadline for submitting yours is October 3rd!

Upcoming Events

October 3, 10, & 17-DeSoto Farmers' Market: open from 8 AM until noon!

October 17-Cornhole Tournament: 2 PM at the market pavilion.

October 24-Covered Slab Craft Market: 9 AM to 1 PM.

A couple of announcements too:

The farmers' market will be installing two very special items soon. A bike rack will be installed on October 17th and a Little Free Library will be installed in October as well!

In addition to these items, we're planning a very special Christmas Home Tour this year! That's right! It is un-canceled! We'll provide details next week, and we'll be looking for your support as we navigate this modified fundraising event. It is very exciting, and we can hardly wait to share!

Courtesy of Petersen's Hunting

Insta-Pot Brunswick Stew

The idea of a stew for older or larger squirrels is that the longer cooking time helps tenderize the meat. This recipe uses an Insta-pot though, or your regular pressure cooker can be used. In the absence of an Insta-pot, a slow cooker can be used. The texture of the vegetables will be changed though.

Ingredients:

• 2 large fox squirrels, or 3 older grays; legs and back separated.
• salt and pepper
• 2 T. vegetable or olive oil
• 2 c. beef broth
• 2 med. carrots, chopped
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• one 14.5 oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• two 10 oz. cans of regular Ro-Tel
• 1 c. fresh or frozen sliced okra (can be omitted)
• 1 c. fresh or frozen corn
• 1 c. frozen baby lima beans
• 2 russet or yellow potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 T. light brown sugar
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 2 T. Worcestershire
• 1 t. hot sauce

Directions:

1. Start your pot on the sauté setting. Add the oil. Season the squirrel pieces well with sale and pepper. Brown them in the oil.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, place the lid on the pot, and set it on high pressure for 30 minutes.
3. Once the pressure cooking time is over, allow the pot to cool and release pressure, about 30 additional minutes. (This is just enough time to make cornbread!)
4. As soon as the lid comes off, check the stew for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
5. Serve the Brunswick Stew with freshly made cornbread from a cast-iron skillet for a complete meal.