Eating apples can be a wonderful way to challenge your assumptions.
I assumed, for instance, this last CSA delivery would be a soggy, gray, frigid event wrapped in sweaters and mittens with incessant damning of the weather. As it happens, many of you will be reading this on a sunny, 70 degree November afternoon.
I assumed that when we had a lovely apple bloom this spring that Maine would enjoy a robust apple crop this fall, with many varieties to choose from. Not quite so.
I have assumed over the years that an “heirloom” apple needed to very old, very unique, very beautiful, and very delicious. This is often the case, but sometimes it’s a low-key, university-bred variety that was set aside without fanfare decades ago and only recently developed a niche following.
I’ve often assumed heirloom apples, by definition, have an end date, but no beginning. As in, “released anytime before 1930.” But what about the seedling I planted just a few years ago when my son was born, and whatever apple it turns out to make? If my great grandchildren walk up to that tree, look up in awe, down in awe, and reach for one of a thousand of those apples covering the ground, surely they are reaching for an heirloom too.
Likewise for today’s apple breeders and propagators of select wild seedlings, whose work is based in assumptions, like “If I cross this with that, I assume it might be good in these ways,” or “If this wild tree grows well and tastes like this here, I’d like to assume it’ll be the same grown in my orchard.” Some of those crosses and relocations will work; some won’t.
I assume, at this point, I should stop assuming.
So goes this last distribution of our 2024 CSA: We’ve got classics, we’ve got classics you didn’t know were classics, and we’ve got one apple that may become a classic over time. None of which I would have assumed if you had asked me to write out the last CSA in advance.
Finally, I assume that John and Cammy, Laura Sieger, and Lily Dutton know how grateful Lizzie and I are for their support this season. Just in case: THANK YOU.
Likewise to you, for supporting our CSA and Maine orchards this year. We’ve had a great time and look forward to getting to know you more in the seasons ahead. Have a wonderful, restorative winter. We’ll talk to you in the spring!
-Khris
Picks of the week:
(Click each variety for more info)
I don’t know who first said “You can’t choose your parents,” but maybe it was someone named Spencer Melrose. Both of these apples—Spencer and Melrose—are offspring of industry standards like Mac and Red Delicious, but have overcome their original circumstances to live productive, impressive lives of their own. Melrose has even been named the official state apple of Ohio (where it was bred in the late 1920s). Both can keep fairly well, but we recommend them for fresh eating.
Elsewhere in your bag—probably in a corner of the bag with their arms folded and noses held high—are Golden Russett and Northern Spy, two heirloom gems that are required eating this time of year and beyond. There are few things more autumnal than the flavor of a ripe Golden Russet eaten fresh. Similarly, a “spy pie” is one of the few single-varietal pies known to hold its own (though you may consider blending in some of your Melrose if you need to fill out your pie dish).
Further along the Northern Spy family tree, we have Sweet Sixteen, a more recent (1978) introduction from the University of Minnesota. While it doesn’t have the backstory we associate with many heirlooms, it does have the novel flavor profile and eating experience. Previous palates have tasted cherry lifesavers, a hint of licorice, vanilla, or even bourbon. Give it a shot and let us know what you think!
Our apples come to you straight from the tree, so, as with all fresh produce, please be sure to wash them thoroughly before eating. Some of the apples are grown using Integrated Pest Management by the orchards we collaborate with throughout Maine, and some are organically grown here on Super Chilly Farm.
Recipe of the Week
Last Christmas John told me that the only thing on his wish list was a private lesson on making pie crusts. John does not do much cooking beyond his daily breakfast of oatmeal and applesauce that must be cooked on our wood stove, but with some cajoling we can usually convince him to make an apple pie or two for the holidays. John is a minimalist when it comes to pie baking - he generally uses only one variety of apple in a pie, and he uses just a touch of sugar and a pinch of spices so that the apples can sing on their own. While the inside of the pie is always bursting with apple flavor, the wholewheat crust he has been making for 40 years is neither tasty nor flaky. So I was delighted that he was ready to advance his baking skills and that as the gift giver, I could tag along and improve my crusts at the same time. But who would be willing to take us on? I remembered that OOAL CSA member Ingrid Bathe often whipped up scrumptious pies and tarts for sale around the holidays, so I reached out to her, and she was game. Last March we spent a delightful day in her kitchen doing some remedial crust making. We chopped and pulsed and gathered and rolled. We even convinced John to use all four of the spectacular storage apple varieties we brought along in both of the pies we made. You can see the impressive results in the pictures above.
Here are some things I learned from Ingrid: add cider vinegar to the water to soften the dough, dump the crumbly dough onto a silicone mat or parchment paper and fold up the sides to gather the dough together into a mound, and never put flour on your rolling pin. Ingrid also added a few dashes of angostura bitters in with the apples - that was a revelation. If you would like to try some of Ingrid’s baked goods for yourself (or perhaps convince her to give you a crust lesson), you can sign up to be notified of her upcoming events and sales. Thank you Ingrid for teaching these old dogs new tricks. We expect rave reviews on our pies this holiday season.
Ingrid’s Double Crust for a 9-10” Pie
To make a single crust pie, cut the recipe in half. If you prefer to mix by hand, you can use a pastry blender or a couple of forks to cut in the butter and a bench scraper, a spatula or your hands to mix in the liquid.
Ingredients:
21/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs granulated sugar
1/2 lb (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ice
Directions:
Start by putting 1 cup of cold water in a pyrex pitcher or bowl. Add ice cubes and 1/4 cup of vinegar
Add 1 TBS sugar and 1 tsp salt to the flour in bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine.
Refrigerate the butter until moments before you cut it into 1 “ cubes. Immediately arrange them on top of the flour mixture.
Pulse till the ingredients stop jumping and the butter is broken down to the size of peas.
Sprinkle 2 Tbs of the ice water and vinegar over the flour mixture, and pulse a few times. Add more ice water 1-2 Tbs at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough begins to stick to the sides of the food processor bowl. You will likely need to add 10-12 Tbs in total for a double crust pie.
Remove the lid of the food processor, and dump the dough out onto a rolling mat or a large piece of parchment or wax paper. Fold up the sides of the mat/paper, and use it to form the crumbly dough into a mound.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough in half. Quickly form each half into a flat disc. Wrap them in parchment paper, and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
If you wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, it will keep in the fridge for three days or the freezer for one month.
This is the last time I’ll be contributing a recipe to this newsletter, since going forward that task will be in Khris’ capable hands. So I couldn’t resist the opportunity for one more pie recipe. I’ve never been a fan of crumb top pies - until now. I’m not sure whether it’s the pecans or the bourbon but something in this pie makes me want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The recipe calls for very TART apples. If your apples are on the sweeter side of tart, cut back on the sugar and add some lemon juice.
Bourbon-Apple Crumble Pie
Ingredients:
Bourbon-Apple Crumble Pie made with Northern Spy
Dough for a 9” single crust pie (see above)
Crumble Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8-1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
salt
6 Tbs cold, unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Apple Filling
2 1/2 pounds TART apples, cored and sliced 1/4” thick
3 Tbs cold, unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup light brown sugar
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)
2 Tbs bourbon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out the dough, and line a 9-10” pie plate.
Prick dough all over with a fork, and then cover with foil. Fill the foil covered pastry with dry beans or pastry weights.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, remove foil and beans, and bake 8-10 minutes more until the pastry looks dry and is just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven, and cool.
Place flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor. and pulse briefly to blend.
Dice 6 Tbs butter, and add them to the food processor along with the pecans. Pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs. Set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet or pan. Add the apple slices, and sauté over medium heat until the edges of the apples begin to soften and caramelize. (I needed to do this in two batches to fit in all the apples.)
Remove the pan of apples from the heat, and add 1/4-1/2 cups brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a pinch of salt. If your apples aren’t too tart, add a Tbs of lemon juice. Stir to coat the apples with sugar and spice. Fold in the whiskey or bourbon.
Pour the apples into the crust, and top with the crumb mixture. Place the pan on a baking sheet, bake 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees, and bake 40 minutes longer or until the topping browns and the juices bubble.
Remove the pie from the oven, and allow the pie to cool completely before cutting.
This pie can be made a day in advance and warmed for serving.