Apple and Beet Borscht

Apple and Beet Borscht is adapted from "A Basket of Apples", by Val Archer. The soup is a lovely union of flavors, particularly for anyone who likes a soup on the sweeter side. We recommend using more apples than are called for in the original recipe to be sure they don’t get lost in the shuffle. Priscilla’s dense flesh make it a good candidate for cooking, as does Spartan’s firmness and sweet flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs melted butter

• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

• 1 lb (approx 2 cups) beets, peeled and coarsely grated

• 1 ½ cups red cabbage, coarsely grated

• 1 bouquet garni

• 2 Tbs cider vinegar

• 14 oz. can or 3 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes

• 4 ½ cups vegetable stock

• 3-4 dessert apples, peeled, cored and chopped

• 1 tsp dried dill

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• sour cream

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, fry onion in butter until transparent. Add carrot and celery, and fry for one minute. Add beets and cabbage to the saucepan with the bouquet garni.

2. Pour in chopped tomatoes, cider vinegar and stock, cover, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add apple and dried dill, and cook for a further 10 minutes or until cabbage and beets are cooked but not mushy.

3. Turn off heat. Remove half the soup and puree till smooth using an immersion blender, food processor or blender.

4. Pour the pureed soup back into the saucepan with the other half. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more water or stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Reheat without boiling.

6. Serve in bowls with a swirl of sour cream in each. Garnish with additional apple slices if desired.

Kathy Wallace's Apple-Beet Puree

This recipe comes from the first Maine apple camp. One day at lunch a festive bowl overflowing with soft, pink mounds of what looked like cherry-colored, mashed potatoes lit up the serving table. The card in front of it said Apple-Beet Puree. I scooped some onto my plate, gobbled it down, and went back for more. Before I let myself have a third helping, I tracked down the camp’s main kitchen wizard, Kate Wallace, who told me it was her mother’s recipe. Kate said her mother usually adds vinegar to the recipe to give it some bite, but tart apples provide that bite all on their own.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb beets, washed

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1 Tbs butter (or substitute olive oil)

• 4 cups tart apples, cored and chopped

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Trim the roots and the woody parts of the skin from the beets – no need to peel. Cut beets into ½” cubes, then toss with 1 TBS olive oil and ¼ tsp salt and spread on roasting pan.

3. Roast in oven for 45-50 minutes until they are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and cool.

4. Place cooled beets in the bowl of a food processor with 1/8 cup of water, and blend until smooth. Add more water as necessary.

5. Melt butter (or 1 TBS oil) in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent browning.

6. When the onions are beginning to soften, add the apple slices and sauté until they lose their shape and begin to break down into sauce. Add water to keep them from sticking. If the apples are firm, you may want to cover the pan as they cook.

7. When everything is soft and nearly saucy, add the onion-apple mixture to the food processor and puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold.

If it doesn’t have the zing you are looking for, try adding some apple cider vinegar. You can vary the proportion of beets to apples to highlight different flavors. A little beet goes a long way.

Apple-Blueberry Cobbler

This recipe was adapted from a Peach Blueberry Cobbler recipe in an Ayurvedic cookbook by Kate O’Donnell. We substituted apples with happy results.
(Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut oil – melted

• 2 cups of blueberries

• 10 apples – sliced

• 2 cups almond meal

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 4 Tbs sugar

• 2 tsp ginger

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp sweet spice mix (2 TBS cinnamon, 2 TBS ginger, 1 TBS cardamom, 1 tsp nutmeg)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x13” baking dish with coconut oil.

2. Place apples and blueberries in the greased baking dish.

3. In a mixing bowl combine the almond meal, oats, sugar, salt and spices.  Add the melted coconut oil and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Crumble this topping evenly over the fruit.

4. Bake 45-55 minutes until the fruit is soft and bubbly and the top is beginning to brown.

5. Serve warm with ice cream or yogurt.  Also good leftover for breakfast.

Apple-Blueberry Slump

…or Slurp (or is that a Grunt?)

Ingredients:

Filling

• 8 medium, sweet, firm apples, cored and sliced into 1/2" pieces

• 2 cups frozen blueberries

• ¼ cup sugar (or a little more if your berries are tart)

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ginger

• ¼ tsp cloves

Dough

• 1 cup flour

• ½ Tbs baking powder

• 2 tsp sugar

• 3 Tbs butter

• ½ cup milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 2-qt. baking dish.

2. Place the apples, blueberries, sugar and spices in a skillet or shallow saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes until the apple slices are just tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally. No need to add water because the fruit supplies its own juice that keeps it from sticking.

3. In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Cut the butter into cubes, and add to the flour mixture. Use your hands to mix it together until it resembles crumbs. Stir in milk and vanilla, then mix until just blended.

4. Put the fruit mixture into the greased baking dish. Spoon dollops of dough over the top.

5. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until the top is brown. Serve warm with ice cream or English custard.

Apple Bread Budding with Salted Caramel Sauce

What could be more comforting than a big bowl of warm bread pudding laced with cinnamon and apples for breakfast, lunch or dinner? And if you still feel in need of a little lovin’ when it’s all gone, you can always eat the leftover caramel sauce with a spoon. This recipe comes from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by Amy Traverso who recommends using a firm-sweet apple, such as Gravenstein.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf (1#) crusty white bread

• 11/2 cups caramelized apples (see below)

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups half & half

• ¼ cup white sugar

• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 Tbs vanilla extract

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp kosher salt

Caramelized Apples

• 11/2 Tbs salted butter

• 11/4 lbs firm-sweet apples - cored and cut into 1/2” cubes

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

• 1/8 cup apple cider

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 Tbs white sugar

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Caramelized Apples

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and spices, and cook til the apples are softened and lightly browned in spots, stirring occasionally. This should take 10-15 minutes depending on the firmness of your apples.

2. Add the apple cider, and stir until the cider reduces and becomes a glaze over the apples, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the maple syrup and sugar, and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is think and glossy and the apples are tender, 4-6 minutes.

Bread Pudding

1. Butter a 11’x7” baking dish. Set aside.

2. Trim the sides and ends of the bread loaf; leave crusts on the top and bottom. Cut the loaf into 11/2” pieces, and arrange them evenly in the prepared pan. Tuck the caramelized apples among the pieces of bread.

3. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, half & half, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour this mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

4. About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake the pudding, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and set the rack to the middle position. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator, and toss the bread and apples with your hands to make sure everything is moistened.

5. Bake until the top of the pudding is golden brown and the custard is set - about 50 minutes.

6. While the pudding is baking, make the caramel sauce. Pour 3/4 cup water into a 2-3 qt. saucepan. Mound the sugar in the center of the pot - don’t let it touch the sides. Turn the heat up to high, cover, and cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble and turn a pale amber, about 12-15 minutes. Resist the urge to stir or swirl the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the caramel darkens to amber. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the cream. (Watch out for a burst of steam.) Add the salt, and stir.

7. Serve the pudding hot. Pass the caramel sauce to drizzle over the top.

Apple Brownies

Everyone who tries these Apple Brownies asks for the recipe, including the food editor from Martha Stewart Living.  The recipe is adapted from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by Amy Traverso.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white flour

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 8 Tbs salted butter, melted and cooled

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• ½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

• 2 large, firm, dessert apples (such as Grimes Golden or Jonathan), cored and cut into 1/4” cubes
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°, and set a rack in the middle position.  Generously grease an 11" x 7” baking dish, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk dry ingredients, and set aside.  In separate bowl beat butter, sugar and egg until pale and well combined. Add nuts and apples, and stir until evenly mixed, about 30 seconds. Fold in flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

3. Spread batter in the greased pan, and bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  These smell so good you may be tempted to cut into them right away, but try to hold off; the flavor and texture get better as they cool.

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe was adapted from Apples, A Country Garden Cookbook by Christopher Idone. You can substitute coconut milk for the cream and coconut oil for the butter to make this a vegan soup. We use scraps (onion and garlic skins, celery leaves, even apple peels) to make our own vegetable stock.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs unsalted butter

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 2 Tbs curry powder

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 large butternut squash (approx. 8 cups), peeled, seeded, and chopped

• 3 firm, tart apples (such as RI Greening, Baldwin or Stark), peeled, cored and diced

• salt and pepper

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley or fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry and chili powders, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add half the stock, and bring to a boil.

2. Transfer the mixture to a soup kettle, add the squash and apples, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the squash is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

3. Strain the soup, and reserve the liquid. Puree the pulp in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Return the puree, reserved liquid, cream, and remaining stock to a kettle, and bring just to a simmer.

4. Serve in bowls sprinkled with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Apple Celeriac Slaw

Apple Celeriac Slaw is adapted from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. Get creative with this slaw.  Try tossing in thin slices of red cabbage, slivered spicy or bitter greens (arugula, mustard greens, anything from the chicory family) or finely chopped fresh marjoram, parsley, or whatever other herbs you have on hand. Toasted pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 celeriac root (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into matchsticks or grated

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 tart, firm apples (such as Macoun, Gravenstein, or King of Tompkins County), cut to match the size of the celeriac root

• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:

• 4 Tbs olive oil

• 1.5 Tbs smooth Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp salt

• Fresh-ground pepper to taste

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine celeriac and red onion in a large bowl.

2. Combine mustard, mustard seeds, lemon juice, sugar, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.

3. Toss the vinaigrette with the celeriac and the red onion, and let it marinate at least an hour. Refrigerate if letting it sit longer than an hour.

4. Add the apple slices and toss again just before serving.

Apple Cheddar Pizza

This recipe is a perennial favorite.  We make it with whatever apples are lying on the counter when the dough is ready, and it is always delicious.  It's even good cold for breakfast the next day, if there is any left.

Ingredients:

• Dough for 1 pizza

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 Tbs brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2-3 apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1/2 Tbs crumbled dried sage

• coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Add the onions to a saute pan over low heat with a bit of oil,  1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 Tbs brown sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally  for 20-30 minutes until the onions are soft and caramelized. (Be careful not to let them burn!) Once they are done, add the garlic, and cook for two minutes more.

2. Roll out or stretch the dough, and transfer to a baking sheet or pizza stone.  A little corn meal on the pan will keep the dough from sticking.  Coat the edges of the dough lightly with oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

3. Spread garlic and onions evenly over pizza.  Add apple slices, leaving 1/4 inch between each slice. The slices must be thin, or they will not cook quickly enough. Cover the pizza with cheese, being careful not to cover apple slices too thickly. Sprinkle the dried sage over the top.

4. Bake at 500˚ until crust is brown, cheese is melted, and apples are cooked, about 8-12 minutes.  Cool for several minutes before slicing.

Apple Cheddar Scones

For years I have been searching for an apple scone recipe that seemed worthy of the effort. I’ve tried lots of different ones that I thought they were too heavy, too bread-like or sadly tasteless. I even tried to add apples to my favorite, never-fail, berry scone recipe, and the results were disastrous. But finally, I think I have found (with a bit of help from our daughter, Tracy) a recipe that might be worthy of The Great British Bake Off. It comes from the website Smittenkitchen.com and is adapted from a recipe by Bill Yosses. The apple and cheddar make a perfect pair; and because you bake the apple first, the dough stays rather dry and crumbly like a good scone should. I made them with both 20 Ounce and Wolf River; the Wolf River made for a drier and chewier scone while the 20 Ounce scone was moister and showed off more of the apple flavor. John thought I should have added even more apples.

Ingredients:

• 2 firm, tart apples (1 lb) - peeled and cored

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (6.75 oz)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1½ Tbs for sprinkling (2.2 oz total)

• ½ Tbs baking powder (7 gr)

• ½ tsp salt (3 gr) plus additional for egg wash

• 6 Tbs (3 oz) unsalted butter - chilled and cut into ½” cubes

• ½ cup (2.25 oz) extra sharp cheddar - shredded (white is recommended)

• 1/4 cup heavy cream (2 oz)

• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Position rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter.

2. Cut the apples in half horizontally, and then cut each half into 8 even-sized chunks. Place them in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Bake them until they begin to brown and feel dry to the touch. This should take about 20 minutes. They should still be firm and only half-baked.

3. Let the apples cool completely. If you are in a hurry, you can put them in the fridge. (In a rare moment of planning ahead, I baked the apples the night before so they were cooled and ready to turn into scones for breakfast.)

4. When the apples are cool, turn the oven back on to 375°. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

5. If you have an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, place the butter in the bowl of the mixer along with the apples, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the top. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix.

6. If you don’t have a stand mixer, rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers and a pastry blender, chop the apples into bits with a knife, and mix in the rest of the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. This is more work, but there is less chance of overmixing.

7. Coat your counter top with flour, and scrape the dough onto it. Sprinkle more flour on top. Use your hands to pat the dough into a 6” circle that is 11/4” thick. Cut into 6 wedges. Transfer onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Leave 2” between the scones - they are going to spread out as they bake.

8. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with the remaining 1½ Tbs (or less) of sugar. Bake 30 minutes until they are golden brown.

9. Cool the scones on a wire rack for 10 minutes before eating.

10. You can make these ahead and freeze them unbaked. When you remove them from the freezer brush them with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and put them directly in the oven. They will only need a few extra minutes to bake when they are frozen. This way, if you want them for brunch, you can still sleep in and impress your guests.

11. Eat these the day they are baked.

12. Here’s a suggestion from shareholder, Stacey, on how to revive your day-old scones. “It requires a microwave, small pyrex or other microwave-safe bowl, hot water and a microwave plate/splatter cover. Put some hot water (1/4 cup or so) in the pyrex dish and place it on the turntable in the microwave. Put a scone on a small microwave-safe plate and also put it on the turntable in the microwave. Cover both the pyrex dish and the plate with the scone in it with a microwave plate/splatter cover so it covers both dishes at once (or at least as much of both dishes together as you can). Set your microwave for 30 seconds on full power (Stacy’s microwave uses 1000 watts) and start. The scone comes out fluffy, and not dry at all. The flavor of the apples also comes more to the front like it had when just freshly cooked. ”

Apple Cheese Pancakes (with or without the cheese)

This recipe is adapted from that old ‘70’s kitchen bible, The Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen. Mollie calls for ricotta or cottage cheese – but we prefer them with plain yogurt instead. They are light and flavorful; the eaters at our table were divided on whether they were better with maple syrup or without.  Mollie Katzen said that any apple would work well, except Red Delicious.  I bet she had no idea of the number of choices that would leave.  If you use a sweet apple, put in less honey.  If you choose a tart one, try lowering the amount of lemon juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1 heaping packed cup of grated apple

• 3/4 cup flour – 1/2 cup white, 1/4 cup whole wheat

• 1 Tbs honey

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 Tbs sliced almonds or sunflower seeds

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• dash of nutmeg

• 4 eggs – separated

• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Mix everything together except the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and then fold them into the batter.

2. Fry the pancakes in butter or vegetable oil over medium heat until they are brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup, preserves, yogurt, or fruit.

3. And if you just need to have a little cheese, try grating up some cheddar and adding it to the batter.  It oozes out of the pancakes as it cooks and makes a little ring of crispy fried cheese around it.  Kinda delicious.

Apple Cheese Tart

This recipe was contributed by CSA member, Kelly Roopchand who makes it with the tasty goat cheese she makes at Pumpkin Vine Farm in Somerville. .

Ingredients:

Tart Shell

• 8 Tbs unsalted butter

• 1½ cups flour

• ¼ cup almond meal/ground almonds

• 2 Tbs cane sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1+ Tbs ice water

• ½ tsp almond extract

Filling

• 8 oz. goat cheese

• 2 Tbs honey

• ½ cup golden raisins

• 4 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Topping

• 1 cup flour

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp cardamom

• ½ cup butter (¼ cup cut in small cubes, ¼ cup melted)

• ¼ cup cane sugar

• 1 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Dough - In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg, ice water and almond extract, and set aside. In a separate bowl rub together the butter and flour until the mixture resembles small peas in sand. Stir in almond meal and sugar, and toss with your fingers until combined. Add the egg mixture, and mix until the dough comes together.  Knead the dough a few times until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 20-30 minutes.

2. Topping - In another medium-sized bowl whisk flour and spices, and rub in butter with your fingers. Stir in sugar and then almonds. Set aside.

3. Filling - In a separate bowl, stir together goat cheese and honey until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Roll the chilled dough to fit a 10-inch, fluted tart pan. Using a rolling pin, roll over the top of the tart pan to trim off the excess. Spread the goat cheese/honey mixture in the bottom of the tart shell in one even layer. Arrange the apple slices over the goat cheese mixture in overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle the raisins over the top of the apples. Cover completely with the topping. Drizzle the melted butter sporadically over the crumb topping.

6. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and the apples are tender. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Apple and Chevre Bruschetta

This bruschetta is a welcome change from the usual tomato fare.  And you can make it all winter long with your favorite storage apples.  Use red-skinned ones to brighten up the pre-dinner festivities.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chevre

• 1 red-skinned, dessert apple (such as Rome, Nodhead or Macoun)

• ¾ tsp chopped fresh thyme

• ½ tsp chopped fresh oregano

• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

• half a baguette of French bread, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Core and chop the apples, but don’t peel. Mix the apples with chevre, herbs and the pepper.

2. Arrange the slices of baguette on a baking sheet and put under the broiler for a minute or two, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides.

3. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bread slices, and return to the broiler until the cheese is softened. Serve immediately.

Apple Chutney

We think this recipe from The Apple Connection by Beatrice Ross Buszek is a great way to utilize the late summer abundance.  Chutney is a nice complement to a spicy curry or it can be used as a spread, served with bread or crackers and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ lbs apples, finely chopped

• 3 ½ lbs pears, finely chopped

• 2 lbs green tomatoes, finely chopped

• 2 lbs onions, finely chopped

• 1 lb small zucchini, finely chopped

• 8 oz seedless raisins

• 8 oz brown sugar

• 3 cups cider vinegar

• 2 oz pickling spice (tied in cotton bag)

• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine half of the vinegar with all the ingredients except the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.

2. Add sugar, salt, and rest of the vinegar. Cook until thick, then remove spice bag. 

3. Keep refrigerated or preserve it  for the winter using a boiling water bath.  Consult the Ag Extension Service, USDA or your favorite canning book for canning methods and times.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

This apple crisp recipe comes to us courtesy of CSA member, Jane Benson. Apples and cranberries are always a delightful combination.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium apples—cored, diced or sliced thinly (about 4 cups)

• 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

• ½ cup white or raw sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)

• 6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

• 1-2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix apples, cranberries, and white sugar, and spoon into a large, greased casserole dish.

3. Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, and melted butter to form a crumbly topping. S pread the topping evenly over the fruit, and bake 1 hour until bubbly and lightly browned. Eat for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner until it’s gone.

Apple Dumplings

Apple dumplings are your Personal Pie in a Pastry.  If one of the pie eaters in your household continually takes more than his or her fair share of pie, you can keep the big eaters in check by making everyone his or her own personal pie. It's a pomological version of pigs-in-a-blanket.

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 2¼ cups flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 2/3 cup shortening, chilled

• ½ cup milk

Filling

• 6 firm, medium/large apples

• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

• ½ cup raisins or dates, chopped

• 3 Tbs butter

Syrup

• 1½ cup sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 2 cups water

• ¼ cup (half stick) butter

Topping

• 1/3 cup sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in chilled shortening. When pieces of dough are the size of small peas, add milk, and stir until incorporated. Form into a ball, and wrap in wax paper. Chill until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

3. Peel and core apples. Fill hollowed apple cores with raisins and walnuts.

4. To make the topping, combine cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl, and set aside.

5. To make the syrup combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cook for five minutes. Stir in butter, and set aside.

6. Roll pastry dough into an 18 x 12” rectangle. Cut dough into 6” squares. Place an apple in the center of each pastry square. Dot the tops with butter, and sprinkle with half the sugar/spice topping mix. Moisten edges of dough with water, and fold the corners so that they meet on top of each apple, forming a shell of dough that covers every part of the apple.

7. Place the covered apples in a 13 x 9” baking dish or other baking pan — just be sure that there is space for about an inch of syrup in the bottom of the pan to bake the dumplings. Pour syrup over apples, and then sprinkle the remainder of sugar/spice mixture over the moistened dumplings.

8. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool and serve.

Apple & Elderberry Pie

from Apple Pie by Ken Haedrich (originally from our friend Nancy Phillips, an herbalist, gardener and wife of orchardist, Michael Phillips)

Make this pie with sweet apples to balance out the bitterness of the elderberries. Rumor has it that if the apples don’t keep the doctor away, the elderberries will.

Ingredients:
Bottom Dough:
• 1 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1 stick chilled butter - cut into cubes
• pinch of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2-3 Tbs ice water

Pie Filling:
• 6 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 cups elderberries
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• pinch of cloves
• pinch of ginger

Oat Crumble Top:
• 1 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup oats
• 2/3 cups light brown sugar
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick chilled butter - cut into cubes

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the cubes of the butter, and mix them into the dry ingredients with your fingers.

2. Once the dough resembles sand with peas in it, add the water. You can add more if the dough is too dry; you want the dough to stick to itself well.

3. Form the dough into a disc, and wrap it in waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

4. Mix the apples with the other pie filling ingredients, and let sit.

5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

6. Roll out the crust, and lay it into a deep-dish pie plate. Add the filling.

7. Bake the pie for about 30 minutes in the middle of your oven.

8. While it’s baking, mix the dry ingredients for the crumble top in the food processor, and then add the cubes of butter and pulse several times.

9. After 30 minutes remove the pie from the oven, and add the topping.

10. Turn your oven down to 375°F, and return the pie to the oven.

11. Bake the pie for an additional 30 minutes. After 15 minutes check the pie; cover the crust with foil if it’s getting too dark.

 Apple-Fruit Kuchen

This recipe is another winner from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by Amy Traverso. Kuchen is a “rich German yeast-raised cake filled with fruit and dotted on the top with jam”, although there is no yeast involved in this recipe. I’m not a big fan of cakes, but this was delicious both warm out of the oven and cold the next day. And it was easy. I used Canadian Strawberry for the apple variety which took 20 minutes longer to cook than the recipe called for, but in that time the pastry turned a stunning golden brown. Slightly tarter apples, such as St. Lawrence or Milton would have been good in the Kuchen as well and may have softened a bit more quickly because of their higher acidity. Amy’s recipe calls for apricot jam, but any stone fruit or berry jam would work.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 1/3 cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 16 TBS (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

Filling:

• 5-6 large, firm-sweet apples (about 2#)

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar

• 1 TBS lemon juice

• 2-4 TBS fruit jam (or more to taste)

• 2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Dough - Put flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand-held mixer). Use the whisk attachment on low speed to combine the ingredients for 10 seconds. Add butter and eggs, and mix at medium-high speed til the ingredients form a ball, about 1 minute. Divide dough into two equal pieces, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Filling - Core and cut the apples into 1/4” thick slices. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar and lemon juice. Stir till sugar and lemon juice are evenly distributed.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees , and set the rack in the middle of the oven.

4. Press one ball of chilled dough into the bottom and up the sides of a deep- dish, 10” pie plate. Cover the dough with the sliced apples. Top the apples all over with small blobs of jam.

5. Divide the remaining ball of dough into 15 small balls and arrange them on top of the apples. They spread out as they cook so you may not need all the dough. Sprinkle the top with 1 tsp of sugar and the cinnamon.

6. Bake for 40 - 60 minutes, depending on which apples you use. The crust should be golden brown and the apples soft.

7. Remove to a rack, and cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Apple Ginger Shrub

We have been researching, inventing, and enjoying lots of shrubs lately, so why not an apple one for the fall? The name shrub supposedly is from the Arabic “sharab” which means “to drink”, although it might as well have been inspired by the plants that bore the fruits the early colonists mixed with sweetner and vinegar. It was one of the ways they could preserve the harvest of the summer and fall to enjoy throughout the rest of the year.

These days shrubs are the darlings of mixologists everywhere. You make them by macerating fruit with sugar or honey, adding vinegar and letting the mixture steep for several days to a week. Once the pulp is strained out, the resulting juice can be combined with water or seltzer or used in a cocktail. Shrubs sound scary with all that vinegar in them, but they can cleanse your palate, stimulate your taste buds, quench your thirst and , with the combination of apples, cider vinegar and ginger, this one also has to be good for what ails you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup juicy, flavorful dessert apples - grated

• 1 cup sugar or honey

• 1 TBS fresh ginger - grated

• 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Grate the unpeeled apples into a non-reactive bowl.

2. Mix with the sugar (you can use less than a cup of honey if you are using that) and the grated ginger.

3. Cover the bowl tightly so no fruit flies get in, and let it sit 24-48 hours on your counter. Stir it whenever you remember.

4. After a day or two, when you can see that juice has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl, pour in the vinegar, and mix well. Transfer everything into a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid.

5. Let this mixture rest on your counter or in your fridge for 5-7 days. Then pour it through a fine strainer to remove the pulp. You can use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to press out all the juice.

6. Return the juice to the glass jar, and put the lid back on. Now you are ready to use your shrub in mocktails or cocktails or straight in a shot glass to get you going in the morning.

7. Most recipes say that shrubs keep for several weeks in the fridge, but decide for yourself. My experience is that they keep for months.

Apple Honey Custard Pie

This recipe is inspired by the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. We used Flaky Butter Pastry from Apple of Your Pie by Eileen Maher Kronauer. If you love custard AND apple pies, this is the right recipe to try as fall approaches. A warm, soothing custard really adds to the familiar apple pie flavor. Substitute maple syrup as the sweetener for a positively New England experience.

Ingredients:

Crust (makes two shells - either make two pies at once or freeze for later)

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 15 Tbs cold, unsalted butter cut into ½ in. pieces

• 1 large egg, slightly beaten

• 8-10 Tbs ice water

Filling

• 2 cups apples, cored, and sliced

• 4 large eggs

• ¾ cup honey

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Crust - Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry knife or your hands, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized bits. Refrigerate 10 minutes to chill.

2. Whisk together the eggs and water in a small bowl. Add three Tbs of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue adding the egg mixture one Tbs at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough begins to clump together. Form dough into two balls, and flatten each into 4-inch disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out one of the doughs from the center, rotating with every roll to ensure an even circle. Transfer to a pie plate, trimming and decorating the edges as desired. Save the other dough for another day.

4. Filling - Preheat oven to 375˚.

5. Spread the apple slices evenly over the unbaked pie shell.

6. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender, and run at high speed for several seconds. Pour the custard over the apples. Sprinkle on some chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds recommended), if desired.

7. Bake 45 minutes or until firm. Cool to room temperature before cutting.

 Apples and 'Kraut

This is the most flexible of dishes – use it as a stand-alone accompaniment to chicken or pork. Spread it on a piece of toast, cover it with a sharp cheddar or parmesan and put it under the broiler till the cheese melts – voila! – lunch. Layer it between two flour tortillas, sprinkle on some cheese and pan-fry it for a unique quesadilla. Mix it up with a couple of scrambled eggs at breakfast time. Leave out the bacon, if you dare, and it becomes a savory treat for the few remaining bacon holdouts among us.

Ingredients:

• 3 apples – cored and chopped into ¼” pieces

• 6 strips bacon – chopped into small pieces

• 1 medium onion – diced

• 1 cup of sauerkraut

Directions:

1. Combine the bacon and onions in a pan, and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.

2. Add the apples to the pan, and continue to cook until the bacon has browned and the apples are tender when poked with a fork. Tender apples take less time to soften and cook. Firm apples take longer so add them right after the bacon begins to sizzle.

3. When everything is cooked, stir in the sauerkraut and heat for 1-2 minutes more until the sauerkraut is warm.

4. Serve any way you like!

Apple-Lime Custard Tart

Make this refreshing pie on a steamy day in the late summer when the first of the apples are dropping off the tree. Although it does require some baking, it gets chilled before serving so it provides a cool finale to a busy day in the orchard.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups pecans

• 4 Tbs butter or coconut oil

• 4 Tbs sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

Filling

• 4 large apples, cored and sliced

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• zest and juice from half a lime

• whip cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Make the crust by blending the crust ingredients in a food processor until fine.

3. Grease a 9" pie pan. Press the nut mixture into the pie pan with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Evenly cover the bottom and sides.

4. Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Place the apples in the food processor and process until the apples are reduced to pulp. Add the other ingredients and pulse until they are thoroughly mixed. The apple peels should look like bright flecks in the mixture.

6. Pour the filling into the crust, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the custard has set but still quivers.

7. Remove from the oven, cool, and refrigerate. Even better - put it in the freezer. Just let it sit out to thaw a bit before serving so you can slice it.

Apple-Mint Chutney

(from Apples: A Country Garden Cookbook by Christopher Idone)

It is easy to find recipes that pair apples with pork, I have yet to find one that matches apples with lamb. People eat mint sauce on lamb, so how about this apple-mint chutney? John ate it alongside lamb stew and gave it the thumbs up. We ate it again as a condiment for dal. Try it on rice or pork or with your favorite curry. Pretty good right from the spoon.

The recipe calls for three tamarind pods or ½ cup of canned tamarind paste.  I have no idea where to find tamarind pods in Waldo County so I bought a jar of the paste at the Belfast Co-op Store. It worked well and was easier than soaking the seeds, squeezing out the pulp and straining.

Ingredients

• ½ cup canned tamarind

• 1/3 cup water

• 6 tart apples (I made this once with two Wolf Rivers and another time with two Twenty Ounce – the recipe recommends a Greening) – cored and diced

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup cider vinegar

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp dried mint

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a nonreactive pan.  

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until the apples are tender and the mixture is thick and pink.

3. Remove from heat, and cool.

4. Keeps in the refrigerator up to two weeks.  Makes about one quart.

Mosaic Apple Tart

from The Smitten Kitchen

This tart is easy to make and beautiful to look at. It tastes good too. Since it is made with puff pastry, it is a light alternative to a pie.

Ingredients:

Tart base:

• 14-oz package puff pastry, preferably a brand made with all butter - defrosted

• 3 large or 4 medium apples (about 1 1/4 pounds)

• 2 Tbs granulated sugar

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits

Salted caramel glaze:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter

• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (or half as much table salt)

• 2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed, 10×15-inch jellyroll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lightly flour your counter, and lay out the pastry. Flour the top, and gently roll it until it fits inside the baking sheet, and transfer it there. Roll over the edge of the puff pastry a bit to make a small border.

3. Cut the apples into quarters from stem to blossom end, and core. Slice the apples quarters as thinly as you can with a knife or mandoline. Fan the apples around the tart in a slightly overlapping spiral — each apple should overlap the one before it so that only about 3/4-inch of the previous apple is visible — until you reach the middle. Sprinkle the apples evenly with two Tbs of the sugar, and dot with two Tbs of butter.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the tart are brown and the edges of the apples begin to take on some color. If you sliced your apples by hand, and they are on the thicker side, you might need a little more baking time to cook them through. The apples should feel soft and dry to the touch. If your puffed pastry bubbles dramatically in any place during the baking time, simply poke it with a knife so that it deflates.

5. About 20 minutes into the baking time, make your glaze. (Resist the urge to prepare this sooner or it will harden in the pan and make a mess.) In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt your remaining 1/4 cup sugar; this will take about 3 minutes. Cook the liquefied sugar to a nice copper color, another minute or two. Remove from the heat, add the sea salt and butter, and stir until the butter melts and is incorporated. Add the heavy cream, and return to the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or two until you have a lovely, bronzed caramel syrup.

6. After the tart has baked, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on. Using very short, gentle strokes/pats, brush the entire tart, including the pastry border, with the salted caramel glaze. Return the apple tart to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the caramel glaze bubbles.

7. Let tart cool complete before cutting into 12 squares. Serve plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Apple Mostarda

(adapted from a recipe by Chef Joe Sparatta)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• ¼ cup hard apple cider (although I didn’t try it, I suspect sweet cider could replace the hard cider and some of the sugar)

• ½ cup sugar

• 1” fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

• ¼ large onion - finely diced

• 3 TBS yellow mustard seed

• 1½ pounds tart apples – diced

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, cider, sugar, ginger, salt and pepper over high heat. Bring to boil.

2. Add the onion and mustard seeds. Lower the heat to medium, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent and the liquid is reduced by half – 10-15 minutes. Add the apples, and cook another 15-20 minutes until the mixture become soft and spreadable. Add more cider if it becomes too dry as it cooks to prevent burning.

3. Remove from the heat. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

4. The Mostarda can be served over pork loin. As an appetizer it pairs well with an aged Gouda or semifirm cow’s milk cheese on a crostini or cracker.

Apple Muffins

These muffins have been adapted from those featured in The Joy of Cooking by Erma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker.  We think that the addition of crystallized ginger gives these muffins a pleasant “oomph”. One CSA member recommends using cardamom in place of cinnamon in apple muffins to transform the flavor into something more sophisticated and complex.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of all purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 ½ cups grated apple

• 5 Tbs butter

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup (or more) crystallized ginger (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together, and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together. Stir in the apples, and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so that the apples release their juices. Stir in the melted butter, ginger and nuts. Fold the apple mixture into the dry ingredients.

3. Divide the batter among 12 greased or lined muffin tins.

4. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a testing stick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pans, as they are very tender.

Apple Nut Cake

from the Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier, who obtained the recipe from an orcharding family in Pennsylvania. In lieu of the sugary topping called for, we drizzled apple molasses on top!

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 6 medium apples, cored and diced

• 1 cup chopped nuts

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil or spray a 9x13" baking dish.

2. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat well.

3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, apples, nuts, and vanilla; beat until just combined.

4. Scrape batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

5. To make the topping, boil together the brown sugar, butter, and milk for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately poke the tines of a fork down through the cake (about 15 jabs all around the cake). Pour the topping over the hot cake.

7. Serve warm or let cool.

Apple – Onion Tart

I have made this tart three different ways. I started out with every intention of following the recipe to the letter, but I just couldn’t do it. For starters, I sliced the apples instead of grated them, then added more apples than was originally called for and layered them on the bottom of the crust. This meant I had to increase the number of eggs so that the egg mixture actually covered the filling. The end result (which is what is described below) was excellent.

Some of the eaters on our farm prefer dairy-free foods, so I made a second tart where I substituted coconut oil for the butter in the crust, olive oil for the butter used for sautéing the apples and onions, and applesauce for the heavy cream. I also left out the cheese and threw in some nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor. I topped this quiche with some late garden tomatoes that worked surprisingly well with the apples. Although there was one small piece of this tart left at the end of the meal, I don’t think anyone suspected that the two tarts were worlds apart in their ingredient lists.

Finally I made a third tart where I used a cup of cornmeal instead of a cup of flour in the crust. The only cheese I had on hand was some Parmesan so I omitted cheese from the crust and filling and sprinkled a bit on the top. I do think the cheese would have added something to the nicely crunchy cornmeal crust. So next time I will add that back in as well as some roasted poblanos to balance out the apples. Basically you can GO WILD with this recipe.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cups flour

• pinch of salt

• ¼ tsp dry mustard

• 6 Tbs butter

• ¾ cup grated Cheddar or Gruyere Cheese

• 2-3 Tbs water

Filling

• 2 Tbs butter

• 1 large onion – finely chopped

• 3 large apples – cored and thinly sliced (try Nodhead and Hurlbut)

• 5 eggs

• 2/3 cup heavy cream

• ¼ tsp Herbs de Provence

• ½ tsp dry mustard

• 4 oz Gruyere or Cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, salt, and dry mustard together in a bowl. Rub in the butter and cheese until the mixture forms soft crumbs. Add 2-3 Tbs water and stir together into a ball. Wrap in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Melt 2 Tbs butter in a medium-sized skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. When the onion is soft, stir in the apple slices, and sauté for another 4-5 minutes till they start to get tender. Set aside to cool.

3. Roll out the pastry, and lay it into a greased 9” fluted quiche pan. (A pie plate will work too.) Chill for 20 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. Line the chilled pastry shell with parchment paper and dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Beat together the eggs, cream, herbs, seasoning and mustard. Grate ¾ of the cheese, and stir in to the egg mixture. When the pastry shell is cooked, remove the parchment paper and beans and pour in the egg mixture.

7. Slice the remainder of the cheese, and arrange the slices over the top of the egg mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, and return the tart to the oven. Bake 30 minutes until the egg is set and the top is golden. Serve hot or warm.

Apple Pandowdy

(Serves 4 to 6)
 Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

• 1 Tbs granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

• 3 to 4 Tbs ice water

• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

• 2 large, tart, firm apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 2 large, sweet, soft apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 tsp grated zest from one lemon

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• cinnamon sugar

• 1 tsp milk
  

Directions:

1. Crust - Mix flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Scatter the butter pieces into the flour mixture; cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs with butter bits no larger than small peas.

2. Sprinkle 3 Tbs ice water over the mixture. With the blade of a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix. Press down on the dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding 1 Tbs more ice water if the dough will not come together. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and press into either a square or a circle, depending on whether you are using a square or round pan. Wrap the dough in the plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before rolling out.

3. Assembly - Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

4. If the dough has been refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let it stand at room temperature until malleable.

5. Toss the apple slices, brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla together in a large bowl until the apples are evenly coated with the sugar. Place the apples in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round glass baking pan.

6. Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of wax paper to a 10-inch square or circle. Trim the dough to the exact size of the baking dish.

7. Place the dough on top on the apples. Leave a 1/4-inch gap between the dough and the sides of the pan to allow steam to escape as the fruit bakes. This will keep the crust from getting soggy.  Brush the dough with the milk, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cut four 1-inch vents into the dough.

8. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

9. Score the pastry in a wide grid pattern with a knife as soon as it emerges from the oven. Use the edge of a spoon or spatula to press the edges of the crust squares down into the fruit without completely submerging them. Because the crust will soften quickly, serve pandowdy warm.

Apple and Peach Crisp

Ingredients:

• 4 cups tart apples, cored and sliced

• 3 cups peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

• Zest from ½ lemon

• 2 Tbs flour

Topping

• 2/3 cup flour

• 1/3 cup corn meal

• 2/3 cup sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup solidified coconut oil (or cold, unsalted butter)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix the apples, peaches, sugar, lemon juice and zest together in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, check the amount of juice in the bottom of the bowl. If a lot of juice has accumulated, mix in 2 Tbs flour. If there is not much juice, mix in less.

4. Pour into an 8”x10” baking dish.

5. To make the topping, put the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse till mixed. Take off the lid and scatter pieces of solidified coconut oil or butter over the mix. Pulse repeatedly until the mixtures looks like breadcrumbs. (You can also do this in a regular old bowl with a your fingers or a fork.)

6. Spread the topping over the fruit, and smooth evenly with your hands.

7. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the apples are tender and the juices bubble up through the streusel.

8. Remove from oven, and cool before serving, if you can wait.

Apple and Peach Paradise

This recipe was adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. We make it with early apples because that is when the peaches are ripe in our orchard.
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

Filling

• 4 tart apples (such as Wealthy, Duchess or Alexander)

• 4 fresh peaches (peeling is optional)

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

Crumble

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup butter

• ½ tsp salt, if butter is unsalted

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°

2. Wash, core and slice the peaches and apples. Lay the fruit slices in alternating layers in a 9-inch baking pan or pie plate. Splash lemon juice over fruit slices after every layer.

3. To make the crumble, mix the dry ingredients in a shallow bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture with two forks, a pastry knife, or your fingertips. Work until the mixture resembles a dry meal—it should not become oily. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes til the juices are bubbling.

Apple-Pear Galette With Apple Cider Caramel

This galette recipe that pairs two fruit cousins, the apple and the pear, comes from the NY Times. The crust is flaky and so easy - you just dump the mixed dough into a piece of plastic wrap and squoosh it into a disc. After an hour of chilling, it is a breeze to roll out. The recipe calls for a Bartlett pear which is pretty bland, so feel free to try your favorite variety. The galette is excellent without the sauce on it, but who doesn’t like salted caramel? A little drizzle moves this dessert from excellent to ecstacy.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

• ½ cup whole-wheat flour

• 2 Tbs sugar

• ¾ tsp kosher salt

• 10 Tbs cold unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), cut into pieces

• 4 Tbs ice water

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for brushing

For the filling:

• 1 to 2 crisp apples, such as 20 oz., cored and very thinly sliced

• 1 to 2 just ripe pears, cored and very thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1 Tbs cornstarch

• ¾ tsp freshly grated lemon zest

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the caramel:

• 2 cups apple cider

• ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some larger pieces. Add the ice water and pulse just until the mixture is evenly moistened. You may need to add an additional Tbs of water if the mixture seems too dry and crumbly. Tip the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Use the edges of the plastic to pack the dough into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, pears, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and cinnamon. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Top the dough with the prepared fruit in concentric circles leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Lift and press the edges up over the fruit, folding as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes.

3. Brush the border of the pastry with the beaten egg. Dot the fruit with the butter. Bake until the filling is tender and the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Some of the juices may leak out, but that’s O.K.

4. Wait until the galette is almost baked to begin making the caramel. Bring apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1 cup liquid, about 13 to 14 minutes. Don’t stop boiling too early or your caramel sauce will be runny. Then add brown sugar, butter, and salt, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and continue to cook the mixture, whisking often, until it has become syrupy and thickened slightly, about 13 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the cream, and set aside to cool slightly. (The caramel will thicken as it cools.)

5. ·  Remove tart from the oven, and let it cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Transfer the galette to a serving plate, and drizzle with caramel.  Serve warm or at room temperature with any remaining caramel.

Apple and Pear Shortcake

This recipe was inspired by a recipe for Apple and Pear Compote. I imagined the fruit releasing their juices into the pan as they cooked so I decided those juices needed something to soak them up.  I flipped through the cookbooks – pound cake, sponge cake, crepes – I even briefly considered scones.  Then I remembered shortcake biscuits.  They turned out to be the perfect thing.  Who says shortcake is only for strawberries?  Of course you can always eat the compote by itself.

For the Shortcake:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 4 tsp baking powder

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 1/3 cup cold butter or other shortening – cut into small cubes

• 2/3 cup milk

• 2 Tbs applesauce or 1 large egg beaten

Directions:

1. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2 times. Remove the lid, and sprinkle pieces of butter across the top of the flour. Replace the lid, and pulse six times until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

2. Add the milk and applesauce (or egg) to the crumb mixture, mixing just until combined. Spread the mixture into a greased 8x8 cake pan or form into biscuit shapes, 2-3” in diameter, and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the Compote:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1 Tbs brown sugar

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter

• 2 medium (about 1 lb total) Black Oxford apples - cored and thinly sliced

• 2 medium (about 1 1/2 lbs total) pears – cored and thinly sliced

• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine apple juice, vinegar, and brown sugar in medium saucepan. Simmer on medium-high, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to ½ cup, 15-20 min.

2. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the apples and pears. Cook, stirring occasionally until the fruit begins to soften. Stir in the reduced apple cider, and cook 10 minutes more until the juice has thickened slightly and the fruit looks like it will melt in your mouth.

3. Cut the shortbread into nine pieces, and split each in half from side to side. Place the shortbreads in individual bowls and spoon the warm compote over them. Spoon some juice over each.

4. Serve as is or with maple or vanilla yogurt, cream, whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy the flavors of fall.

Apple Pecan Salsa with African Blue Basil

I found the recipe for Apple Pecan Salsa with African Blue Basil in Didi Emmon's cookbook Wild Flavors.  I had never heard of African blue basil before but managed to track down a plant and have been growing it in my garden in Maine ever since.  The bees love it. If you don't have any, substitute regular basil or any favorite herb from your garden. Since all basils are tender and damaged by fall frosts, early fall apples are suggested for this recipe, but other firm, tart varieties will work as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups African basil leaves, chopped

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

• 1 crisp apple (such as Zestar or Gravenstein), diced

• 1/2 red onion – minced

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• salt and fresh black pepper to taste

• 1 tsp honey- or more to taste (optional if your apple is tart)

• 1 small hot pepper – minced (optional)

 Directions:

Combine all ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you use a tart apple, such as the Gravenstein, you may want to add a tsp or more of honey to offset the tartness. For those who like their food spicy, a bit of hot pepper can liven up the salsa.

Serve with game, chicken or pork, rice or other grains. Add it to a salad. Didi suggests omitting the nuts if you serve with fish. The salsa is best when made right before serving, although if you keep it in the refrigerator, it will stay crispy for several days.

Apple Puff Pancake

(serves 6)

Every Christmas morning we make a dish called Finnish Oven Cake for breakfast. Basically it is a giant popover that when sliced up and served is the perfect conveyance for syrup and jam. We always hope that it will arrive at the table puffed up and golden – a spectacular display of our early morning culinary skills. But every once in a while, the Finnish Oven Cake is a dud – it doesn’t rise up at all. Instead it comes out of the oven looking slumped and solid. If only I had had this recipe years ago, I could have salvaged those disastrous mornings by covering up the unhappy “pop-under” with mapley apples, since that is what the Apple Puff Pancake is all about. You whir up the batter in the blender – so easy – no need to separate eggs or whip the whites – pour it in a hot, oven-proof pan with melted butter – and stick it in to bake. When it comes out, there is no tiptoeing around. You can have a dance party right there in your kitchen, since you want that pancake to collapse. Amazingly, only the center sinks down while a 1” lip remains around the edge. It looks like a golden-brown swimming pool that you get to fill with buttery, sweet sauteed apples or other fruit. Christmas morning will never be the same.

Ingredients:

Pancake

• 3 Tbs butter

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk with good results)

• 1 cup flour

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Topping

• 3 Tbs butter

• 4 large apples* – sliced

• 3 Tbs maple syrup (or more if your fruit is tart)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a 10” ovenproof skillet, and stick it in the oven till the butter melts – about 3 minutes. Don’t let it burn. Remove from the oven, and tilt the pan so the butter coats the bottom and the sides.

2. Place the eggs, flour, sugar and nutmeg in a blender, cover and process until it is smooth and all the lumps are gone. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake in the oven until puffed and brown, 17-20 minutes.

3. While the pancake is baking, heat the remaining butter in a 12” or larger skillet over medium heat. You need a large skillet so there is enough room for all the fruit to cook evenly. Add the apples and maple syrup, and sauté until the fruit is tender, about 12-15 minutes.

4. Remove the pancake from the oven, jump up and down until it slumps in the center. Then fill the basin up with the warm fruit.

5. Serve immediately – although it is pretty darn good cold the next day.

*The recipe that our daughter sent me called for 3 medium apples and 3 medium pears. I didn’t have any pears handy so I used 3 large Twenty Oz. apples and 2 cups of frozen raspberries that I tossed into the apples for the last minute or two so they would thaw but not overcook. It was a great combo though I suspect that whatever fruit you have available will work just fine.

Apple Quick Bread

from OOAL Apprentices Josh Hinchman & Alex Mahaney

Ingredients:

• 1 stick + 1 Tbs Butter

• 1 cup of sugar

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• ¼ cup sour cream

• 1 ¾ cup small sweet apple - diced or grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream room temperature butter and sugar together until it looks like one cohesive paste. You can use a mixer or cream by hand.

3.  Add eggs one at a time, and mix thoroughly after each addition to make sure the egg is well incorporated.

4. Add sour cream, and mix to combine.

5. If you have diced your apple, use an immersion blender to puree it into an apple mash. Grated apple also works.

6. Add lemon zest, apple mash and vanilla; mix to combine, and scrape down the sides of your bowl.

7. Delicately incorporate your dry ingredients until just combined; you want to mix as little as possible after adding the flour as this develops gluten which will make the bread tough and chewy. The end product should be light and fluffy.

8. Spray or oil a medium-sized loaf pan, and coat the inside with white sugar. 

9. Bake for 40 minutes or until a tooth pick pulls out cleanly when poked into the center of the loaf.

10. Enjoy.

Apple Quick Pie Bars

This recipe came by way of Emily Skrobis’ Aunt Sue in West Allis, Wisconsin. They are a marriage of an apple pie with an apple crisp – crust on the bottom with an oat topping - almost like an apple dessert sandwich that is not overly sweet. Drizzle with apple molasses or boiled cider instead of the lemon glaze for a truly seasonal treat.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup and 2 Tbs butter

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 3-4 Tbs milk

• 4 cups apples, cored and chopped

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) to taste

Lemon Glaze (optional)

• 1 Tbs butter

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and salt. Cut 3/4 cup butter into the flour and salt; mix with your fingers, a pastry knife or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside one cup of the flour/butter mixture.

3. To the remainder of the flour/butter mixture add the milk gradually while stirring lightly with fork until dough is moist enough to hold together. Form into a square. Flatten slightly; smooth edges. Roll out on floured surface to 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place in the bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with apples.

5. Mix the oats, brown sugar, and 2 Tbs butter with the reserved cup of flour/butter mixture. Sprinkle over the apples.

6. Return the pan to oven, and bake 30 – 35 minutes or until apples are tender. If desired, combine ingredients for Lemon Glaze and drizzle over the bars while warm. Cool before cutting.

Apple Raita

This David Tanis recipe is a cooling condiment for a fiery curry. Try it with your favorite Indian dish, slather it on flatbread or eat it with roasted vegetables or chicken. It pairs well with Indian Fresh Apple Pickle.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

• 1 small tart apple, peeled and coarsely grated

• 1 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 serrano chile, seeds removed, finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 TBS untoasted sesame oil or vegetable oil

• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1. In a small bowl stir together the yogurt, apple, ginger, chile and salt.

2. Warm the oil in the smallest skillet you have over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds. Sizzle the seeds until they begin to pop. Stir in the garlic, let it begin to sizzle and remove from heat before it starts to brown.

3. Pour the hot oil, seeds and garlic into the yogurt mixture. Stir well. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Apple Ratatouille

Here is the perfect recipe for early fall when the first apples are beginning to brighten and you still have some tomatoes ripening on your windowsill and a log-sized zucchini or two hidden in the back pantry. Serve it with some corn bread to soak up the sweet juices. This recipe was inspired by The Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

• 2 bell peppers, sliced

• 2 zucchini, sliced

• 6 ripe tomatoes, quartered

• 2 tart, firm apples, cored and cut into 1" cubes

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add the onion. Crush garlic directly into the skillet, and sauté for five minutes.

2. Sprinkle in basil, oregano, allspice and black pepper.  Stir the bell peppers into the onions; sauté for an additional 10 minutes. 

3. Add the zucchini and tomatoes to the skillet.  Stir, cover and simmer 20 minutes. 

4. Add the apples to the ratatouille; cover and simmer 15 minutes more. Serve hot.

Apple Risotto

This risotto, adapted from A Basket of Apples by Val Archer, is a delightfully creamy, Italian-inspired comfort food that will hit the spot, especially after a long day of work in the garden. The steaming parmesan-infused rice will pair well with the sweetness of your favorite dessert apple.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 ¼ cup arborio rice

• 12 oz dessert apple, cored and diced

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• pat of butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Place stock in a sauce pan, and bring to simmering point. Cover and reduce heat.

2. Over moderate heat in a medium-large saucepan, saute the onion until lightly colored. Don’t let it burn. Add the rice to the onion, and saute for one minute so each grain is coated with oil. Add the apple, stir, and cook for another minute. Add one ladle full of stock, and cook until absorbed, stirring constantly. Repeat until rice is tender but firm. Regulate heat so that the cooking process takes about 30 minutes. The rice should be al dente, firm to bite and creamily bound together, neither dry nor runny.

3. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in grated cheese and butter. Serve at once with extra cheese on the table.

Apple & Roquefort Pizza

Inspired by our friend Annette Lee

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs – 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 onion – sliced thin

• 2 firm apples – cored and sliced thin

• ¼ cup bacon – cooked and crumbled ( or substitute toasted walnuts)

• ¾ cup Roquefort cheese – crumbled

• Parmesan cheese – grated

• Pizza dough

• Coarse salt

• Corn meal

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil over a low heat in a sauté pan or skillet. Add the onions, and sauté, stirring every few minutes, till they are soft and beginning to caramelize, approximately 20 minutes. Remove the onions to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the apples to the pan that the onions were in and sauté them over low heat until they begin to soften and turn brown on the edges, 5-8 minutes. Don’t let them become too soft or start to break down. Remove from heat.

4. Dust a pizza stone or pan with corn meal, and stretch the pizza dough out on it. Brush the outer edge with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

5. Spread the onions across the top of the pizza, then arrange the apple slices over them. Scatter the bacon (or walnuts) evenly over the pizza. Crumble the Roquefort cheese on top, and slide into the hot oven. Remove when the edge starts to bubble and turn brown – approximately 7-10 minutes.

6. Grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the hot pizza.

7. Slice and enjoy.

Apple and Roquefort Strudel

This recipe comes from Val Archer’s book A Basket of Apples: Recipes and paintings from a country orchard. Use the most flavorful apples you can find so they aren’t overwhelmed by the cheese. The recipe makes one large strudel, but consider making it into small triangles to serve as an appetizer. Cut the phyllo dough into 3x11” strips. Place a tablespoon of filling one inch from the end of a buttered strip and fold the end over to form a triangle. Wrap the triangle back and forth as you would if you were folding a flag. Keep the completed triangles covered with a towel til you are finished making them. Brush the triangles with butter, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes til golden and crisp. Serve hot from the oven with a chilled glass of sparkling cider.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb apples, cored and cut in 1/2” dice

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 8 oz Roquefort, Blue or Stilton cheese

• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

• 4 large sheets of phyllo pastry

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Put the diced apple in a medium-sized bowl; toss with the lemon juice, thyme and nutmeg.

3. Mix in walnuts and crumbled cheese. Season to taste.

4. Grease a large baking sheet. Unwrap the package of phyllo dough and lay a damp towel over it. Place one sheet on the baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with one third of the bread crumbs. Repeat with the next two sheets of phyllo, laying them on top of the first sheet. Add the fourth sheet to the pile, brush with butter but don’t sprinkle with bread crumbs.

5. Spoon the filling along one end of the stack of phyllo dough, leaving about 2” on each side. Fold the side edges over the filling, and then roll up the phyllo to enclose the filling. Roll the strudel so the seam is down. Brush with melted butter.

6. Bake 30 minutes til the pastry is golden and the apples are tender.

7. Remove from the oven and brush with more butter. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Apple Sharlotka

from Smitten Kitchen

This recipe of Russian origin is astonishingly simple to make and consists of mostly apples (always a plus). You throw everything together. and let the oven do most of the work. The recipe calls for tart apples, but we found that when we made it with sweeter apples we could imagine it gracing the shelves of a french patisserie.

Ingredients:

• Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan

• 6 large, tart apples

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• Ground cinnamon and powdered sugar to finish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

3. Peel, halve and core apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.

4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

5. Pour the batter over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. Press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter.

7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter.

8. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

9. Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar.

Apple Stuffed Squash

Another recipe from that old back-to-the-lander bible, The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. This recipe is very filling, so be prepared for leftovers.

(Makes 4 large servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized squash (buttercup, butternut or acorn)

• 2 medium cooking apples, cored and chopped

• 2 cups cottage cheese

• Juice from 1 lemon

• ½ cup onion, chopped

• 3 Tbs butter

• dash of cinnamon

• ¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated

• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Split squash lengthwise down the middle. Remove the seeds and bake, face down, on an oiled baking sheet for 30 minutes,or until it is tender when you poke it with a fork.

3. Sauté the apples and onion in butter until the onion is translucent. Combine with remaining ingredients, and stuff each squash cavity with the mixture.

4. Place the stuffed squash back on the baking sheet, cover with foil and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Apple Torte with Breadcrumb Hazelnut Crust

This recipe, which originally appeared in Bon Appetit magazine, was shared with us by CSA member Sharon Kitchens. The crust is phenomenal!

Ingredients:

Filling

• 2 lbs tart apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 cup hard apple cider or dry white wine

Crust

• 8 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crust-less Italian or French bread (finely ground in processor)

• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked

• 10 Tbs sugar, divided

• 4 tsp finely grated lemon peel

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¾ cup whole milk

• 6 Tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

• Whipped cream

Directions: 

1. (Note: both the filling and the dough for the crust can be made one day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.)

2. Filling - Arrange the apples in an even layer in a large, heavy skillet. Sprinkle them with sugar, then pour the apple cider over them. Cover, and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender, 8 to 10 minutes, gently turning apples once or twice. Uncover; cook until juices evaporate, frequently but carefully turning apples to keep them from burning, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let the apples cool completely in the skillet.  Transfer to a bowl. Cover, and chill.

3. Crust - Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Spread the breadcrumbs on a large, rimmed baking sheet. (NOTE: The 8 cups of fresh breadcrumbs will bake down to about 3 cups.) Bake until dried and light golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool.

5. Finely grind the hazelnuts with 6 Tbs sugar in a food processor. Add 3 cups of breadcrumbs; process 5 seconds. Transfer the mixture to large bowl. Stir in 4 Tbs sugar, lemon peel, and salt.

6. Combine the milk and butter in small saucepan. Warm over medium heat just until butter melts. Pour the milk-butter mixture over the breadcrumb mixture; stir until moistened (dough will be sticky). Let the dough rest in bowl until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

7. Transfer 1 cup of the dough to a floured work surface. Gather it into ball; flatten into a 9-inch round disk.; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. This will be the top crust.

8. Transfer remaining dough to your work surface. Gather it into a ball; flatten it into a disk. Press the disk onto the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, pushing crust up to extend 1/2 inch above sides. Cover; chill at least 1 hour.

9. Assembly - Preheat oven to 375°F.

10. Fill the bottom crust with the apple mixture. Place the top crust over the filling. Fold the bottom crust overhang up over top crust edges, and press together to seal. Bake the torte until the crust is deep golden and begins to separate from the sides of the pan (top crust may crack), about 1 hour. Cool in the pan on a rack at least 2 hours. Carefully remove the sides of the tart pan. Transfer torte to a platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

Apple-Walnut Galette

This recipe comes from the NY Times. The recommended pastry recipe is a yeasted recipe that requires kneading, rising, punching, rising, rolling, resting, rolling and keeping track of time - not at all something I’m inclined to do during a busy apple season. If you have a favorite tart pastry recipe, use it here. If not and you have some time on your hands, a link to the original is provided. This galette works well with Gravensteins - it’s not too sweet but the caramelized apples add a richer flavor than usually found in pies and tarts.

Ingredients:

• 1 dessert galette pastry (1/2 recipe)

• juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 2 pounds slightly tart apples, like Gravenstein or Duchess,
  cored and cut in wedges (about 1/2 inch thick at the thickest point)

• 2 TBS unsalted butter

• ¼ cup plus 1 TBS dark brown sugar or turbinado sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped

• ¾ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

• ¼ cup almond flour

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp milk, for egg wash
  

Directions:
1.   Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the lemon juice and apples, and toss together.
2.   Heat a large, heavy frying pan over high heat, and add the butter. Wait until it becomes light brown, and carefully add the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar. (Unless you have a pan large enough to feed a logging camp, it works better to do this in two batches.) Do not add the apples until the pan and the butter are hot enough or they won’t sear properly and retain their juice. (WARNIING - Once you add the apples, turn the heat down to medium or watch carefully because the lovely caramelized apples can quickly become burnt apples.) When the apples are brown on one side, add the vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the nutmeg, flip the apples and continue to sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the walnuts, then scrape out onto one of the lined sheet pans, and allow to cool completely.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out. Lay it on the second parchment-lined baking sheet.
5.  Sprinkle the almond flour over the pastry, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border all around. Place the apples on top. Fold the edges of the dough in over the fruit, pleating the edges as you work your way around the fruit to form a free-form tart that is roughly 9 inches in diameter.
6.  Brush the exposed edge of the pastry with the egg wash. Combine the remaining tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the fruit and the crust. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour, until the crust is nicely browned and the apples are sizzling.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

 Apple Yogurt Salad

What's not to love about a salad that calls for more apples than greens?

Ingredients

Salad:
6 apples, cored and cut into thin slices
3 cups chopped lettuce or arugula
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon salt
a sprig of fresh rosemary leaves
chopped 2 cloves garlic,
chopped 1 cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor and puree.

2. Mix salad ingredients, reserving some nuts for sprinkling on the top. then

3. Toss together with dressing,

Autumn Coleslaw with Dates, Apples and Pecans

Ingredients:

Salad

• 8 cups green or purple cabbage, shredded

• 3 large, firm apples, cored and cut into match sticks

• 1 cup dates, chopped

• ¾ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 small early onion/shallot, thinly sliced

Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp ground pepper

• 2 Tbs honey (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, toast the pecans over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant and slightly browned - approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Cut the cabbage into quarters; lay each quarter on its side, and slice into thin strips with a sharp knife. Set the shredded cabbage aside in a large bowl. Chop the dates, apples, cilantro and shallot, and add to the shredded cabbage.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until they are incorporated. Pour over the shredded cabbage, and toss. Let the slaw sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with toasted pecans.

 Baked Apple Pancake

courtesy of The Wednesday Chef, by way of Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbs butter, melted, divided

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 Tbs granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbs flour

• 2-3 apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 3 Tbs brown sugar, lightly packed

• powdered sugar for dusting

(If you're feeling adventurous, try a chai spice mix instead of the vanilla and cinnamon called for: 1/8 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, white pepper, and a pinch of cloves, star anise, and nutmeg.)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 450°. Combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and flour. Mix the batter by hand or in a food processor. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter with the apple slices in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet until the apples are sizzling and slightly cooked. Pour in the batter. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, and bake until well browned and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

 Baked Apples with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins

(makes six servings)

When I think of comfort food, my mind conjures up an image of baked apples. I looked up the definition of “comfort food” on the internet, and there seem to be as many meanings as there are ways to make mac ’n cheese. The one that caught my eye is from the Free Dictionary. It reads, “Food that is simply prepared and associated with a sense of home or contentment”. Bingo – baked apples. This recipe comes from Rowan Jacobsen’s Apples of Uncommon Character. He recommends Rome apples, but if you can get your hands on Blue Pearmain, use those - they are hard to beat for baked apples. If you don’t have any bourbon handy, you can substitute rum or apple brandy. A word of warning before you decide that you want to make this recipe for dinner tonight: the raisins need to soak in the bourbon 8-12 hours if you really want to feel contented. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans, chopped

• ¾ cup bourbon-soaked raisins

• zest and juice of one lemon

• 6 Tbs butter, softened

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• pinch of nutmeg

• 6 medium-large apples

• 2/3 cup sweet cider

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup of raisins in a glass jar. Add ¾ cup of bourbon. (Rum or apple brandy works too.) Put a lid on the jar, and store at room temperature for 8-12 hours before using in this recipe.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast the pecans in the oven or toaster oven on a medium-low setting or in a dry, cast iron pan over medium-low heat until they are dark brown. Watch them carefully, and stir them often so they don’t burn. Cool.

3. Combine all the ingredients except the apples and cider in a bowl. Mix so that the butter and sugar is distributed throughout the nuts and raisins.

4. Core the apples - be careful to leave the bottom intact. Scoop out the seeds, and make a bowl-shaped cavity inside the apple. A melon-baller works well for this.

5. Place the cored apples in a baking pan. Fill the cavities of each apple with the raisin-butter mix. Save any extra to add later during cooking. Pour the cider around the apples.

6. Cover the baking pan with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Remove the foil, add any extra filling to the apple cavities, and bake 15-20 minutes more. Use a fork to test the apples for doneness. They are ready when the fork pushes easily into the flesh.

7. Remove the apples from the oven, and cool for five minutes. Before serving, pour the cider sauce from the pan over the top of the apples.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1/2 cup walnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped

• 1/3 cup sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Scant 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 2 cups milk (almond milk works too)

• 1 large egg

• 3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 firm ,tart apples – cored and sliced into 1/4″ half moons

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries or mixed berries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a bowl mix together the oats, nuts, sugar if using, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another bowl whisk together the maple syrup if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Arrange the apples in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Overlap them so they completely cover the bottom.
5. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top of the apples.
6. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries across the top.
7. Bake for 50 minutes until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top.
8. Serve with yogurt and/or maple syrup.

 Beet and Apple Relish

from our friend, Liz Lauer

This quick ferment can be used as a side dish or as a condiment with meat or grains.

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples

• 2 large beets peeled

• ½ c chopped red onion

• ½ tsp grated ginger

• 1 Tbs sea salt

• ¼ cup whey

• 3-4 cloves

Directions:

1. Process in food processor until finely minced.  Add cloves. Transfer to a fermentation crock or jar with an airlock or gasket.

2. Press down until covered with brine.  

3. Ferment 5-7 days.  Remove cloves.

Beets, Greens and Apple Salad with Roquefort Cheese

This recipe is adapted from Apples: A Country Garden Cookbook by Christopher Idone. The original recipe called for a mixture of radicchio, endive and watercress as the base.  Since we don’t grow those things, we tried it with shredded savoy cabbage instead.  We found that too heavy and uninteresting.  A mixture of lighter greens, such as baby spinach, arugula, and baby beet greens got our stamp of approval. 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Cider-Walnut Dressing

• 2 Tbs cider vinegar

• 4 Tbs walnut oil

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 Tbs Dijon-style mustard

• salt & pepper to taste

Salad

• mixture of baby greens, washed and dried

• 4 medium beets, sliced ¼” thick

• 2 medium, tart apples, julienned

• ¼ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

• salt & pepper to taste

• 4 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oils and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Toss the sliced beets with a 1/2 Tbs of olive oil and a dash of salt, and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until they are easily pierced by a fork.

4. When the beets have cooled, cut them into julienne strips, and toss the beets and apples with half the dressing.  Toss the greens with the remainder of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Arrange the greens on four individual plates.  Place the beets and apples on top of the greens. Top with the walnuts and crumbled Roquefort cheese.

Blueberry Baked Apples

There are several Baked Apple recipes on this website, but none are as quick and simple as this recipe for Blueberry Baked Apples that CSA member Helen Darmara shared with us. It is the perfect combo of local ingredients for those of us Mainers who have our freezers packed with the summer’s bounty of frozen berries. Helen told me she cooked the baked apples in the microwave, something I don’t own. So I waited to make them till I came to visit our daughter and her family in (where else?) the Big Apple. While you can bake them in an oven (45 minutes), it’s hard to argue with three minutes in the microwave. And they are really delicious. We ate them warm for a midday snack, cold with yogurt and granola on top for breakfast, and steaming straight out of the microwave for dessert. I tried the recipe with Rolfe, SnowSweet and Wolf River - the Rolfe and SnowSweet took 2 to 2.5 minutes to get soft. The Wolf River took 3 minutes. Thanks for the great idea, Helen.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cooking apple

• 2 Tbs frozen, unsweetened blueberries (no need to thaw them)

• sprinkle of cinnamon

• 2 tsp maple syrup

• 1/4 Tbs butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the apple. Use a small paring knife and a spoon or melon baller to remove most of the core of the apple. You’ll want to leave 1/4” - 1/2” at the bottom. If you use an apple corer you are more likely to push all the way through and out the other side. You are making a basin, not a tunnel.

2. Remove a 1/2” strip of skin from around the opening.

3. Place the apple in a microwave safe dish that is deeper than the apple is tall.

4. Dust the inside of the cavity with a bit of cinnamon, and fill it with the blueberries. Drizzle the maple syrup over the berries. Add a small pat of butter if you want for extra deliciousness.

5. Cover the dish with a lid or plate. If you don’t, there may be a small blueberry volcano in your microwave.

6. Microwave for 2-5 minutes until the apples are soft. Check them after 2 minutes, and adjust the time accordingly.

7. After you remove them from the microwave, they will be really hot. Let them cool a bit or you will burn your mouth.

8. You can also cook these in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Set them in a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom.

Boiled Cider Apple Crisp

We adapted this recipe from Cider: Hard & Sweet by our friend Ben Watson. John Paul made it for our Halloween treat using Winter Banana apples. We felt like Goldilocks since we tried it undercooked, burnt (just the back corner), and mostly just right. The Winter Bananas took longer than expected to get soft (hence the impatient tasting of the undercooked crisp), but had a flavor and texture we liked once they softened up.

Ingredients:

Filling

• 8 medium to large baking apples, cored and sliced 1/8” thick

• 2 Tbs unbleached white flour

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup maple syrup or boiled cider*

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼ tsp allspice

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

Topping

• 1½ cups rolled oats

• 1½ cups unbleached white or wholewheat flour

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ cup maple syrup or boiled cider*

• 12 Tbs butter, melted (1.5 sticks)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

*To make boiled cider: boil down 5 cups of sweet cider to the consistency of maple syrup. The ratio is approximately 5:1 so you should have just enough for this recipe (1 cup) when the consistency is right.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the filling. Transfer them to an ungreased 9 x 13” baking dish.

3. In the same bowl you just used (so you don’t have to wash another), combine the topping ingredients, and mix well. Spread over the filling in the baking dish.

4. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 60 minutes, until the topping is brown and the apples are soft and bubbling. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or just plain cream.

Braised Fennel and Apples

I like cooked vegetables two ways – either just barely heated so they are still crunchy or slow cooked for a long time so they melt in your mouth. Braising is the perfect way to cook the late season fennel. Add some apples and they soften and meld over the low heat into the perfect comfort food after a long day digging potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive oil

• 2 bulbs fennel – cored and finely sliced (about 4 cups)

• 2 large garlic cloves – peeled and minced

• 1 cup hard apple cider – you can also use white wine, water or veggie stock

• salt & pepper

• 2 firm apples – cored, peeled and cut into thin slices

• 1 Tbs butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and stir to coat it with the oil. Sauté 5 minutes.

2. Add the minced garlic, and sauté 5 minutes more.

3. Add a cup of the cider or other liquid to the pan. You may need to add more liquid if the fennel isn’t covered.

4. Add ½ tsp salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

5. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan. Turn down the heat so the liquid is simmering.

6. Simmer until the fennel is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and add more liquid as needed.

7. When the fennel is soft, lay the apple slices on top of the fennel, and replace the cover. Continue to cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes more until the apples are broken down.

8. Remove the cover during the last 5 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate.

9. Stir the apples into the fennel, add 1 Tbs butter (if you dare), and correct the salt and pepper.

10. Best served hot, but room temperature is pretty good too.

Brown Butter Apple-Almond Cake (gluten-free)

So many people avoid gluten these days that a gluten-free apple cake recipe is a must-have for every cook. This one from the Cup of Jo website is good enough to make for people who can eat EVERYTHING. Try the cake with a mix of different apples to create a combo of flavors, colors and textures. Contrary to my expectations the almond flour makes the cake surprisingly light. With all those apples packed in, the slices don’t hold together too well, but slathered in whip cream it hardly matters.

Ingredients:

• 12 TBS unsalted butter

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

• 1/2 tsp Calvados or almond extract

• 3 eggs

• 3 large or 4 medium apples - peeled and cut into small chunks. No need to make them uniform in shape.

• whipped cream, creme fraiche or plain yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9” round cake pan with butter. Set aside.

2. Add the butter to a small saucepan, and place it over medium heat. The butter will melt, foam up, calm down and begin to brown. Stir the butter every minute or so as this happens. This should take 4-8 minutes so don’t wander too far away from the stove. As soon as the butter starts to smell nutty and brown speckles begin to form on the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat so it doesn’t burn. Pour it into a metal or ceramic bowl to cool.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl beat the eggs together with the Calvados or almond extract. Stir these into the dry ingredients.

4. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled butter into the flour mix. It will be very wet. Then fold in the apples. The batter will seem overloaded with apples, and that is the intention.

5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Push it down a bit with the spatula to fill in the air spaces.

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes (my cake took closer to 60 minutes to set in the middle) until the top looks golden and toasty and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

7. Serve with whipped cream for dessert or yogurt for breakfast. (Okay, whipped cream is good for breakfast too.)

Brown Butter Apple Loaf

Brown Butter Apple Loaf is easy to mix up, and once you put it in the oven, you can forget about it until the timer goes off an hour later.  It calls for a mixture of sweet and tart apples.  Use four apples instead of three if they are small and the loaf will be loaded with bits of apple.  The inside stays moist while the top gets crispy.  It pairs well with applesauce.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or plain yogurt

• 3 Tbs apple brandy, such as Apple Jack or Calvados

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 3-4 apples, cored and diced - use a mix of tart and sweet if you have them

• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.

2. Place the butter in a medium skillet, and melt over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally to prevent burning, until the butter is bubbling and golden brown with a nutty aroma. Combine the butter in a large mixing bowl with the sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Whisk to combine.

3. Add the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Follow with the crème fraîche, apple brandy, vanilla, apples, and pecans; the batter will be very thick.

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake loaf for 1 hour. Allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing from loaf pan.

Buckwheat Five-Spice Free-Form Apple Tart

Several years ago I received a copy of Deborah Madison’s cookbook, Vegetable Literacy, for my birthday. It never occurred to me that a cookbook about vegetables would include a recipe for an apple tart. But Deborah snuck it into the chapter on buckwheat since it calls for buckwheat flour in the crust. It was a very thin chapter – only three recipes – so I guess she was willing to relax her standards a bit.

I’ve made a lot of free-form tarts, but what attracted me to this recipe was the fact that the apples are caramelized before baking which ensures that they will be cooked through and that it uses Chinese five-spice.  I have two jars of it in my spice drawer, and have had little hope of reducing them down to a single jar in my lifetime. So HOORAY, I just used up 1½ teaspoons.

Ingredients:

The Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour

• ½ cup buckwheat flour

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 1 heaping tsp five-spice powder*

• 2 Tbs granulated or brown sugar

• ½ cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces

• 1 egg yolk

• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 Tbs ice water, plus more if needed

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Filling

• 1 Tbs butter

• 8-10 apples – cored, quartered and cut into ½” wide slices

• 1 Tbs granulated sugar mixed with ½ tsp five-spice powder

Topping

• 1 Tbs butter melted

• Sour cream, creme fraiche, yogurt or ice cream

Directions:

Dough

1. Place the flours, salt, spice, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to blend.

2. Scatter the butter pieces over the top of the flour, and pulse until the mixture forms small pebbles of butter.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolk with the vanilla, vinegar and 2 TBS ice water.

4. Dribble the liquid into the flour a little at a time. Process until the dough comes together. You can add more ice water one tsp at a time if the dough is too dry.

5. Gather the dough into a ball.  Flatten into a disc, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate until needed.

Filling

1. To caramelize the apples, melt the butter in a skillet over high heat.  When the butter foams, add the apple slices. Sprinkle them with the sugar mixture.  Initially the apples will give up some juice, but once this evaporates, they will begin to brown. Cook, tossing the apples frequently until they are golden and caramelized - about 10-15 minutes.

Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a large circle or oval, and move it to the baking sheet. (Roll it on the wax paper it was wrapped in to make it easy to transfer it to the baking sheet.)

3. Heap the apples in the center of the dough leaving 2”of dough uncovered around the outside edge.

4. Fold the edge of the dough up over the apples, pleating the dough as you go. Most of the apples will be uncovered.

5. Brush the dough with melted butter. Pour any extra butter over the apples in the center.

6. Bake about 30 minutes until the crust is browned and crisp.  If you are not serving it right away, cover it and reheat before serving.

7. Serve with sour cream, creme fraiche, yogurt or ice cream.

 Bunker’s Love Affair

This drink was served at the Lower East Side cider bar, Wassail which sadly is no more.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Suze liqueur (a French liqueur made from gentian)

• 1 ounce Calvados (apple brandy)

• 1 ounce Pommeau ( a drink made from fresh apple juice and apple brandy)

• 2 ounces hard cider

• Grapefruit twist

Directions:

1. In a mixing glass filled ¾ with ice, stir the Suze, Calvados, and Pommeau till chilled, about 30 seconds.  

2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.  Top with hard cider.  

3. Twist a grapefruit peel over the drink and garnish with the peel.

Cammy’s Favorite Baked Apples

We first featured this recipe in 2009, but we keep coming back to it because it's hard to beat! We recommend using Wolf River, Blue Pearmain or other large baking apples.

 Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup dark rum

• 1/4 cup apple cider

• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 Tbs whipping cream

• 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 tsp flour

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped and toasted

• 6 pitted dates, chopped

• 4 apples (about 2 pounds)

• Additional melted butter for basting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix 1/4 cup melted butter, the rum and the cider in an 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

3. Mix the brown sugar, egg yolks, cream, ginger, flour, lemon zest and 1 1/2 Tbs butter in small bowl until smooth. Mix in almonds and dates.

4. With a melon baller, scoop out the stem end and the entire core of each apple, being careful to leave the bottom intact. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 1-inch-wide strip of peel from around top of each cavity. Pack the cavities to the top with the almond mixture.

5. Arrange the stuffed apples in the prepared dish. Brush the exposed apple surfaces with additional melted butter.

6. Roast the apples, basting occasionally with the juices in the pan; cover loosely with foil if the filling browns too quickly. Bake until a tester inserted into apple meets little resistance about 45 minutes. Watch the apples carefully so they don’t overcook and explode.

7. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Spiced Crab Apples

One year when we had an abundance of inedible crab apples, our apprentice, Jill, tried this recipe from The Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier. What a transformation - from bitter to tasty. They were a big improvement over the dyed-red, spiced apple slices my grandmother always served on Christmas Eve.

Prep time: 2 1/2 hours
Yield: approx. 6 pints

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds crab apples

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

• 2 1/2 cups water

• 1 tsp whole cloves

• 1 tsp whole cardamom seeds

• 3 sticks cinnamon

Directions:

1. Wash the apples thoroughly, paying extra attention to the blossom ends, and prick with a needle in 2-3 places.  Do not remove stems. Place half of the apples in a large kettle, and cover with sugar, vinegar and water.  Stir. Tie spices in a piece of cheesecloth, and add to the crab apples in the kettle.

2. Cover the kettle, and slowly bring the liquid to a boil.  Resist the urge to heat the mixture too quickly so that the skins don’t burst.  Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook 15-20 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove the apples from the hot syrup, and set aside.  Add the remaining apples to the syrup, and repeat the cooking process.

3. When all the apples have been cooked, remove the kettle from heat, and return the first batch of apples to the hot syrup.  Now all of the apples will be in the syrup.

4. When the apples and syrup have cooled, remove and drain the crab apples, discard the spices, and return the syrup to the heat, and bring it to a boil.

5. Pack the crab apples into sterile pint jars, and cover with the boiling syrup (leaving 1/4 inch head space).  Screw on lids. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

Cassie’s Favorite Apple Pie

The first year of our CSA we had an apple-crazy apprentice named Cassie Tharinger. Not only was she devoted to growing heirloom apples and making cider, she was also an accomplished cook who introduced us to many delicious apple recipes. She claimed this was her favorite apple pie because the filling is light on spices which lets you taste the apples, not just the “apple pie spice.” The crust is a classic French pâte brisée.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 pound (1 cup) cold butter, cut into small pieces

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup ice water (plus more as needed)

• 1 Tbs sugar, if you like a slightly sweetened crust

• 1 egg white and a sprinkle of sugar (for top of crust)

Filling

• 4 lbs apples, cored and cut into 1/2 – 3/4” slices

• 3/4 – 1 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice (use less lemon if the apples are very tart)

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp ground allspice

• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Combine the dry crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers.  Work the butter in until the texture is of coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining.  Work quickly to make sure you do not warm the butter more than necessary. Sprinkle the mixture with just enough ice water so that the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount together; if it is still crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. (If you prefer to use a food processor, in the bowl of the food processor combine the flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse about 10 seconds until the mixture reaches the crumb consistency. With the machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Do not process more than 30 seconds.)

2. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape each dough ball into a flattened disk. Wrap in the plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.   When you are ready to assemble the pie, roll out one disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle, lay it in a pie dish, and refrigerate while making the filling.

3. Heat oven to 425.˚

4. In a large bowl toss the apple slices with the sugar and spices. Turn the apples into the chilled pie shell mounding them in the center. 

5. Roll out the 2nd disk of dough, and lay it over the filling. Fold the edges of the dough under themselves onto the lip of pie plate, and pinch to crimp together. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pie.  Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the pie, and brush the top of crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle on some sugar. 

6. Lower the heat to 375˚, return the pie to the oven, and bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is a deep, golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool (or windowsill—but beware thieving cartoon characters.)  Delicious as soon as it’s cool enough to eat, after a few hours at room temperature or cold tomorrow for breakfast!

Charred Cabbage and Apple Salad

I really wanted to take a picture of this salad to include in the newsletter, but I just couldn’t make it look as delicious as it was. Perhaps it was because I made it with red cabbage instead of green and Golden Russet apples instead of red ones. Mostly I am thinking that it was the egg on top that obscured the colorful salad underneath. Anyway, food should be made for eating, not photographing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

• 1/8 cup cider vinegar

• 3/8 cup olive oil

• chili oil (optional)

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs

• Sea salt to taste

• 1 small cabbage, cored and quartered

• 2 apples, cored and diced

• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

• 1 Tbs butter

• 4 eggs
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and optional chili oil to taste.  Set aside.

2. Preheat grill (or grill pan) to high.  Place cabbage quarters cut side down on the grill, and cook several minutes till they are charred and softened. Turn over, and cook on the other side till charred.  Remove from heat, and slice into thin strips.

3. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and the breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring often, till golden.  Season with salt, and remove from heat.

4. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl.  Add the diced apple, and toss to coat with the dressing.  You may not need it all. Add the breadcrumbs and the feta cheese, and salt to taste.  Divide the salad between four plates.

5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Crack the eggs into the pan, and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are runny.   Top each salad with an egg, and serve immediately.

6. For a bit of extra zip, add a squeeze of sriracha mayo over, under or around your salad.

 Chicken Normandy

from OOAL Apprentices Josh Hinchman & Alex Mahaney

Ingredients:

• 4 firm, dense-fleshed apples - cored and sliced 1/4” thick

• 2 boneless chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• Flour

• 1 medium onion - sliced 1/8” thick

• 1/8 cup heavy cream

• 3 Tbs butter

• 1/4 cup brandy

• 1/2 cup sweet or hard apple cider

• sprinkle of hot chile flakes (optional)

• 2 leaves fresh sage - chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Remove chicken from the fridge, and salt lightly.

3. Melt 1 Tbs butter in a Dutch oven, and saute apple slices in the butter over medium heat till light brown, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Remove apples from the Dutch oven, and transfer them to a bowl or plate. Leave the juices behind in the pan.

5. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and dredge the chicken thighs in the flour.

6. Add 1 Tbs of butter to the leftover apple juices in the Dutch oven. Add the chicken, and fry over high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the outside of the thighs is browned and a little burned. Remove from the pan.

7. Add the chopped onions to the pan along with the remaining Tbs of butter. Let the onions caramelize until they are translucent and light brown for 10-20 minutes over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.

8. When the onions are caramelized, leave them in the pan, and deglaze the pan with brandy, scraping up all the burnt bits on the bottom.

9. Add the apple cider, and sage and chile flakes if using.

10. Place the chicken on top of the onions. The upper part of the meat should be visible above the cider.

11. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

12. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Take out the chicken, and set aside, You can cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm.

13. Add the sauteed apples back into the pan and heat over a low flame.

14. Stir in the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir till the apples are warm and the sauce is steaming but not boiling.

15. Place the chicken on top of the apples, and serve. A sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese is a nice accompaniment.

Cider “Baked” Apples

While looking for baked apple recipes, one quick and easy recipe called “Cider Baked Apples” caught my eye. I found it in that challenging type of old cookbook where the ingredients are hidden in the text of the recipe instead of listed conveniently at the beginning. This forced me to do something I often neglect – to read to the end of the directions before starting to cook. In doing so, I discovered something curious about the recipe - despite the name, the apples are boiled, not baked. The recipe provided no amounts and was vague enough on directions that it inspired me to experiment. I hope you will too.

Ingredients:

• 4 apples – cored, with bottoms in tact

• Sweet cider – 1.5-2 cups

• Zest from ½ lemon

• Brown sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the cored apples in a saucepan.

2. Add enough cider to the saucepan so that it comes half way up the sides of the apples.

3. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cover the pan.

4. Simmer gently for 10-20 minutes until the apples are tender but have not exploded into sauce. Test them with a fork every few minutes, then remove each apple from the pan with a slotted spoon when each reaches the desired consistency.

5. Return the saucepan with the cider to the heat. Add lemon zest and sugar if your cider isn’t very sweet. I used cider that had started to ferment because that was I what I had available; it was fairly tart so I added ¼ cup of brown sugar. If the cider had been sweeter, I would have added less sugar or omitted it completely.

6. Bring to a rapid boil, and boil until the liquid is reduced to a cup and has the consistency of maple syrup or runny jelly. While it is boiling, taste it, and add more sugar or lemon zest as desired. Remember the sweetness will increase as the cider thickens.

7. Pour the cider syrup over the apples. Serve plain, with ice cream or maple yogurt.

Cider-Braised Cabbage with Apples and Fennel

This is another recipe from Rowan Jacobsen’s Apples of Uncommon Character.  He suggests making it with russet apples, but the russet slices take so long to soften that the other ingredients lose their bite. Oddly, the picture in Rowan’s book shows the dish made with a red-skinned apple, not a russet. So try this with a firm, but not hard, red-skinned cooking apple – the resulting colors in your serving bowl will be spectacular, and you’ll be happier with the resulting texture of the apple slices.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs butter, cut into pieces

• 1 tsp caraway seeds

• ½ head red cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced

• ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve fronds)

• 1 large firm apple, cored, halved and sliced

• 1 cup of sweet cider

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet with a lid melt 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat.

2. Add the caraway seeds and toast until fragrant (about 30 seconds), shaking the pan once or twice.

3. Add the sweet cider, and simmer till reduced by two-thirds.

4. Add the cabbage and the fennel, and sauté two minutes.

5. Add the apple slices, cover the skillet, and cook until the cabbage has softened but still retains some crunch, about 6 minutes. Stir occasionally.

6. Remove the lid from the skillet, add the remaining 2 Tbs of butter, turn the heat to high, and sauté until the liquid has evaporated and the cabbage is coated in sauce, 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve garnished with fennel fronds.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

CSA member Michelle Probert shared this recipe with us. She writes, “In case you have any other CSA members who are gluten free and try to stay away from refined sugars, here is a recipe for an apple cake I made recently and really enjoyed. It is a hybrid of these two recipes: http://www.elanaspantry.com/cinnamon-apple-cake/ and http://www.lifeasaplate.com/?p=123”

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

• 1/4 cup apple cider

• 2 cups almond butter

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 2 eggs (may substitute 1 Tbs ground flax seed and 3 Tbs boiling water, whisked, for 1 egg)

• 1 Tbs vanilla

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 3 Tbs cinnamon

• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. In a food processor combine the apples, cider and almond butter; pulse until well blended. Pulse in the maple syrup, eggs (or flax seed mixture), vanilla, cinnamon (yes, 3 Tbs), baking soda and salt.

3. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve with whipped cream or coconut cream (the top of a can of chilled, full fat coconut milk)

5. Warning - This cake will sink a bit in the middle, but it is super moist and cinnamon-y.

Cornmeal Apple Muffins

This recipe came from Olwen Woodier’s Apple Cookbook.  Olwen provides quite a bit of interesting information on heritage apples and their uses, but disappointingly most of her recipes call for modern varieties.  This one called for a Granny Smith apple so I thought I would give it a try with another bright green apple, Rhode Island Greening. It was a perfect substitute.  The chopped apple softened and at the same time held its own so that you knew it was there. The muffins were tasty right out of the oven, but the crunchiness of the cornmeal really revealed itself the next day when we split, buttered and grilled them.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• ¾ cup coarsely ground cornmeal

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¾ cup milk (rice or coconut milk can be substituted)

• ¼ cup apple juice or cider

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 medium apple, cored and finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease 12 large muffin cups.

2. In a small bowl beat the eggs.  Mix in the milk, cider, oil and honey.  Blend well.

3. In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the liquids.  Stir until barely combined. Add the apple to the batter, and gently mix in.  The batter will be lumpy.

4. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.  Bake 15-20 minutes until the tops of the muffins are lightly brown and the center springs back when touched.  

5. Remove muffins from the pan immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

6. Option: Olwen recommends adding ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese to the batter.  We tried it and found that the cheese flavor was completely overpowered by the cinnamon and nutmeg.  So if you want a more savory muffin, omit the spices, reduce the honey and stir in the cheese.
   
   

Crab Apple Fruit Leather

To make fruit leathers from apples, start by making applesauce. You can use it as is or mix in other pureed fruit, such as peaches or raspberries, or spices, such as cinnamon, cloves or allspice. If your apples are too tart for your taste, add a bit of honey or maple syrup. To brighten the flavor, add a tsp or two of lemon juice.

Directions:

1. Wash apples, and remove stem. Clean off the blossom end.  Place the apples in a large pot, and add enough water to cover the bottom.  Add a cinnamon stick (optional).  Cover, and simmer till all the apples are soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add more water as needed.

2. When the apples are soft, remove from the heat, and remove the cinnamon stick. Process the apples through a food mill to remove the seeds and skins.  If you want, mix in other pureed fruits. Sweeten to taste with maple syrup or honey.  Add lemon juice to taste.

3. There are many ways to dry fruit leathers. You can use an electric or solar dehydrator, an oven set on the lowest temperature, a wood stove, a green house or a rack above your wood stove. Your car parked in the sun on a warm day might also work. What ever method you choose, spread the applesauce on a non-stick surface. Electric dehydrators come with special trays for this, but I have also used baking sheets covered in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Although I haven’t tried it, a silicone baking mat might be the most reusable solution. Spray on some cooking oil to keep the leather from sticking when it is dry.

4. Spread the applesauce approximately 1/8” thick across whatever tray you are using. It can be slightly thicker around the edges since the edges dry first. The ideal temperature for drying is 140 degrees. If it is hotter than that, the fruit will cook. If your oven does not have that low a setting, open the door a crack and use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. If you are using your oven, remember to put a sign on the door warning everyone that fruit leathers are drying inside. More than once I have forgotten and turned up the oven ruining the fruit leathers in short order. Drying times will vary depending on your method. The surface of the leathers should be slightly shiny and not sticky when they are dry enough. Peel off the leathers from the trays while they are still warm. Cool completely before rolling in wax paper or plastic wrap.

Cranberry Apple Pie with Walnut Crumb Topping

(from Ken Haedrich”s Apple Pie)

This pie is delicious. It would be good with most any pie apple, but try Wealthy if you have them - they soften just the right amount to provide a pleasing contrast to the crunch of the walnuts. The cranberry flavor is more dominant than the apple, but the apple mellows out the cranberry for sure. Friends who were glamping in our driveway the weekend I made this pie ate some with their campfire dinner and then requested it again for their campfire breakfast. Don’t wait til Thanksgiving to give this a try.

Ingredients:

1 single-crust pie pastry

Filling

• 6 cups apples - cored and sliced 1/4” thick

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

• 1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 11/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

• 3 Tbs flour

Topping

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar - firmly packed

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter - cut into 1/4” pieces

Directions:

1. Prepare the pie pastry, and refrigerate until it is firm enough to roll.

2. Remove pastry from the refrigerator, and roll out on a piece of floured, waxed paper into a 131/2” circle. Transfer into a 9”, deep-dish pie pan. Fold the edges under and crimp into a standing ridge around the edge. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

3. Mix the apples, cranberries, walnuts and sugar together in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl. Shake the flour over the ingredients at the end, and mix in. Turn the filling into the frozen pie shell, and even it out. Place the pie on a baking sheet covered with foil, and place on the center oven rack. Bake for 35 minutes.

6. To make the crumb topping, briefly pulse the walnuts and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Add the flour and salt; pulse again. Remove the lid and scatter the butter pieces over the dry ingredients. Pulse the machine until the mixture resembles medium-fine crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and rub the crumbs between your fingers to make buttery clumps. Chill.

7. After 35 minutes, remove the pie from the oven, and turn down the temperature to 375 degrees.

8. Dump the topping over the center of the pie, and spread it out to the edges so that it is evenly distributed across the pie. Tamp down lightly. Return the pie to the oven and bake until the juices start to bubble and the topping begins to brown - 35-45 minutes more. Place a piece of loose foil over the top if it begins to get too dark.

9. Cool for at least an hour before slicing (if you can wait).

Escalloped Apples au Gratin

For those of you who learned to cook way back in the 1960s or 70’s, here is a blast from the past. As I was perusing my well-worn and coverless copy of Mollie Katzen’s Enchanted Broccoli Forest last weekend, I came across this savory apple recipe that I am fairly sure I last made sometime around 1982. It still holds its own after all these years.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds sauerkraut

• 6 cups tart apples, peeled & sliced

• 2 Tbs flour

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• a dash of cloves, nutmeg and salt

• 2 Tbs honey

• 2 Tbs butter

• 1 cup onions, chopped

• ½ tsp dried mustard

• ¾ cup walnuts or almonds, chopped

• ½ pound cheddar cheese, grated

• ¾ cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Butter a deep-dish casserole, and set aside. Place the sauerkraut in a colander or strainer, and rinse under tap water. Squeeze dry.

3. Toss the apple slices with flour and spices. Drizzle with honey and mix well.

4. Sauté the onions in butter until transparent and soft (approximately 5-8 minutes). Add the dry mustard and sauerkraut, and cook a few additional minutes over medium heat.

5. Combine half the grated cheese with breadcrumbs and chopped nuts.

6. In the buttered casserole dish, layer ingredients in this way: (1) layer half the apple mixture on the bottom, (2) cover with half the onion-sauerkraut mixture, (3) followed by the plain, grated cheese. Then (4) pile on the remaining apples, (5) followed by the remaining onion/sauerkraut mix and, finally (6) the nut-crumb-cheese topping.

7. Cover, and bake for 20 minutes; then uncover, and bake 20 additional minutes.

Easy Pastry Shop Apple Tart

This recipe comes from chef Laura Calder and her show “French Food at Home” on The Cooking Channel. It’s rich and decadent like cheesecake but doesn’t need to be chilled. The topping is simple enough to allow the apples to stand out on their own. We found this to be excellent with Macouns. It would also be fun to make this with Gray Pearmains and serve it to unknowing guests.  

Ingredients:

Crust

• ½ cup butter

• 1/3 cup sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla

• 1 cup flour

 Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla

 Topping

• 3 apples, cored and thinly sliced

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚.

2. Crust - Cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the vanilla. Mix in the flour to make a smooth dough. Press into the bottom of an 8-inch spring-form pan, giving it about a 1-inch rim. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

3. Filling - While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by beating together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Topping - In a separate bowl toss the apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar.

5. Remove the tart shell from the oven, and spread the cream cheese mixture inside. Arrange the apple slices on top, then scatter on the nuts. Bake until the apples are tender and golden, about 40 minutes.

Eve’s Pudding

Eve’s Pudding is a traditional British apple dessert named after the original apple eater. There are almost as many ways to make it as there are apple varieties to use, but it is always described as an apple base with a sponge-cake top. The topping gets firm and crisp above, and the cake underneath stays light and moist. Other recipes call for raisins instead of almonds so give that a try if you can’t eat nuts. The almonds give the topping a nice crunch. All the Brits say Eve’s Pudding must be served with custard although it is excellent just as is.

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 cup flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

• 1 1/2 lbs cooking apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (to sprinkle on top)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter-sugar mixture one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold into the butter mixture. Fold in 1/3 cup of almonds.

3. In a separate mixing bowl toss the apple slices with the lemon juice, lemon rind and brown sugar. Spread this on the bottom of a 9″x13″ ovenproof pan.

4. Spoon the batter over the apples in an even layer (although it won’t be very even). Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of almonds on the top.

5. Bake 40-45 minutes until the top has risen and is golden brown. Serve warm with custard or cream

Fried Apples ‘n’ Onions

He knelt on the ice, pushing sawdust into the cracks with his mittened hands, and pounding it down with a stick as fast as he could, and he asked Royal, “What would you like best to eat?” They talked about spareribs, and turkey with dressing, and baked beans, and crackling cornbread, and other good things. But Almanzo said that what he liked most in the world was fried apples’n’onions.

When, at last, they went in to dinner, there on the table was a big dish of them! Mother knew what he liked best, and she had cooked it for him.  Almanzo ate four large helpings of apples’n’onions fried together.

-From Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This is a “country” dish, seldom mentioned in cookbooks but recalled by many old-timers. Some feel the sugar is essential, while others call it “a sin.”

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon or salt pork, sliced

• 6 yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 6 tart apples, cored and sliced

• 2 Tbs brown sugar

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon or salt pork slices in a large skillet until they are brown and crisp.  Set them aside on a warm serving platter. 

2. While the meat is frying, peel the onions, leaving the stems to use for slicing.  To prevent your eyes from watering, hold a slice of bread in your teeth while you slice the onions as thin as possible.  Discard the stems.

3. Core the apples, and cut them crosswise in slices about 1/4 inch thick.  Apple skins help the slices keep their shape and add flavor and color to the dish so don’t peel them unless the skins are tough or scarred. 

4. Drain all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet, then add the onion slices. Cook them over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Cover with the apple slices in an even layer.  Sprinkle brown sugar over all, cover the skillet, and cook until the apples are tender, 5-15 minutes more depending on your apple variety.  Stir only to prevent scorching.  Remove the apples and onions to the warm plate with the bacon or salt pork slices, and serve immediately.

French Apple Cake

I’m not sure who gave me this recipe way back in 2012, but it must have come originally from Cooks Illustrated because it has way more science attached to it than I want to read. Cooks Illustrated has a way of making simple recipes like this one appear complicated, but in reality it turned out to be a breeze.

The whole idea of using a microwave to cook apples seems ridiculous, so if you don’t have one, don’t be put off by this recipe as I was. It is worth experimenting with different ways to soften the apples, and I would guess the same result could be achieved by steaming them or caramelizing them slightly.

Ingredients:

• 11/2 lb cooking apples - cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8” thick crosswise

• 1 TBS Calvados, brandy or rum

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 cups plus 2 Tbs flour

• 1 cup plus 1 Tbs sugar

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease a 9” spring-form pan, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

3. Place the apple slices in a glass pie plate, cover, and microwave 3-4 minutes until the apples are pliable but not completely soft- they shouldn’t snap when you bend them. Toss the cooked apples with the brandy and lemon juice. Let them cool for 15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside the remaining 2 Tbs flour and 1 Tbs sugar for later.

5. In a larger bowl, whisk the whole egg, oil, milk and vanilla together til smooth. Reserve the two egg yolks for later.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined.

7. Remove 1 cup of batter, and put it in a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the apples into it. Transfer this to the spring-form pan, and spread it evenly across the bottom.

8. Add the remaining two egg yolks and two Tbs of flour into the remaining batter, and whisk to combine. Pour this over the apples and batter already in the pan, and spread it evenly to the edges.

9. Sprinkle the remaining 1 Tbs of sugar over the top. This makes a nice crispy layer on the top of the cake.

10. Bake until the center of the cake is set and the top is golden brown, about 11/4 hours. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Let it cool 2-3 hours more before removing it from the pan and serving.

German Apple Cake 

This comes from Martha Stewart, who originally got the recipe from Lucinda Scala Quinn's book, Mad Hungry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 3 to 4 tart apples

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan or equivalent-size baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.

3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3-cup sugar with the cinnamon. Squeeze lemon juice into a medium bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples into the bowl. Add the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to thoroughly coat each apple slice. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter in overlapping rows, pressing lightly into the batter. Bake for 45 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

“German Apple Pancake,” “Apfel Pfannekuchen” or “Apple Dutch Baby”

Way back in 2009 when the CSA was just beginning, our apprentice, Cassie Tharinger, contributed this recipe to the newsletter. This is how she described it:

“Growing up my mom often made us something she called “Dutch Baby”—a fluffy-on-top custardy-on-the bottom eggy pancake baked in a cast iron skillet in the oven, which we split open and smeared w/ plenty of butter, jam, cinnamon-sugar, or maple syrup.  This summer a friend took me to his favorite childhood breakfast spot, a branch of Portland OR’s “The Original Pancake House” on Chicago’s South Side.  The Apple Pancake I had there was a revelation.  Similar to my childhood Dutch Baby, but with a sweet, sticky, cinnamon-y mass of caramelized apples baked into it—so delicious I burned my mouth repeatedly, unable to wait for it to cool after its date with the piping hot skillet.  Back home I experimented with and tweaked my mom’s Dutch Baby recipe until I came up with my own version of what the Germans call “Apfel Pfannekuchen.”  A tremendous way to start a weekend morning, this could easily be re-envisioned as a dessert—just think of it as a variation on Tarte Tatin or Apple Upside Down Cake!”

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, cored and sliced

• 1/2 - 2/3 cups sugar

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• 3 eggs, separated

• 11/4 cup milk

• 1 egg (not separated)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 1 cup flour

• 5 Tbs butter, plus 2 Tbs for greasing the pan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°

2. Mix together 1/2 – 2/3 cup of sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.  Toss the apple slices in this mixture to coat.

3. Combine the yolks of the 3 separated eggs with the milk, 1 whole egg, vanilla, lemon zest (optional), salt, sugar and flour in a blender or bowl. Blend until smooth.

4. In a heavy, ovenproof skillet (cast iron if you have it) melt 5 Tbs of butter, and add the sugared apples.  They should cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender and caramelized and the sugar and butter form a sticky sauce.

5. While the apples are cooking, beat the remaining 3 egg whites until stiff, and fold into the milk/flour mixture.

6. Dot another tablespoon or two of butter into the skillet, and rub a bit of butter around the pan’s edges to help ensure that the pancake releases from the skillet. Then pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and puffed up and a knife inserted comes out clean. Resist the temptation to open the door too early or the pancake will sink.

7. Slide a knife around the pan to loosen the edges of the pancake.  Invert a large plate or platter over the skillet, and flip the skillet upside down onto the plate.  Eat with any and all of your favorite breakfast toppings.

Ginger-Roasted Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream

Here’s an easy and quick dessert that you can make in the time it takes to slice up a few apples.  If you don’t eat dairy, try it with lemon sorbet instead of ice cream.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated

• butter for greasing the pan

• 4 large apples, cored, cut into 1/2″ thick slices

• vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Combine water, sugar and ginger in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Let the syrup cool for 10 minutes, and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Butter a baking sheet, and place the apples slices on it in a single layer.  Drizzle the apples with 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup.

4. Roast the apples until they are tender, about 20 minutes, tossing once.

5. Ladle some of the syrup onto each of 4 plates.  Scoop the ice cream into the center of the syrup.  Fan the apple slices around the ice cream and serve.

Gluten-Free Apple-Almond Tart

A hundred or more years ago when every farm-yard orchard in Maine had a “sweet” apple tree, the fruit was generally baked in milk and used as a remedy for stomach woes. True sweet apples, such as Tolman Sweet or Pound Sweet, weren’t used for pies since the flesh takes longer to soften than that of apples with more acidity. Modern recipes that call for a sweet apple expect you to use a Gala or Fuji or pretty much any super market apple that is not a Granny Smith. This apple-almond tart seemed like the perfect vehicle for an old-fashioned, true sweet apple since the fruit is caramelized before it goes into the crust so there is no need to worry that the apple will be under-cooked. The tart has very little sugar in it, but the caramelized sweet apples are so sweet that it tastes as if there are raisins in the tart. This recipe also works fine with modern sweet apples.

To make an easy, no-rolling-necessary, gluten-free crust out of almond meal, check out the recipe here. It works perfectly with the tart and takes less than five minutes to make. Pre-bake it for 25 minutes before adding the apples.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 large apples, cored and cut in 1/2” dice

• 1.5 Tbs lemon juice

• 1.5 Tbs unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 cup egg white (from 3 large eggs)

• 2 Tbs white sugar

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

• 1 9-inch gluten-free pastry shell, fully baked

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put the diced apple in a medium-sized bowl; toss with the lemon juice.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Heat a large skillet over high heat, and add the butter. When it has stopped foaming and has turned a light brown, add the apples, turbinado sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread the apples in a single layer and cook without stirring for several minutes. You may have to do this step in two batches if you don’t have a large enough skillet for all the apples to be in one layer.

5. Once the down side of the apples has begun to brown, turn the heat down to medium-high and saute until the apples have begun to caramelize, about 7-10 minutes. Pay attention, and keep stirring them because it takes only a moment for them to go from caramelized to burnt.

6. Remove the skillet from the heat, and spread the apples on the parchment paper to cool.

7. While the apples cool, make the almond topping. Beat the egg whites lightly in a bowl, just until they are frothy, not stiff. Whisk in the white sugar, and stir in the almonds.

8. Spread the cooled apples in the pre-baked pastry shell. Spread the almond and egg mixture evenly over the top of the apples.

9. Place the tart on a sheet pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the almonds begin to turn golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grandma's Apple Crisp

from The Apple Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso

Grandma's Apple Crisp is a departure from those crisps with an oatmeal and nut top.  Instead it has a biscuit topping that sounded a bit strange but really made believers out of us.  It calls for both tart-tender apples and firm-sweet apples.  Don't forget the scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 5 large, tender-tart apples - cored and sliced

• 5 large, firm-sweet apples - cored and sliced

Topping:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 11/2 tsp salt

• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs - lightly beaten

• 8 Tbs salted butter - melted

• 2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Arrange apple slices in an ungreased 9'x13' pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add eggs, and use a fork to mix until it is crumbly. (Amy says it is supposed to look like a streusel with a mix of wet and dry bits.)

4. Spread the topping over the apples, and then drizzle the melted butter over the top. Sprinkle on the cinnamon.

5. Bake until the top is golden brown and the juices of the apples are bubbling - about 50 minutes.

6. Cool 20 minutes, and serve warm from the pan.

Golden Beet, Fennel & Apple Soup

Combine these jewels of fall to create a beautiful and unusual soup that is a change from the typical squash and potato-based cold weather soup selections.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups golden beets

• 1 large fennel bulb, peeled and chopped

• 2 ribs celery, peeled and chopped

• l large, sweet apple, peeled, cored and grated

• 6 Tbs butter

Garnish

• 1/2 cup quark, softened and creamed (substitute whipped goat cheese or sour cream)

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped, toasted and tossed in butter while hot

• chives or scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place beets in a pot, and cover with water. Parboil the beets until tender. Remove the beets, slip off the peel, and chop. Don’t throw the water away.

3. Turn off the heat under the beet water, and place the fennel and celery in the water to soften to al dente. Remove.  Save the water.

4. Brown 4 Tbs of butter in a small skillet. Remove from heat, mix the butter with the cooked vegetables, and spread them on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast in the oven till very soft, mixing occasionally, about 30 – 45 minutes. Vegetables can brown, but do not let them get crisp.

5. Add the roasted vegetables back into the beet cooking water, and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Add more water as needed to make a medium thick soup. These steps can be done a day ahead, and the soup refrigerated.

6. Before serving, brown the remaining 2 Tbs of butter, and add to the soup. Peel the apple, and grate it into soup using a fine grater. Heat the soup till hot, and serve garnished with a dollop of quark, a sprinkle of hazelnuts, and a few bits of chive or green scallion.

 Green Chile-Apple Bread

This recipe comes from Mark Miller’s Indian Market Cookbook. Green Chile-Apple Bread caught my eye because it had “apple” in the title and also because I’m a fan of green chile-apple pie – a paring I had never seen in any other recipe. Mark Miller says that the “common seasonality (of apples and chiles) and complementary flavor tones make them a natural pairing” in NM cuisine. Who knew? We think Maine apples and chiles work well together too. The recipe below is just as it is given in the Indian Market Cookbook. However, I made few substitutions. I nstead of 3 pureed apples, I used 1 cup of tart homemade applesauce. Because I rarely have bread flour, I used all-purpose flour plus a cup of whole-wheat flour – ½ cup added to the sponge and ½ cup added when kneading.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached bread flour

• 2 Tbs fresh yeast or 1 Tbs active dry yeast

• 3 Tbs honey

• ¾ cup warm (100°F) water

• 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1½ tsp salt

• 3 green Anaheim or other roasting chiles – roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

• 3 tart green apples – cored and pureed

• 3 Tbs cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix 1 cup of the bread flour with the yeast, honey and warm water. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and allow the sponge to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until doubled in size.

2. Stir down the sponge, and add the remaining bread flour, the all-purpose flour (adjusting the amount if necessary), salt, chopped chiles, and applesauce, stirring until the dough is soft and smooth.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat it thoroughly. Cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

4. Punch the dough down and divide it into 2 pieces, shaping them into round loaves. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal, and allow the dough to rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Sprinkle the loaves with a little flour, and slash the tops with a sharp knife or razor blade, making cuts about 3” long and ½” deep. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and turn out onto a rack to cool.

Green Chile Apple Pie

We admit to being traditionalists when it comes to apple pie, so we were more than a little skeptical of this recipe that came from a friend from New Mexico. But one day as a blizzard raged outside, we threw caution to the wind and tried it. Let’s just say we’re including it here for all of you to be converted as well. The mild bite of the chilies sets off the sweet-tart apples beautifully. The addition of a cheddar cheese crust transforms the pie into a delicate, sweet & savory pas de deux. The NM recipe called for “mild green chilies,” so we used two Poblanos and four Anaheims which gave it just the right amount of heat. Try whatever you have in your garden - just don’t use bell peppers, or anything too too hot!

Ingredients:

• Your favorite 2-crust piecrust.  For a cheddar cheese crust omit 2 Tbs of butter or shortening, and add in 6 oz grated cheddar cheese

• 6 (mild-ish) green chilies - fresh or canned

• 8 apples, cored and sliced

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 2 Tbs flour

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. If you are using fresh chilies, cut a slit in the side of each, and remove the seeds and membranes. Roast them on a grill or under the broiler until charred, flipping to get both sides. Remove from the heat, and let them sit in a covered bowl for a few minutes. The steam will make it easy it to slip the skins off. Chop.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the chilies and the rest of the ingredients.

4. Roll out your bottom pie crust, and line a pie plate. Add the apple mixture. Roll out the top crust, and create a lattice top.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes more, until the crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling.

Happy Hippie Honey Apple Cake

This recipe was contributed by longtime CSA member and fabulous cook, Deb Soifer. I wondered if it was a special cake for Rosh Hashana since it included honey and apples, but she claimed it was simply a favorite recipe from her days wearing tie dye, decorating with India print bedspreads and reading Richard Brautigan. Try it with any early season, tart cooking apple.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb butter

• 1 egg

• 3/4-1 cup honey

• 1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

• 2 apples - cored and chopped

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup + 2 Tbs combo of white and white whole wheat flours

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together butter and honey. Mix in salt and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients together, then add to

   creamed mixture and blend together.

4. Mix in nuts and apples.

5. Bake in a buttered 9" square pan for 30--40 min

Heaven and Earth

This modified version of an old German recipe was shared by Dorothy Rosenberg. Dorothy says any waxy potato and good pie apple, such as Northern Spy, Black Oxford, Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening will work well in this savory dish.

Ingredients:

• Equal parts potatoes, apples and onions or leeks – enough to fill a large baking dish or casserole.

• Butter or neutral oil

• ¼ to ½ pound of Swiss cheese (Jarlsberg, Gruyere, Swiss) or goat cheese.

• 1 – 2 cloves garlic - minced

• ¼ - ½ cup white wine

• Pepper, salt and nutmeg to taste

• ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut the onions/leeks into thin slices, and sauté in oil or butter over medium to low heat with minced garlic until caramelized. Add white wine, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and let the mixture cook slowly until the wine is absorbed.  

3. Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices.

4. Peel and cut the apples into thin slices.

5. Cut the cheese into thin slices.

6. Butter the inside of a large baking dish or casserole.  Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the casserole. Add a layer of sautéed onions, then apples, then cheese, and repeat ending with a layer of potatoes.  Scatter small pieces of butter over the top layer, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour ¼ to ½ cup of heavy cream evenly over the casserole.

7. Bake for 1 hour.  Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Heritage Apple Crostata

The prevailing wisdom is that the best apple pies are made with a mixture of varieties – those that turn soft to fill in the spaces blended with those that stay firm enough to keep the crust from collapsing on itself. One Belfast shareholder told me that he had read that a pie should have five to seven varieties in it to really shine. Good friend, chef extraordinaire, and longtime shareholder, Deb Soifer, shared this no-frills recipe that allows the flavors of a mix of apples to shine through. Note that this recipe makes enough pastry for two tarts but only enough filling for one. Freeze the extra dough to use another day.

Ingredients:

Pastry for 2 tarts:

• 2 cups unbleached white flour

• ¼ cup granulated or superfine sugar

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ½ lb very cold unsalted butter, diced

• ¼ cup ice water

Filling for 1 tart:

• 1 ½ lb apples - a mix of firm and tender varieties if you have them

• ¼ tsp grated orange zest

• ¼ cup flour

• ¼ cup or less granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp allspice

• 4 Tbs cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Pastry:

(Deb says, “if you can make this ahead and freeze it, even overnight, it makes a big difference in how the dough handles and bakes up – it will be as flaky as a croissant”.)

1. Put dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (or just a bowl), and pulse or whisk a few times.

2. Add butter, toss quickly with your fingers, and then pulse 12-15 times, (or cut in with pastry cutter), until butter is the size of peas.

3. With the motor running, add ¼ cup ice water all at once, and mix just until the dough comes together.

4. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, and form it into two disks. Wrap each disk in wax paper, and freeze or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters. Cut each quarter into 3-4 pieces. Toss in a bowl with the orange zest.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly.

4. Roll out one of the discs of the dough into an 11" circle and put it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the apples out on the dough to within 1 ½" of the edges. Sprinkle the combined flour, butter and spices over the apples.

5. Fold the edge of the pastry up over the apples and pleat, leaving most of the filling exposed.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool. Enjoy!

Honey Apple Pie with Thyme

I don’t think I ever would have tried this pie if I hadn’t had a jar of thyme honey sitting in my pantry. It was a gift from a friend several years ago, and I haven’t had many occasions where it seemed like “just the thing” I needed for a recipe. It certainly never occurred to me to make an apple pie with it. But Melissa Clark from the NY Times was more imaginative than I was, and she put together this recipe for this subtly different pie. It reminded me of those herbed sorbets some restaurants serve between courses to cleanse your palette - they mess with my taste buds as I try to figure out what I am eating. In the end I always like them. And that’s how I feel about this pie.

Ingredients:

• 7 tart apples (use 2 or more varieties if you have them)

• 1/2 cup honey

• 6 thyme branches

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter - cut in small pieces

• 2 Tbs instant tapioca

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar (you may not even need that much)

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp salt

• flour for dusting

• dough for 2 9” pie crusts

Directions:

1. Make your favorite pie crust dough. You will need a top and a bottom. Shape them into two flat discs, and chill while you make the filling.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Core 6 of the apples, and slice them into sixths. You may be tempted to slice them thinner since this is thicker than the way you slice apples for most pies, but don’t. They will get too soft.

4. In a very large skillet over medium-high heat, bring half of the honey to a boil. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Add 3 thyme branches. Arrange the apple slices from 3 of the apples in a single layer in the skillet. Sprinkle 2 TBS butter over the apples. Cook until the apples are caramelized on the bottom, and then flip them over, and let them caramelize on the other side. It takes about 10 minutes. Don’t let them get soft all the way through. They will not get really dark.

5. Scrape the apples and honey into a bowl. Add tapioca and toss to combine. (I didn’t have any tapioca so I skipped this, and the pie was not soggy.)

6. Repeat the above process with the remaining honey, thyme and 3 more of the apples. You will have the slices from one apple remaining uncooked.

7. After adding the second batch of apples to the bowl, remove, and compost the thyme branches.

8. Core and thinly slice the remaining apple, and add it to the bowl. Stir in sugar, ginger and salt.

9. Roll out half the dough, and place it into a nine-inch pie plate. Transfer the apple mixture to the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the pie. Crimp the edges and cut several vent holes in the top. Place on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent a mess on the bottom of your oven.

10. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, and the juices are bubbling through the vents. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Indian Fresh Apple Pickle

This is a David Tanis recipe that I found on on the NYT cooking website. Try it as a salty-acidic accompaniment to your next curry. It pairs well with his recipe for Apple Raita.

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet-tart apples

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cayenne

• 1/2 tsp tumeric

• 3 Tbs untoasted sesame oil or neutral vegetable oil

• 2 tsp black mustard seed

• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing) powder (skip if you don’t have this)

• Juice of 1 large lime

Directions:

1. Wash the apples, cut into quarters and remove the core. Slice into thin strips about 1/2” thick by 1” long. Place in a medium bowl.

2. Add salt, cayenne and tumeric. Mix well.

3. Warm 1 Tbs sesame oil in your smallest skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, and cook until they begin to pop. (About 1 minute.)

4. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the asafoetida, then mix the contents of the skillet into the bowl of apples.

5. Add the remaining sesame oil and the lime juice to the apples, and mix well.

6. Let the apples rest for 15 minutes so the flavors infuse the apples.

7. Store refrigerated up to three days. Serve at room temperature.

Individual Apple and Plum Pies with Streusel Topping

adapted from Apple Pie by Ken Haedrich, 2002

Ingredients:

• Pastry dough for a single crust pie

Filling:

• 3 large cooking apples (Twenty Oz. or Wealthy) – cored and sliced

• 8 small plums – quartered and pitted (I used 12 plums)

• 1/3 cup sugar – less if your plums are sweet

• 1 Tbs lemon juice

• Grated zest of 1 lemon

• ½ Tbs flour

Streusel Topping:

• ¼ cup flour

• ½ cup oats

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ cup cold, unsalted butter – cut into ¼” pieces

Directions:

Ken Haedrich recommends cooking these pies in 10-ounce, oven-proof custard cups. I used individual pie tins, the size that mini Table Talk pies used to come in, and they worked fine. Whichever you prefer, get four of them out before you begin to make sure you have enough on hand.  If not, I’m betting that this recipe would be delicious as a full-size pie too.

1. Prepare pastry. Divide it into four equal pieces and shape each quarter into a disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour until firm enough to roll out.

2. Combine the apples, plums, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and flour in a mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Get out 4 10 oz oven-proof custard cups or individual pie tins.

5. When the pie dough is firm, roll out each disk one at a time into a 7½“ – 8” circle. Place each in a custard cup or mini pie tin. Ken says if you are using the custard cups, you should make four 1½” slices evenly spaced around each of the rolled out doughs so that it will “self-pleat” when you place it in the cup. This wasn’t necessary with the individual pie tins.

6. Place the dough into the cups/tins, gently press into the corners and let the dough hang over the edge. Turn the extra dough under itself and flatten it into a thick edge. Refrigerate each until ready to fill.

7. Spoon an equal amount of filling into each of the cups/tins. Place them on a large baking sheet and place in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

8. While the pies bake, make the streusel topping. Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to mix. Remove the lid, and scatter the butter cubes over the dry ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Dump the crumbs into a bowl and rub between your fingers to make large crumbs. Refrigerate.

9. After 25 minutes, remove the pies from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Divide the topping evenly over the pies and pat it down with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven for 20 minutes or until the juices are bubbling up through the topping.

10. Let pies cool for 30 minutes before serving. Try serving with a vanilla custard sauce.

Jewish Apple Cake

This recipe was submitted and adapted by CSA member, Elizabeth Patten.

Ingredients:

Cake batter

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ¾ cup sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• ½ cups safflower, canola, or other veggie oil

• 1/3 cup orange juice or apple cider

• 2 tsp vanilla

Filling/topping:

• 4-5 small apples

• chopped candied ginger pieces (optional)

• ½ cup nuts (optional)

• brown sugar

• cinnamon

• dash nutmeg

• butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the cake batter: combine dry ingredients. Mix together wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix just until smooth.

3. For filling/topping: blend to preferred consistency/sweetness.

4. Divide batter, and pour half into greased pan. Cover with a layer of filling. Cover with remaining batter and finish with layer of topping.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours.

6. Other options: you can add plumped raisins, apricots or cranberries to topping, and use reserved water from the fruit for the batter.

Jonathan Apple Jonathan

How could we resist a dessert with a name like “Jonathan Apple Jonathan”? Reputedly it was named after our hero, Johnny Appleseed. This is so good that one fall our apprentice, Rob, was sighted eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 2-4 large apples (preferably Jonathan), cored and thinly sliced

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup (half stick) butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 egg

• 1 cup flour (to make gluten-free, use buckwheat flour)

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Layer the apple slices in the bottom of a pie plate or shallow baking dish of similar size. Drizzle the maple syrup over the apples.

3. In a medium-sized bowl cream the sugar and butter until light. Beat in the egg.

4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir or sift until incorporated. Alternately add milk and flour mixture to the butter and sugar, beating after each addition until the batter is thick. Pour the batter over the apples; then set aside for a few minutes to ensure that the batter settles enough to cover all the slices.

5. Bake 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

6. Serve warm or cool with ice cream or light cream.

Julia’s Apple Cream Tart

I found this recipe in Dishing Up Maine by Brooke Dojny. I’m pretty sure that the original came from Julia Child. I made it one fall for a Soup and Pie Social at the Palermo Library. Several people came up to me and raved about the tart wanting to know what was it that made it so delicious. I tried to give the credit to the cream in the filling although I am pretty sure it was the rum. Whatever the reason, it was the first dessert to disappear that day.

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

Sweet Short Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 5 Tbs cold butter, cut into 5 pieces

• 3 Tbs cold vegetable shortening, cut into 3 chunks

• 4 Tbs ice water

Apple Cream Filling

• 3 cups apples (about 1 pound), cored and sliced

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 egg

• 3 Tbs all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup light cream

• 1 Tbs rum or cognac

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Crust: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse to blend. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse again until the shortening is about the size of small peas. Drizzle the water through the feed tube, and pulse until the pastry begins to clump together. Turn out onto a sheet of wax paper, flatten into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (To make by hand, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl, work in the cold butter and shortening with your fingertips, add the water, and stir with a large fork to make a soft dough.)

2. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface, working from the center in all directions until you have an 11-inch round. Fold the dough in half, and ease it into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with the fold in the center. Unfold the dough, press it against the sides of the pan, and trim the edges. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°.

4. Press a sheet of foil into the bottom of the tart shell. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake for 5-8 minutes, until it is pale golden. If the pastry starts to puff up, press the bottom gently with a large spatula or oven-mitted hand to flatten. Fill immediately or cool on a rack. If proceeding immediately, leave the oven temperature at 375°.

5. Filling: In a large bowl, toss the apples with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon, and spread this into the bottom of the tart shell. Bake until the apples begin to color and are almost tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven.

6. Reduce the oven heat to 350°.

7. Whisk together the egg and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. Whisk in the flour, then the cream, rum and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the hot apples in the tart pan. Return the tart to the oven.

8. Bake until the top is pale golden and a knife inserted part way to the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

9. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar before serving.

Kale with Apples, Raisins, Feta and Walnuts

From Wild Flavors by Didi Emmons. This is a dish that delights us fall, winter and even in the spring when there are still apples in the root cellar and the hoop house has a carpet of new kale in its beds.

(Serves 3)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tbs olive oil

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 large, tart apple, cored and diced

• 8 cups kale, de-stemmed and thinly shredded

• 1/4 cup raisins, currents or dried cranberries

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans,toasted

• 2-3 Tbs feta cheese, crumbled

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or 1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles (optional)

• salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 7-8 minutes until brown. Stir at least once. It is easy to burn them, so keep an eye on them.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring every few minutes for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the apple. The onions will start sticking to the pan; that’s ok since it is good to let them brown, but stir them before they burn. Cook 10 minutes more until the onions are quite brown.

4. Add the kale, raisins, garlic and 3/4 cup water. Turn the heat to high, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Add the vinegar, and continue to cook, stirring periodically until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

6. Add the nuts, feta and paprika. Stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kohlrabi, Apple and Beetroot Salad

If your garden or farmers market is overflowing with fall roots, try this colorful salad. Any fresh eating apple will work fine; a mix of several varieties would be even better.

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 2 large kohlrabi (1/2 a large celeriac root works too)

• 2 medium beets

• 6 large beet leaves

• 3 firm, fresh eating apples

• a handful of fresh cilantro leaves - roughly chopped

• 1 garlic clove - crushed

• 2 oz. extra virgin olive oil

• 1 .5 oz. apple cider vinegar

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel the kohlrabi (celeriac), cut in quarters, and slice thinly by hand or mandoline.

2. Peel off the leathery and hairy spots on the beets, and grate coarsely.

3. Cut the apples into quarters, core, and slice thinly by hand or mandoline.

4. Wash and dry the beet greens. Stack and roll them, and then thinly slice through the rolls to form ribbons of green.

5. In a small bowl, macerate the garlic in the oil and vinegar.

6. Mix the vegetables and the cilantro in a large bowl. Add in the oil , vinegar and garlic. Toss. Add salt and pepper. Don’t skimp on the salt.

7. Arrange on plates and serve.

Lamb Stew with Apples 

Modern apple cookbooks don’t seem to include recipes for true “sweet” apples that lack acidity. That’s probably no surprise since the old sweet apples are hard to come by, even at farm stands. But old timers grew a sweet apple or two in their home orchards to use for molasses, sauce and sweetening meat dishes. Before the days of pepto bismol Dr. Mom cooked up sweet apples in milk for family members with an upset stomach.

John is still a big fan of sweet apples in stew. They hold their shape through the hours of slow cooking and impart a subtle contrast to the savory meat. He served as advisor and taste tester for the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• 1 pound of lamb stew meat - cut into cubes

• 3 firm, sweet apples, such as Tolman Sweet, Pound Sweet or Pumpkin Sweet - cored and chopped into 1” cubes

• 2 medium onions - chopped

• 3-4 medium tomatoes - chopped

• 2 Tbs tomato paste

• 4 cups dry white wine or dry hard cider

• salt and pepper to taste

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp sweet paprika

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other oven-proof casserole. Brown the meat well on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir in the spices, and let them sizzle in the oil for a minute or two. Then add the onions, tomatoes, apples, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and tomato paste. Stir well so the vegetables and apples are coated with the spices.

3. Pour in two cups of the wine/cider, and bring to a boil. Give it a taste, and adjust the seasonings.

4. Cover the casserole, and place in the preheated oven.

5. Cook the stew for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook it, the more tender the lamb will be. Make sure you check on it every half hour or so and add more liquid (wine/cider/water/broth) as it dries out.

6. When the lamb is tender enough to melt in your mouth, it is time to eat. Serve over rice or with crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Logging Road Blackberry Apple Pie

When the early apples are ready, we still have lots of blackberries drooping from the canes along the pathways on the farm. So we were happy to find a way to bring the two fruits together in a colorful pie. This recipe comes from Apple Pie by Ken Haedrich.

(Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

• 1 double pie crust of your choice (refrigerated)

• 3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

• 6 cups pie apples, cored and sliced

• 2 1/2 – 3 Tbs cornstarch

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the crust, and refrigerate it till it is firm enough to roll. Roll out the bottom crust, and gently place it in a 9-inch, deep-dish pie pan. Put it back in the refrigerator.

3. Place the blackberries in a large bowl, and add 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon juice. Crush the berries with a a potato masher until they are well mashed but still have a bit of texture.

4. Add the apples to the crushed berries, and toss well. Mix the remaining 2 Tbs of sugar with the cornstarch; add the larger amount of cornstarch if you are going to be eating the pie while it is warm. Add the cornstarch and sugar and the nutmeg to the fruit, and mix till it is evenly distributed.

5. Turn the filling into the pie shell, and smooth the top. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell.

6. Roll out the remaining half of the dough, and cover the filling. Press the two crusts together along the edges. Trim the edges, leaving 1/2 inch of dough around the edge of the pie pan. Use this to sculpt the edges. Cut several vent holes in the crust, including a few near the outside edge so that you can check the juices as it cooks.

7. If you wish to glaze the pie, brush the top with a little milk, and sprinkle on some sugar.

8. Put the pie on the center oven rack, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place the pie on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, and place the pie back in the oven. Bake 35-40 minutes more, until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling through the steam vents.

9. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Lost Nation Cider Pie

Lost Nation Cider Pie which originated in the kitchen of organic apple growers Michael and Nancy Phillips made its way to Super Chilly Farm via Ben Watson in his book, Cider Hard & Sweet. The cider jelly gives a rich depth to the apple flavor, and the apples get tender without turning to mush. This is the perfect pie for a dark winter night.

Ingredients:

• Pastry for a two-crust 9” pie

• ½ sugar (Ben’s recipe calls for ¾ cup, but I prefer less)

• 3 Tbs cornstarch

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup cider jelly**

• ½ cup boiling water

• 1 egg – lightly beaten

• 1 Tbs butter – melted

• 3 cups firm, winter keeper apples - sliced (or enough to make a heap in the center of your pie plate)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.

2. To make the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl dissolve the cider jelly in the water, and then mix that into the sugar. Stir in the egg and the melted butter.

3. Roll out the bottom crust and lay it into a 9” pie pan. Cover the bottom crust with the apple slices, mounding them up in the center. Pour the filling mixture over the apples.

4. Roll out the top crust and lay it over the pie. Crimp the edges, and cut a few slashes in the top to let the steam escape. (You might want to put a rimmed baking sheet under the pie when you cook it as mine leaked a delicious caramel-y juice that I spooned up and drizzled over the pie when I served it.)

5. Bake 40 minutes or until the crust is golden and you can see the juices bubbling.

**Ben suggests making your own cider jelly by boiling down fresh cider until the jelly stage (220 degrees) or until the cider runs off a spoon in a sheet. Sounded easy, but by the time my cider started sheeting off the spoon, it was way too late. The whole batch turned to hard candy as it cooled. I ended up using a jar of cider jelly I located at the back of the refrigerator. Guess I need to get a candy thermometer.

Missing Finger Chocolate Cake

We are not a family of cake lovers. In fact, we almost always have ice cream cakes for our birthdays.  But if ice cream is not an option, this is the cake we opt for. It is moist, dense, chocolatey, and has frosting that is good enough to eat alone. (OK, the cake is really just an excuse to eat the frosting.) And as good luck would have it, this cake is made with apples. They don’t really add flavor, and you can’t tell they are there, but they keep the cake from drying out which is worth all the effort of grating them. Make it the day before you want to serve it as the flavors improve overnight.

Oh, if you’re wondering about the name, that’s a long family story.

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

• 2 cups sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp allspice

• 2 tsp baking soda

• ¼ cup hot water

• 3 cups apples – peeled and grated

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10” bundt pan.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale yellow and light.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Beat the mixture till light and fluffy.

3. Sift flour, cocoa, salt and spices together.

4. Add the baking soda to the hot water, and mix till dissolved.  

5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the soda mixture.  Begin and end with the dry ingredients.

6. Stir in the grated apples.

7. Spoon the batter into the bundt pan.  Bake until the cake is dark brown and springs bake when lightly pushed, about 70 minutes.

8. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Unmold from the pan and invert onto a serving plate.  Allow the cake to cool before frosting. (You can make this cake without the frosting, but I can’t imagine why you would.)

Caramel Frosting Ingredients:

• 8 TBS unsalted butter

• ½ cup packed, dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbs milk

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbs confectioners’ sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla

Caramel Frosting Directions:

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  

2. Stir in the brown sugar, reduce heat to low, and cook until the sugar melts and begins to get ropey – about two minutes.  Keep stirring while the sugar bubbles.

3. Stir in the milk, and raise the heat to medium.  Stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

4. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time.  Continue whisking until it is smooth and spreadable.  (If your sugar is clumpy, you may have to sift it before adding.) Whisk in the vanilla, and use immediately.

5. Most likely you will have to spoon this over the cake.  It will look like way too much, but trust me, it’s not. Use it all.  People will fight to get to scrape off what spills down onto the plate.

NAFTA Salsa

OOAL apprentice, Jordan, whipped up this tasty salsa for a crowd with apples as the base– no tomatoes in sight. She chose the stripy Canadian variety, St. Lawrence, for its tart flesh and beautiful red and green skin. Then she added chiles and cilantro to give it some flavors from south of the border. The salsa was light and refreshing and the perfect blend of Canada, Maine and Mexico. No passport required.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium apples, cored and sliced

• 1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press

• Juice from a fresh lime

• ½ Tbs cider vinegar

• ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)

• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 jalapeno or other hot chile, minced

• 2 sweet red peppers, finely chopped

Directions:

1. If you have an immersion blender, put the apples in a narrow bowl and macerate. Otherwise pulse till ground up in a food processor. The apples should be soft and juicy and have the consistency of a slushie. You can also grate the apples.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients, and stir til well blended. The mixture should be a lovely combination of dark red and green flecks mixed throughout the light green apple puree.

Although we haven’t tried it, we imagine that the addition of roasted, chopped tomatillos would give the salsa a new dimension.  Who knows, maybe you could even sneak in a green, Striped Zebra tomato as well.