Apple Cider Syrup

...Syrup 1 gallon apple cider or unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice In a large pot or saucepan bring the cider to a boil. Let boil, at a rapid boil, uncovered until gallon has reduced to approximately two cups of syrup and consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This can take anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes depending on the size of your pan, the strength of your stove, etc. When slightly cooled, pour into jars (I...... Read more »

Apple and Quince Tart

...Filling: about 5 cups sliced apples and quince (or apples and pears, see headnote), keeping apples and quince separate and slicing quince a bit thinner than the apples 1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar (depending on tartness of fruit) Zest of half a lemon 3 tablespoons reduced apple cider syrup* 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Depending on your ratio of quince to apples mix each with the respective amount, more or less, of sugar and lemon zest. Mix the...... Read more »

Black Radish, Carrot, Collard Green and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts

I love this combination of disparate flavors. Toast the walnuts a bit longer than you might typically--the hint of char is delicious here. ... Read more »

Late Summer Treat: Apple Dumpling

...It’s fun to experiment with different types of flour here so by all means use half whole wheat or whole spelt. The syrup might seem like too much but trust me, it’s not!   This does not take very long to prepare and bakes in 25-30 minutes. The biscuit dough comes together in a few minutes so pre-heating the oven and chopping the apples is the primary task. I’m a fast apple chopper but you’ll get faster, if you aren’t...... Read more »

Apple Dumpling

This is my mother’s recipe and I’m not sure where she found it or how she’s adapted it. You can use your favorite biscuit dough recipe or the simple one below that’s inspired by the Joy of Cooking. Be forewarned that you may find yourself eating too much of this or making it several times in a row or making lifelong friends with whomever you share it.   ... Read more »

Apple Pie

...to my sour cherry pie this week too. PIE CLASS? I love really good pie (crust) and am contemplating teaching a pie class in the next few weeks. Let me know if you’d be interested. Fruit pies, nuts pies/tarts, custard pies. . . all with excellent crust. It would be in Portland, OR on a weeknight evening or weekend afternoon, 2+ hours. Happy Thanksgiving! Apple Pie This is a pretty classic apple pie. You don’t want to slice the apples...... Read more »

Grated Apple Snack Cake

I was going for a not-too sweet apple dessert reminiscent of German and Italian apple pudding-cake like concoctions I grew up with, but a bit more cake-like. The addition of the sprinkle of brown sugar in the pan and the fresh nutmeg gives it a hint of Americana and cake doughnut flavor. All the fresh apples give it some weight but it's sill more cake than pudding! ... Read more »

Miso and Cider Vinegar Roasted Winter Vegetables

   ... Read more »

Apple and Pear Crisp

Simple, delicious!  ... Read more »

Bake With What You Have – Part I

...the sweetener a bit since bananas are sweeter than apples. And speaking of sweeteners, you could substitute maple syrup for the honey or use brown sugar or granulated sugar though honey is a bit sweeter than sugar so reduce the sugar amount by 1/4 or so. You could also play with different kinds of flour or combinations of flour. You might use half spelt flour and half all-purpose, etc. Kim Boyce’s wonderful book Good to the Grain is a wonderful...... Read more »

Recipes

...Other Sweet Things   Apfelkuchen Apricot (or peach or plum) Cobbler Apple and Quince Tart Apple Oat Muffins Baked Apples Blackberry Slump Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Chocolate Fudgy Cookies Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Chocolate Pie Citrus and Coconut Brown Rice Pudding Corn Meal Pancakes Currant Cake (Johannesbeerkuchen) Jam Muffins No-Knead Bread Oak, Carrot and Nutmeg Muffins Pumpkin Seed Coconut Granola Rhubarb Yogurt Cake Quince Ricotta Bread Pudding (Ofenschlupfer) Rhubarb Crisp w/ Blackberry and Italian Prune Preserves Rice Custard...... Read more »

Salads and Beans

...If you want a bean-heavy salad, just chop the greens and herbs a little finer and have the focal point be the beans, eggs, nuts, etc. And finally you need a zippy dressing. My standard is good olive oil (I like Unio by Siurana available locally at Pastaworks), lemon juice or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and my secret ingredient: reduced apple cider. I take a half-gallon of organic apple cider and bring it to a boil in a...... Read more »

Baked Apples

...Greek yogurt and maple syrup. Baked Apples 4 apples, cut in half, peeled and cored (or pears or quince) 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pecans 1/2 cup of chopped dried fruit (dates, raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, prunes or apricots) 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar (or 1 -2 tablespoons honey) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces 3/4 cup apple cider or water Preheat oven to 375 degrees....... Read more »

Perfect Pie

...after Thanksgiving. It’s about crimping that dough and praying that it won’t droop in the hot oven in all its buttery goodness. And it’s about apples and pumpkins, nuts and even leafy greens with eggs and spices that fill those buttery shells, that makes me happy. Apple Pie waiting to be covered and crimped (my favorite part). I’m dying to try this pie and this crust (even though I’ve always stuck with all-purpose flour for pie crust) and finally trying...... Read more »

Pie

Blackberry Pie and Pie-crust Cookies I’m teaching a pie class (sweet and savory) this Sunday, November 14. I am a bit evangelical about pie. I love to bake most anything but there is something about pie that appeals to the minimalist in me. Just flour, butter and water for that crust and apples, a little sugar and thickener for the filling and the sum of those few things is just so much more than you’d expect. But there are a...... Read more »

Weekday Breakfast and Memories of Summer

...opened my last quart of blueberries and strawberries this morning for one of our favorite breakfasts.   Throughout the late fall and winter I’ve cooked a pot of steel-cut oats (I soak the oats over night which makes cooking them in the morning a quick affair) and topped them with frozen berries and maple syrup. It is perfect in so many ways. The berries thaw and soften in the steaming cereal and cool the oats down to a perfect temperature....... Read more »

Salad

...a lone scallion, some goat cheese (leftover from Saturday’s Improv class), a handful of parsley, a few leaves of romaine, and one puny slice of bread which I toasted and then tore up in to tiny bits. This all sounds rather odd but dressed up with a nice vinaigrette enlivened with my apple cider syrup it was just right–chewy, fresh, and rich from the squash and cheese. Barley, radish, parsley and squash salad and my lovely mother and me. I’m...... Read more »

Corn Meal Pancakes & New Lunch Time Classes

...the batter. They are wonderful served with jam, with syrup, with a fruit compote or with greek yogurt and chives and I’m sure with most things you might think of. Blueberries and lemon zest are a wonderful combination. I neglected the blueberries in this weekend’s version but I’ll have another opportunity soon thanks to the breakfast tyrant. They are a bit thinner than regular pancakes and they are best with a medium to coarse grind of corn meal and even...... Read more »

Why I Cook. Part I.

...(inspired by Lottie + Doof who adapted it from Early Bird Granola) 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled 1 cup coconut chips 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil generous 1/2 cup apple sauce 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt Preheat oven to 300°F. Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Mix honey, maple syrup, olive...... Read more »

Creative Use for Jams & Compotes to Make Room for the New Harvest

...this granola without the jam/compote. It’s delicious and just lightly sweet. Seed & Coconut Granola   If you’re not using any jam/compote, increase the oil to 1/2 cup and increase the honey to 1/4 cup.   5 cups rolled oats 1 1/4 cups raw pumpkin seeds, hulled 1 1/4 cups raw sunflower seeds, hulled 1 1/2 cups coconut chips (also called flaked coconut) 1/2 pint of jam or fruit compote/apple sauce (see headnote) 1/2 cup maple syrup or liquid sweetener...... Read more »

A Tribute to Henry

Henry ran off the path in to the woods just a few days ago and returned with an apple in his mouth. He loved fruit. He was my mother’s faithful companion for almost 15 years. Henry, whom my mother referred to as a puppy his whole life, decided it was time to call it quits yesterday. He was buried with a big, sweet Gravenstein apple. He lived a glorious life out in the woods and loved my mother so. In...... Read more »

Apfelkuchen

There are many apple confections that fall under this general title but I grew up with this particular one, a barely sweet apple tart really, and it will always have a special place in my heart and repertoire. It’s the same crust and preparation as the Zwetschgendatschi but I always make it in a half sheet pan. . . it’s wonderful for days and makes a fine breakfast, with or without whipped cream! Feel free to halve the recipe but...... Read more »

What a Wedding!

...that had been roasted overnight in a pit underground resting on the apple trimmings from the previous day’s cider pressing. Ryan, the expert pig roaster (and wedding officiator) and I preparing to "pull" that juicy amazing meat off the bones The dinner was followed by 45 minutes of moving and funny toasts and stories about the couple, amazing mini-bundt cakes made by Emily’s sister and then there was dancing, until 2 am! And now back to those corncakes. They make...... Read more »

Pantry

The Comfort of Good Food - Lentil Soup and Carrot Cake

...Fold carrots, zest, currants, and raisins. Pour batter in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. be careful not to over bake. Frosting: 6 oz cream cheeses 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) of butter, room temperature 2-3 Tbs maple syrup 1/2 tsp lemon juice Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a wooden spoon. Add maple syrup and lemon juice. Add more of either to taste. The frosting will firm up in the fridge if it gets to soft to spread...... Read more »

Apple Cider Syrup

related image

Syrup 1 gallon apple cider or unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice In a large pot or saucepan bring the cider to a boil. Let boil, at a rapid boil, uncovered until gallon has reduced to approximately two cups of syrup and consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This can take anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes depending on the size of your pan, the strength of your stove, etc. When slightly cooled, pour into jars (I…

Apple and Quince Tart

related image

…Filling: about 5 cups sliced apples and quince (or apples and pears, see headnote), keeping apples and quince separate and slicing quince a bit thinner than the apples 1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar (depending on tartness of fruit) Zest of half a lemon 3 tablespoons reduced apple cider syrup* 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Depending on your ratio of quince to apples mix each with the respective amount, more or less, of sugar and lemon zest. Mix the…

Late Summer Treat: Apple Dumpling

related image

…It’s fun to experiment with different types of flour here so by all means use half whole wheat or whole spelt. The syrup might seem like too much but trust me, it’s not!   This does not take very long to prepare and bakes in 25-30 minutes. The biscuit dough comes together in a few minutes so pre-heating the oven and chopping the apples is the primary task. I’m a fast apple chopper but you’ll get faster, if you aren’t…

Apple Pie

related image

…to my sour cherry pie this week too. PIE CLASS? I love really good pie (crust) and am contemplating teaching a pie class in the next few weeks. Let me know if you’d be interested. Fruit pies, nuts pies/tarts, custard pies. . . all with excellent crust. It would be in Portland, OR on a weeknight evening or weekend afternoon, 2+ hours. Happy Thanksgiving! Apple Pie This is a pretty classic apple pie. You don’t want to slice the apples…

Bake With What You Have – Part I

related image

…the sweetener a bit since bananas are sweeter than apples. And speaking of sweeteners, you could substitute maple syrup for the honey or use brown sugar or granulated sugar though honey is a bit sweeter than sugar so reduce the sugar amount by 1/4 or so. You could also play with different kinds of flour or combinations of flour. You might use half spelt flour and half all-purpose, etc. Kim Boyce’s wonderful book Good to the Grain is a wonderful…

Recipes

related image

…Other Sweet Things   Apfelkuchen Apricot (or peach or plum) Cobbler Apple and Quince Tart Apple Oat Muffins Baked Apples Blackberry Slump Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Chocolate Fudgy Cookies Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Chocolate Pie Citrus and Coconut Brown Rice Pudding Corn Meal Pancakes Currant Cake (Johannesbeerkuchen) Jam Muffins No-Knead Bread Oak, Carrot and Nutmeg Muffins Pumpkin Seed Coconut Granola Rhubarb Yogurt Cake Quince Ricotta Bread Pudding (Ofenschlupfer) Rhubarb Crisp w/ Blackberry and Italian Prune Preserves Rice Custard…

Salads and Beans

related image

…If you want a bean-heavy salad, just chop the greens and herbs a little finer and have the focal point be the beans, eggs, nuts, etc. And finally you need a zippy dressing. My standard is good olive oil (I like Unio by Siurana available locally at Pastaworks), lemon juice or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and my secret ingredient: reduced apple cider. I take a half-gallon of organic apple cider and bring it to a boil in a…

Baked Apples

related image

…Greek yogurt and maple syrup. Baked Apples 4 apples, cut in half, peeled and cored (or pears or quince) 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pecans 1/2 cup of chopped dried fruit (dates, raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, prunes or apricots) 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar (or 1 -2 tablespoons honey) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces 3/4 cup apple cider or water Preheat oven to 375 degrees….

Perfect Pie

related image

…after Thanksgiving. It’s about crimping that dough and praying that it won’t droop in the hot oven in all its buttery goodness. And it’s about apples and pumpkins, nuts and even leafy greens with eggs and spices that fill those buttery shells, that makes me happy. Apple Pie waiting to be covered and crimped (my favorite part). I’m dying to try this pie and this crust (even though I’ve always stuck with all-purpose flour for pie crust) and finally trying…

Pie

related image

Blackberry Pie and Pie-crust Cookies I’m teaching a pie class (sweet and savory) this Sunday, November 14. I am a bit evangelical about pie. I love to bake most anything but there is something about pie that appeals to the minimalist in me. Just flour, butter and water for that crust and apples, a little sugar and thickener for the filling and the sum of those few things is just so much more than you’d expect. But there are a…

Weekday Breakfast and Memories of Summer

related image

…opened my last quart of blueberries and strawberries this morning for one of our favorite breakfasts.   Throughout the late fall and winter I’ve cooked a pot of steel-cut oats (I soak the oats over night which makes cooking them in the morning a quick affair) and topped them with frozen berries and maple syrup. It is perfect in so many ways. The berries thaw and soften in the steaming cereal and cool the oats down to a perfect temperature….

Salad

related image

…a lone scallion, some goat cheese (leftover from Saturday’s Improv class), a handful of parsley, a few leaves of romaine, and one puny slice of bread which I toasted and then tore up in to tiny bits. This all sounds rather odd but dressed up with a nice vinaigrette enlivened with my apple cider syrup it was just right–chewy, fresh, and rich from the squash and cheese. Barley, radish, parsley and squash salad and my lovely mother and me. I’m…

Corn Meal Pancakes & New Lunch Time Classes

related image

…the batter. They are wonderful served with jam, with syrup, with a fruit compote or with greek yogurt and chives and I’m sure with most things you might think of. Blueberries and lemon zest are a wonderful combination. I neglected the blueberries in this weekend’s version but I’ll have another opportunity soon thanks to the breakfast tyrant. They are a bit thinner than regular pancakes and they are best with a medium to coarse grind of corn meal and even…

Why I Cook. Part I.

related image

…(inspired by Lottie + Doof who adapted it from Early Bird Granola) 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled 1 cup coconut chips 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil generous 1/2 cup apple sauce 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt Preheat oven to 300°F. Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Mix honey, maple syrup, olive…

Creative Use for Jams & Compotes to Make Room for the New Harvest

related image

…this granola without the jam/compote. It’s delicious and just lightly sweet. Seed & Coconut Granola   If you’re not using any jam/compote, increase the oil to 1/2 cup and increase the honey to 1/4 cup.   5 cups rolled oats 1 1/4 cups raw pumpkin seeds, hulled 1 1/4 cups raw sunflower seeds, hulled 1 1/2 cups coconut chips (also called flaked coconut) 1/2 pint of jam or fruit compote/apple sauce (see headnote) 1/2 cup maple syrup or liquid sweetener…

A Tribute to Henry

related image

Henry ran off the path in to the woods just a few days ago and returned with an apple in his mouth. He loved fruit. He was my mother’s faithful companion for almost 15 years. Henry, whom my mother referred to as a puppy his whole life, decided it was time to call it quits yesterday. He was buried with a big, sweet Gravenstein apple. He lived a glorious life out in the woods and loved my mother so. In…

Apfelkuchen

related image

There are many apple confections that fall under this general title but I grew up with this particular one, a barely sweet apple tart really, and it will always have a special place in my heart and repertoire. It’s the same crust and preparation as the Zwetschgendatschi but I always make it in a half sheet pan. . . it’s wonderful for days and makes a fine breakfast, with or without whipped cream! Feel free to halve the recipe but…

What a Wedding!

related image

…that had been roasted overnight in a pit underground resting on the apple trimmings from the previous day’s cider pressing. Ryan, the expert pig roaster (and wedding officiator) and I preparing to “pull” that juicy amazing meat off the bones The dinner was followed by 45 minutes of moving and funny toasts and stories about the couple, amazing mini-bundt cakes made by Emily’s sister and then there was dancing, until 2 am! And now back to those corncakes. They make…

The Comfort of Good Food – Lentil Soup and Carrot Cake

related image

…Fold carrots, zest, currants, and raisins. Pour batter in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. be careful not to over bake. Frosting: 6 oz cream cheeses 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) of butter, room temperature 2-3 Tbs maple syrup 1/2 tsp lemon juice Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a wooden spoon. Add maple syrup and lemon juice. Add more of either to taste. The frosting will firm up in the fridge if it gets to soft to spread…