Persimmons

I didn't notice them at first, but when the people ahead of me in line raved about the American persimmons for sale by Coyote Hill Farm at the farmers market, I decided to try them. I had had Asian persimmons when we lived in California but had never tried the native American ones. These were much smaller, maybe around 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

In general, I have to say I'm not convinced they were worth it. Each fruit had several large seeds in it, and while the flesh is very sweet, it's sticky and there isn't that much of it. That said, I know some people love persimmons, so if you find them and don't mind the fuss, give them a try.

After we ate a couple straight, I decided to try to separate the seeds from the pulp and do something with the pulp. It wasn't all that easy. I tried putting them through a food mill, but the seeds were large enough that they got in the way. I eventually ended up pulling the seeds out with my fingers and then putting the flesh through the mill to puree it. That worked reasonably well, but I wouldn't want to do it with a large quantity (I had a pint or so of fruits). This yield around 1/2 to 2/3 cup of puree - though it was really more the consistency of paste than puree.

Since the amount of puree I had wasn't large, I decided to mix it with some applesauce. I did about a 1:4 ratio of persimmon puree to applesauce. It was quite tasty, and turned the pale yellow applesauce a pleasant pale orange color. I think this might make nice fruit leather as well. You could certainly go heavier on the persimmon in the mix if you had enough.

Drying Apples and Asian Pears

I love drying fruit at home - it's easy, and the flavor is like nothing you've ever tasted in dried fruit from the store.

Our little Asian pear tree, planted a few years ago, produced its first harvest of any size this year. The pears are delicious fresh, but we had a few more than we could eat before they would start to get soft and lose their flavor, so I wanted to try drying them. To get a full dehydrator load, I added some apples - they can be prepared the same way and take roughly the same amount of drying time (the apples dried slightly faster than the pears).

If you've never had an Asian pear, they look a bit like apples - rounder than the classic European pear we mostly see around here - and they are crisp rather than soft. The skin is edible but usually a bit tough, so it's best to peel them for eating.

For both apples and Asian pears, the way to prepare them for drying is to peel, core and slice to about 1/4-inch thick. The easiest way I have found to do this is using an apple machine - you can find these at many stores with kitchen supplies (around here, Wilson's and also the Farmers Coop, among others) - that peels, slices, and cores all at once.

Spread the fruit out in a single layer on the dryer trays and dry for 6-8 hours (maybe slightly longer for the pears), until the fruit is completely dry but still pliable.

Spinach Apple Pizza with Dried Tomatoes and Gouda

I made this with some of the last local apples of the season (thanks Apex Orchards!), local spinach, dried tomatoes from my own garden, and Gouda cheese made by Upinngil Farm.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/4 lb spinach, lightly steamed
1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water and drained
2 oz Gouda, in small chunks
2-3 oz. mozzarella, shredded or in small chunks

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the steamed spinach over the oiled pizza crust.  Top with slices of apple and dried tomato, then sprinkle with the Gouda and mozzarella.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Apple Cider Braised Beef with Celeriac

Tart apple cider makes for a sweet but not too sweet, tangy braising liquid, perfect for fall.  If you don't have access to a tart cider (I used the Vintage blend from Clarkdale Fruit Farms), substitute beef stock for part of the cider and add a little cider vinegar at the end if desired.  I used beef shanks, but the recipe would work for any good braising cut - short ribs, brisket, or anything else you'd use for pot roast.  While you could substitute other root vegetables for the celeriac, I recommend using it because the texture and flavor work really well cooked in the cider.  You can serve this over egg noodles or mashed potatoes, or serve it like a stew with some good bread for dipping.

2-3 lbs beef ( such as shanks, short ribs, brisket, etc)
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, in wedges
1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups tart apple cider
Beef stock (if needed)
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Lightly coat the beef on all sides with oil, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Brown in the oven for 10 minutes on each side.  (You can also do this on the stovetop, but I personally find it too smoky.)

Heat a little more canola oil in a Dutch oven.  Add the apple, onion, and celeriac and brown them a bit over high heat, stirring often.  Add the browned beef, then pour in the apple cider.  Add beef stock if needed to bring the level of the liquid such that it covers the beef most but not all of the way.  Stir in the mustard.

Bring the braise to a boil, then reduce heat to very low and simmer for at least 2 hours.  When ready to serve, take the beef out of the pot and cut into serving sized pieces, removing any chunks of bone.  Mash the apple chunks with the back of a spoon.  Serve the beef with plenty of liquid and chunks of celeriac.

Serves 4-6.

Leek Risotto with Apples, Spinach, and Blue Cheese

Sometimes a set of ingredients just speaks to me tells me what I need to do with it.  Such was the case here, with apples, spinach, and leeks in the fridge (I had to go out and buy the blue cheese, but the apples and spinach insisted).  Choose a blue cheese of your liking; I recommend erring on the side of mildness rather than pungency here.  You want it to be flavorful but not to completely overwhelm the rest of the dish.  I used a marvelous sheep's milk blue from Seabrook Farm in Vermont.  For the apples, choose ones that are nice and tart that will hold their shape well when cooked - I used Macouns.

Olive oil
3 medium-large leeks, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 medium-sized tart apples, peeled and diced
1/2 lb spinach, stemmed and well chopped
3-4 oz. crumbled or diced blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Make the risotto in the pressure cooker: Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of the cooker and saute about one third of the sliced leeks for 2 minutes or so.  Add the rice and saute for a minute or two.  Pour in the stock, bring the cooker to pressure, and cook for 7 minutes.  Release pressure.

While the risotto cooks, heat a bit more oil in a large skillet and saute the remainder of the leeks for 2-3 minutes.  Add the apples and cook over medium heat until tender but not soft (you don't want applesauce here).  Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes, covered, until it wilts.  Stir in the blue cheese and let it melt, then mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve mounds of risotto topped generously with the apple and spinach mixture.

Serves about 4.

Applesauce Pancakes

These are best with a nice, chunky homemade applesauce. I recently made some from a bag of utility apples from Clarkdale Fruit Farms. The pancakes come out tender and soft with a wonderful apple-y flavor.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Optional additions: raisins, walnuts
Butter or oil for cooking

Preheat one or two skillets over low heat while you prepare the batter.

Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, milk, and brown sugar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. If desired, add in optional addition(s).

Cook the pancakes in butter or oil over medium heat, roughly 3 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm under a towel or in a low oven.

Serve with maple syrup.

Serves about four.

Last Week for Apex Apples

It's the last week of April and that means it's the last week to buy apples from Apex Orchards in Shelburne. We stocked up last week on Braeburns and Empires and now have two refrigerator drawers full of apples to last us another few weeks. We have found that these long-stored apples are still in pretty great shape as long as you keep them refrigerated after getting them home--but kept out in the fruit bowl, they go downhill pretty quickly.

Once the apples are gone, we'll be into the spring fruit gap as we wait for strawberry season to begin in June. As I write this, it is cool, gray, and rainy outside, making June seem very far away - but really it's only a few weeks. Soon we will be picking strawberries in the hot sun!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

I was going to call these Fall Harvest Pancakes, which they more or less are, but it seemed a little odd given that it's February... Anyway, they make lovely use of pumpkin (or winter squash), apples, and maple syrup. Other local ingredients: eggs, milk, wheat - not bad. Yum!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pureed pumpkin (or winter squash)
1/4 cup brown sugar (skip if using very sweet squash)
1/2 cup milk
Applesauce for topping, warmed
Maple syrup for topping

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking sold, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, and milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter will be relatively thick, with a fluffy texture.

Cook the pancakes in oil or butter in a skillet over low-medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven or on plate covered with a towel.

Top with applesauce and maple syrup at the table.

Serves 3-4.

Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw

Another winter slaw...this one very pink. It has a nice crunch and mild kick from the dressing. These slaws keep well in the fridge for a few days, so you can make a large batch and eat it with dinner over a couple days.

1 small-medium heat red cabbage, very thinly sliced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp spicy mustard
1-2 tsp salt

Combine the cabbage, apple, and onion in a large bowl and fluff with your fingers or toss well with a spoon to separate all the strands.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix well. Pour over salad and toss to thoroughly coat everything. Let slaw sit for an hour or so before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Irish Parsnip Apple Soup

Another pureed root vegetable soup, this one a traditional Irish winter recipe. Serve with popovers or crusty bread.

2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 - 2 lbs parsnips, peeled and sliced (woody cores removed as needed)
1 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Water or stock (chicken or veggie)
Milk or cream (optional)

Melt the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the parsnips and potatoes and saute, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Add the apples and saute an additional two minutes or so. Add the sage, nutmeg, cloves and salt and stir to distribute well. Add enough water or stock to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until parsnips and potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).

When the vegetables are tender, puree the soup with an immersion blender, or do it in batches in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. Add a little milk or cream if desired, and/or additional water or stock to achieve the desired consistency.

Serves 4-5.

Roasted Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Local pork is always in season, and it goes beautifully with apples in a classic combination. If you don't have apple cider on hand, you can skip it--just use a little more of the olive oil.

3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup apple cider
1-2 Tbps olive oil
2 large pork chops (bone-in)
2 medium apples, cored, in 1/2-inch crescents
1 medium red onion, sliced lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (unless you are preparing the chops ahead of time).

Combine the garlic, sage, salt, pepper, cider, and olive oil in a small bowl or jar. Generously brush the chops all over with it (you won't use it all). Toss the apples and onions with the remainder. If you have time, let the chops sit in the marinade for a while (refrigerate if more than 30 minutes or so).

Place the chops in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Surround them with the apples and onions. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the interior temperature reaches at least 137 degrees. If desired, finish very quickly under the broiler.

Serves 2-4.

New England Spinach Salad

Still away for the holidays - this recipe comes from my mother-in-law Jean. If you happen on some local spinach (scarce but not unheard of at this time of year, when it is being grown strictly in unheated greenhouses), try this.

Use quantities that please you.

Spinach
Sharp cheddar, in 1/2-inch cubes
Tart apple, in 1/2-inch chunks
Toasted walnuts (optional)
Hard-boiled egg, cubed (optional)

For the dressing, combine equal parts balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Really yummy.

Blueberry-Chipotle Chutney

After seeing Tinky Weisblat's recent post on chipotle cranberry sauce, I was inspired to try a chipotle-fruit chutney. After the happy results I had with blueberry salsa, some of my frozen blueberries seemed like a good base. The resulting chutney is sweet and hot and savory all at once--delicious. Try it with chicken or pork, or perhaps with soft cheese and crackers or bread.

I canned some of this, but you could also freeze it. Or just refrigerate--it should keep for a few weeks.

5 cups frozen blueberries
2 medium apples, cored, peeled, and finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (2 if you really like heat), finely minced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar
Salt to taste

Combine blueberries, apples, onion, chipotle, and cider vinegar in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the fruit is well cooked, then add 1/3 cup sugar. Taste and add more if desired. Continue simmering over low heat until the chutney thickens to desired consistency (it should be jammy). Add salt to taste.

Makes about 4 cups.

Late Fall Crudite Platter

We usually have veggies and dip on hand as appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner. But what do you serve if you're trying to keep it local in late November? Carrots, of course. But other root vegetables can also be great raw: try radishes, daikon, celeriac, kohlrabi, and turnips (especially smaller ones). For all of these, peel and cut into sticks or slices. Depending on the nature of the dip you are serving, apple and pear slices can also work well.

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

Pie for Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, especially on my husband's side. Not only does there need to be plenty for the big day, with family sticking around all weekend, there needs to be plenty of leftovers! Apple and pumpkin are non-negotiable necessities and not to be messed with, but we always do at least a couple other kinds as well and there is always room for a little creativity. Peach, blueberry, and cherry are all frequent additions to the table. Last year I made a triple cranberry meringue pie (I think I found the recipe on the New York Times website), which was quite tasty but involved too many steps to make again for a holiday where food prep time is at a premium. Here are some other ideas to jazz things up without straying too far from tradition:

1. For apple pie, add a handful of cranberries
2. For pumpkin pie, add minced candied ginger or substitute maple syrup for some or all of the sugar
3. For peach pie, add some minced fresh or candied ginger
4. For peach, cherry, or berry pies, top with streusel topping instead of pastry crust
5. Mix apple and pear in a pie, or apple, pear, and poached quince
6. Mix different berries in one pie (e.g. blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry)
7. For berry, cherry, or peach pie, add a teaspoon of almond or hazelnut extract to the pastry dough
8. Combine peaches with blueberries or blackberries

And, of course, don't forget to have plenty of Snow's or Bart's ice cream on hand for the a la mode part. Vanilla is classic, of course, but we have found that Snow's ginger goes really well with most fruit pies - skeptical relatives have been converted!

Apple Edam Pizza

I have been toying with this recipe idea for a while, along with a few others that are variations on the theme. Finally got around to trying it out - inspired, in part, by an apple pizza blog post by Tinky Weisblat (who may be familiar to Franklin County folks as the force behind the Pudding Hollow Pudding Contest and the writer of the Recorder's Blue Plate Specials monthly features on the Food page) with a different take on the concept. (I want to try Tinky's too - it looks great!)

This came out really well and I will definitely make it again. It is simple to make and the balance between sweet apples and savory cheese and seasonings was just right. I used an unyeasted thin crust with whole wheat flour substituted for one quarter of the white flour, which worked really well with this particular combination of ingredients.

1 14-inch pizza crust (whole wheat is good)
olive oil
3-4 ounces shredded Edam (such as Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thick
2 shallots, minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 for a standard crust or 500 for an unyeasted thin crust.

Paint the crust lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with the Edam. Arrange the apples on top of the cheese in a single layer. Sprinkle the shallots over the apples, then carefully sprinkle the sage on top. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 2-3.

Green Tomato and Apple Chutney

Green tomatoes picked in October will slowly ripen indoors in a paper bag or wrapped in newspaper. But the flavor and texture will never compare to those picked ripe in warm weather. So, facing a bowl of the last of our green ones, I decided to try something different. This recipe is based on many different ones that I found on the Internet. The concept behind all of them was green tomatoes combined with apples, raisins, and spices. The result is sweet and tangy, perfect to go with grilled or broiled meat, or on crackers or toasted pita triangles. Try it with cheddar as well.

6 cups chopped green tomatoes (cored but not seeded or peeled)
3 cups chopped apples (peeled and cored first)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup raisins
1-4 hot peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
1/4 apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven or similar wide-bottomed pot. Add a splash of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer over very low heat for about an hour, stirring periodically.

Makes 4-5 cups.

Apple Galette

A galette is sort of a rustic tart. You roll pastry dough out thin, cover it with your topping, then fold up the edges to hold it all in. The result is a lighter dessert than pie. Also fewer servings, which is nice when you are only cooking for a few people. I like to make the dough (and any pastry dough) in the food processor, which is quick and easy.

Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cups white flour
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), very cold
3 Tbsp ice water, plus more if needed

Topping
2 medium apples, cored and sliced 1/8-inch thick
3 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, in pea-sized chunks
1/4 tsp cinnamon

To prepare the pastry dough by hand:
1. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle chunks of butter over it, then cut the butter in using a pastry cutter or two knives.

2. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour and butter mixture. Using the blade side of a rubber scraper, cut dough until it starts to form balls. If necessary, add additional ice water one teaspoon at a time to help the dough cohere. Be careful not to add so much water that the dough becomes sticky.

3. Press the dough with your hands to form it into a ball. The texture of the dough should be a bit rough, not smooth. Press it into a round disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (and not more than 2 days).

To prepare the pastry dough with a food processor:
1. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into the food processor and process for 10 seconds to mix.

2. Add the butter in small chunks, scattered over the flour mixture. Pulse for 1-2 second intervals until nearly all the butter is pea-sized or smaller. You may need to scrape the sides once or twice.

3. Drizzle the ice water over the flour and butter mixture. Pulse for 1-2 second intervals until there are no more dry patches in the dough and it starts to form small balls. Do not allow the dough to form a single mass in the food processor. Press the dough together with your fingers. If it does not cohere, sprinkle in an additional teaspoon of ice water and pulse several more times. Repeat if necessary. Be careful not to add so much water that the dough becomes sticky.

4. Remove the dough from the food processor and follow step 3 above.

To prepare the galette:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator. If it has been left for longer than 30 minutes, allow it to thaw briefly until it becomes more pliable.

3. Lay out a piece of waxed paper about 14 inches long on a flat surface and sprinkle it with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in a circle or oblong shape to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet and peel off the waxed paper.

4. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of sugar over the crust, leaving about 2 inches bare around the outside. Arrange the sliced apples densely over the crust, again leaving about 2 inches bar around the outside. Sprinkle the butter over the fruit, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar and the cinnamon.

5. Fold the outside edges of the crust up over the fruit. Pinch the corners together to prevent the juices from leaking while the galette bakes.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

7. Allow the galette to cool for at least a few minutes before serving.

Serves about 4.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

This is what I had for breakfast this morning--a good cool weather start to the day. I like to use steel cut oats, but this works with rolled oats as well. Just don't use the instant kind, because you need the apples to cook for a couple minutes. I like it with the apples just softened a bit, not turned to mush. If you like them softer, add them earlier in the process.

Prepare oatmeal of your choice. A few minutes before it is done, stir in about half an apple per person, diced (peel or not as desired) and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If using particularly tart apples, add a teaspoon or so of brown sugar.

I also like ripe pears on my oatmeal in the fall, but these are better raw.

Weekends Putting Up Food

It's that time of year. Eating locally all year in New England means putting up food for the winter. And if you work all day during the week, putting up food for the winter means spending a chunk of every weekend in August and September doing so. But mostly I enjoy it, thank goodness. This weekend we froze another 20 pounds of tomatoes along with several pounds of zucchini and red peppers.

We also took our first crack at drying apples--Macs from Clarkdale--with great success. We gave them no pretreatment, so the final product was a bit brown, but that doesn't bother me. The flavor is stupendous, way better than dried apples from the store. And the texture is perfect--soft and chewy. To prepare them, we used our apple peeler/slicer/corer to make rings, then dried them in the dehydrator for about 8 hours. Fortunately, we'll be able to get apples all through the winter, so we can make additional dried ones as desired; no need to go crazy stocking up right now when everything else is begging to be dealt with. I am looking forward to trying different varieties and seeing how the dried flavor varies.