Apple and Kohlrabi Salad with Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Vegetables are coming out of our ears!  I absolutely adore taking on the challenge of a full CSA share for two people, but even when most lunches consist of huge leafy salads, a full share can be a bit much to swallow.

This week we were treated to a wonderful treat though...4 pints of the juiciest, brightest red strawberries.  Last season had been so miserably dry that the farm's berries didn't stand a chance.  This year, with the ridiculous amounts of rain pouring through, the berries are bursting.  A good portion have already been frozen for later use.  What berries haven't already been devoured made it into this salad.  The mixed greens and kohlrabi were also courtesy of our CSA.

The inspiration for the vinaigrette came from a visit to a local oil shop where I sampled the most amazing 25 year aged balsamic vinegar.  It was so wonderfully sour, rich, earthly and sweet I could have eaten it with a spoon.  Alongside stood several other tuns full of rich balsamic and fruit blends.  I couldn't decide.  Start simple and with the basics.  High quality balsamic vinegar has ruined me...

And the combination of apple and kohlrabi has been bouncing around in my head for a while.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The recipe is my own

serves 4

The Ingredients:
8-10 ripe strawberries
1 Tbsp diced shallot
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 small Granny Smith apple
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 medium kohlrabi
4 cups mixed greens

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400

Pick out the 4 smallest, ripest strawberries, and set aside.  Hull the remaining berries.  Place cut side down on a lightly greased pan.

 Roast to 10-12 minutes or until the berries are soft and juice is beginning to seep.

In a large glass, combine the shallot, oil, vinegar, salt and roasted strawberries.  Puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth.  Strain through a sieve to remove any pulp and seeds.  Set aside.

Combine the water and lemon juice and set aside.

Halve and core the apple.  Thinly slice into wedges and place in the lemon water.  Peel the kohlrabi and similarly slice into thin wedges.

Toss the mixed greens with half of the vinaigrette.

 Divide greens among four salad plates.  Arrange 1/4 of the apple and kohlrabi in a fan shape on each plate.  Using the reserved strawberries, cut four or five thin slices with a paring knife lengthwise through the berry, leaving slices attached just below the hull.  Gently fan out the slices.  Place the berry garnish on each plate.  Drizzle with remaining dressing

Seared Scallops with Apple Pan Sauce

I'm on a bit of a Bon Appetite kick.  Have you noticed.  I'm sorry.  It's hard not to devour each issue cover to cover.  With our l
ate late LATE starting spring, many of the seasonal veggies and dishes featured had to be put on the back burner until the just recently.  Oh dear lord, I am looking forward to our CSA boxes.  Summer is a coming...

It is hard to screw up scallops.  Truly.  They are not that hard to make, and rarely require more than a touch of salt an pepper.  The sauce sounded interesting...I love simmering apples with a touch of brown sugar and bourbon for a quick pork or chicken dish.  Topping scallops, why not?

In end result was good, but the scallops really could of held up on their own.  The apple pan sauce was a touch to sweet and almost overpowered the mollusks.  A little bit went a long way...

adapted from Bon Appetite

serves 2

The Ingredients:
1 Granny Smith apple  
1 Tbsp lemon juice  
2 Tbsp hard cider, cream ale or apple juice
1 Tbsp olive oil  
6 large sea scallops
salt and pepper to taste 
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter

The Process:

Peel and core the apple, cut half into 1-inch cubes. Combine the chopped apple, lemon juice, and cider in a blender and purée until smooth. Strain juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cut the remaining apple into 1/4-inch cubes. Add to the puree and set aside. 

 

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops generously with salt and pepper, and sear until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add butter to the same skillet. Cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Strip the thyme from its stem and add to the butter. Stir in the apple mixture and cook, until juice is thickened and apple pieces are tender, about 4 minutes. Spoon over scallops.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

 

Maple Apple Bacon Pork roast

 Sweet, salty, smokey and just a little bit of spice...this may be one of the best pork roasts I've concocted to date!

The recipe is my own

The Ingredients:
2-6 lb boneless pork roast, preferably a rib end roast
1 Tbsp of your favorite spice rub per lb
1 Tbsp brown sugar per lb
1 Tbsp maple syrup per lb
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
6-8 sliced hickory smoked bacon

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 325

In a small bowl combine 1 Tbsp each of the spice rub, brown sugar and maple syrup for every pound of roast.  Mash into a thick paste and spread over the entire roast.  Place the apple slices on top of the coated roast in slightly overlapping layers.

 Lay the bacon diagonally over the top, weaving into a lattice.

Place the roast in a roasting pan and cook, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes per pound or until the interior temperature reaches 145 (160 for well done), and the bacon has begun to crisp.  Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil.  Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Bread pudding may be Ross' kryptonite.  When we go out to eat, we usually forgo dessert, either for economy or due to a full belly.  However, if bread pudding is on the menu, all bets are off.

I like mine a little more custard-y.  Ross prefers his a little more bread-y.  Either way, dot it with a generous helping of fruit--whether it be diced or fresh--and a healthy splash of booze of some sort and we are in heaven.

This version is buttery and rich--not too custard-y, but certainly not dry.  Feel free to change up the breads and fruits.  Sourdough and peach?  Oooo...maybe next time...

adapted from recipes from 1001 Recipes (edited by Martha Day), Paula Dean, Chef Point Cafe

serves 8 to 10

The Ingredients:
for the pudding:
1 lb loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, day old and cubed
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp bourbon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup brown sugar

for the sauce:
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup bourbon

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Generously butter a 9 x 13 baking dish using 1 Tbsp butter.  Toss the cubed bread with the diced apples.  Add the bread to the prepared dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, bourbon and vanilla.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread.  Gently press the bread down into the mixture to make sure it is soaked. Allow to rest for ten minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining butter and brown sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Cover the bread mixture with aluminum foil. Place the covered baking dish in a deep pan. Pour water into the deep pan until it comes about halfway up the covered baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.  Uncover, dot with brown sugar mixture and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm with sauce.

for the sauce:
Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Add bourbon and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drizzle over warm pudding, reserving the rest on the side.

Drunken Cranberry Apple Pie

After all of that starchy glorious food from Thanksgiving dinner, what better way can you think to end the day than with a slice of pie, a cup of coffee and a table sprawled with board games.

Mom graciously brought up a praline pumpkin pie.  I'm still coaxing her for the recipe.  I do not believe I can go back to regular pumpkin pie after that treat.

And this apple pie.  This pie may have ruined me for any other apple pies down the road.  Go figure it was inspired by one of Jackie's concoctions at the Beeroness.  Her apple pie still out shines this variation.  She uses a cheddar cheese pie crust.  You laugh.  If you spend anytime in Wisconsin, you would know.  Apple pie and cheddar cheese go hand in hand.  Trust me.

What makes this pie so special, besides the cranberries?  The apples marinade in beer for an added boozy boost.

Enjoy!

Inspired by Jackie's recipe at theBeeroness.com

The Ingredients:
recipe for dbl pie crust
6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups cranberries
16 oz pale ale or wheat beer, I used Futhermore's Fallen Apple
2 lemons, juiced
2 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp corn starch
2 Tbsp melted butter

The Process:
Place the apples, lemon juice and 16 ounces of beer in a bowl and allow to soak at room temperature for 2 hours, tossing every half hour to redistribute. Remove the apples from the beer and allow to drain and dry for about 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the apples, cranberries, flour, salt, spices, sugars and corn starch.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Roll out half of the pie dough, line in a  pie pan and press into shape, removing any excess. Add the filling.

Roll out the second disk of pie dough and add to the top of your pie.  Crimp the top and bottom crusts together.  Cut holes to vent steam.  Or try a lattice top.

Brush crust with melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Allow to cool before slicing.

Sweet Potato Apple Casserole

For our family, Thanksgiving dinner must include sweet potatoes.  Sadly my earliest introduction to this wonderful yam was a concoction of canned sweet potatoes tossed in a casserole with brown sugar, pecans and marshmallows.  And I absolutely adored it.

It wasn't until college that I tried sweet potato in its simple. roasted form.  I was in love with the mellow sweetness of the tuber from that point on.

I may love mashed sweet potatoes more than regular mashed potatoes.  Blasphemy.  I know...

Our Thanksgiving dinner was dotted with apples throughout, and this side dish is no exception.  The blend of savory and subtle sweet paired perfectly with the apple pecan stuffing.  And because the side wasn't overly sweet, we were well prepared for the wonderful praline pumpkin pie my mom had brought up with her.

adapted from Fitness Magazine

serves 6

The Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 Tbsp maple syrup

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350. Place the sweet potatoes on a piece of aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Trim the ends and pull off the peels; slice into 1/2-inch rounds.

Butter a 9x9 inch baking dish with half of the butter.  In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, ginger and allspice. Arrange one third of the apple rings in the bottom of the casserole and layer half oft eh sweet potatoes on top.  Sprinkle with half the spice mixture and half the maple syrup. Repeat the layers, sprinkling with remaining spice and syrup.  Layer the last third of the apples on top.  Dot with the remaining butter.

 Cover and bake until the apples are tender, about 45 minutes.

Honey-Spiced Roast Turkey with Apple Pecan Stuffing

How to prepare the bird is usually the first challenge to any Thanksgiving feast.  If you are even having turkey that is...

A few years back, when the holiday looked as though it was just to included Ross and myself, we opted to try pheasant.  That was an interesting experiment.

This year we were blessed with a visit from my mother and brother, as well as a dear friend of ours from Hawaii who has been spending the last few months in Michigan.  Along with our roommate, we created quite the hodge podge group.  Turkey was a must.  And as word of my cooking enthusiasm has spread, the ante was upped slightly.  All of the classics needed to be present, but a twist was needed.

So back to the bird.  I've brined before with much success.  In fact it may be my favorite way to prep a turkey, but it does require a little more fore thought than simple defrosting the bird usually entails.  So no brine this year.

I love the combination of nuts and fruit in my stuffing.  That is what caused the recipe to first catch my eye.  Once I read through and discovered the sweet and spice glaze on the bird, I was sold.  Most ingredients were staples in my pantry and no fancy culinary tricks or techniques would be needed.

Do keep an eye on the turkey during the last two hours.  The honey causes the skin to brown very quickly, even when loosely covered.  In the end, never uncovered ours and it was still finished nearly an hour earlier than estimated.

It was surprisingly moist and tender, throughout.

adapted from pillsbury.com

serves 12

The Ingredients:
for the turkey
12- to 15-lb turkey, thawed
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground cumin

for the stuffing:
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 sprigs fresh sage
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 medium apple, chopped (1 cup)
4-5 cups dried bread cubes
1 1/3 cups apple juice

The Process:
Heat oven to 325°F. 

In a small bowl, combine the honey, butter and spices until well blended.  Starting at back opening of turkey, gently separate skin from turkey breast, using fingers. Try not to puncture the skin over the breast.   Brush half of the honey mixture over turkey breast under skin.  Reserve remaining honey mixture for later.

In large heavy bottomed pot , melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, thyme and sage. Saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the apple and pecans, cooking another 2-3 minutes.Add the bread crumbs and stir in the apple juice until the stuffing is just moistened.  Remove from heat.  Remove the sage and thyme sprigs.  Allow the stuffing to cool before stuffing the turkey.
  

Gently stuff the neck area.  Pull the neck skin over the opening and secure with a skewer or toothpick.   Loosely pack the stuffing into the cavity, do not over stuff...the stuffing will expand during cooking.  Twist the wing tip back under the bird and secure the legs, if desired.  Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan.  Loosely tent foil over the turkey.

Roast for 4 to 5 hours (or about 20 minutes per pound).   Uncover the turkey and brush with the remaining honey mixture.   Roast for an addition 30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180°F and juices run clear. Drumsticks should move easily when lifted or twisted.

Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand at least 15 minutes for juices to set.  Carve.

Spoon out the stuffing and serve separately.

 

Apple Pie Waffles with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Pie Crust Crumb

Sunday morning waffles strike again!  I've been toying with the concept of an apple waffle for a while.  The waffle itself didn't seem too much of a challenge.  I knew I wanted a buttermilk or yeast base.  Finely chopped apples and a touch of cinnamon would provide the essential flavors.  Applesauce has long been used as a substitute for oil in baking...adding yet another layer to the waffles.  

But they needed something more.  Inspiration came in the form of Milk Bar Mondays.  Several fellow food bloggers have taken on the challenge of baking their way through Christina Tosi's Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook.  As a result, one morning my news feed was filled with this:

Apple Pie Layer Cake

It was divine.  It was decadent.  It had layers of apple pie filling and pie crust crumb.  I had my inspiration to take the apple pie waffles to the next level.  

Apple waffle.  Sauteed apple topping.  Cinnamon Whipped Cream.  And a sprinkling of pie crust crumb.  

I almost went as far as to add a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce as well...but let's not get too carried away!

A huge thank you to Audra, Cassie, Erin, Krissy Nicole and Jacqueline for baking up the lovely concoction that pushed this Sunday morning waffle just a little bit further.

Pie crust crumb and apple pie filling adapted from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook

Waffle and whipped cream recipes are my own.

yields 8-10 eight inch waffles 

The Ingredients:

for the pie crust crumb:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher Salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp water

For the apple pie filling:

juice of 1 lemon
2 medium granny smith apples
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt

for the waffles:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup applesauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 apple, peeled and diced

for the cinnamon whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

The Process:

for the pie crust crumb:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F

In a small bowl combine the flour, sugar, and salt until well mixed.  Cut in the butter with a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers. Add water and blend until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.

Spread the clusters on a parchment lined baking sheet  Bake for 25 minutes, checking halfway through baking to stir and break up larger crumbs.  The crumbs will be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch. Set aside to cool.

When completely cool, transfer the crumb to a small serving dish.

for the apple pie filling:

Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold water and add the lemon juice. Peel the apples and cut into bite size chunks (quarter, then cut each quarter into thirds). Add the apples to the lemon water as they are cut to retard browning and to keep the apples pert.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir until the butter is melted. Drain the apples and add them to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring to coat the apples. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the apples gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the sauce has thicken.  

Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

for the cinnamon whipped cream:
In a chilled bowl combine whipping cream, sugar and cinnamon.  Beat with chilled beaters on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.

for the waffles:
Preheat the oven to 200.  Preheat and lightly oil the waffle iron according to the manufacturers directions.

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, butter and vanilla.  Add the wet to the dry, stirring until just incorporated.

Gently fold in the diced apple, stirring until the apple is just distributed.  Do not over mix.

Ladle the batter into the waffle iron (mine uses a little over 1/2 cup of batter per waffle) and cook according to the waffle iron manufacturers directions. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

to assemble:

Place a waffle on each plate, spoon about 1/4 cup of apple pie filling on top. Dollop a generous spoonful of whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with crumb. Devour.

The Review:

Wow. With a post this long already, I'd hate to keep you from what ended up being an absolutely amazing breakfast. Go. Enjoy.

Pork Crown Roast with Cherry Apple Stuffing

Christmas dinner, more so than Thanksgiving, calls out for grand presentation.   Growing up, no centerpiece on our family table seemed more grand than the crown roast.  A glistening ring of pork, each bone tipped with a quaint paper or foil cap...stuffing mounded and golden brown on top.  It seems so elegant.  So much time and care to craft something so magnicifent...

Despite not having many people over--no family up to visit, and friends off celebrating with their own-- I was bound and determined to make a glorious end to this first year of food blogging.  I went to a local butcher and ordered the roast.  Cooking the beast would be challenge enough; I wasn't prepared to trim, bind and french the loin myself.  The smallest cut I could procure was a 16 rib roast...weighing in at nearly 11 lbs.  Ross and I were going to eat like kings for days!

adapted from the BHG Cookbook

serves 12-16


The Ingredients: 
1 pork rib crown roast (12 to 16 ribs)
3/4 cups water
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups dry bread cubes (6 to 7 slices)
1 medium apple, chopped
1/4 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat oven to 325

Trim the fat from the roast, or ask your butcher to do that for you.  Place the roast, bone tips up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Sprinkle the cavity and outer edges with a generous pinch of salt. Make a ball of foil and press it into the cavity to hold it open as it cooks.  Wrap the bone tips with foil.  Roast in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.  In a small bowl stir together hot water, cherries and chicken bouillion.   Let stand for 5 mintues.  Do not drain.

In a small skillet sautee the celery and onion in butter until tender and translucent, but not browned.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together bread cubes, apple and sage.  And the cherry mixture and sauteed onions.  Toss gently until bread cubes are moistened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add additional 1/4 cup of water or stock for a moister stuffing.

After 1 1/2 , remove roast from oven.  Remove the foil from the roast cavity.  Loosely pack stuffing into the center of the roast.   Cover stuffing loosely with foil.  Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly greased casserole.  Bake the stuffed roast an additional 45 to 60 minutes for a 6 lb roast or for 75 to 90 minutes for a 8-10 lb roast, or until a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the roast registers 160. 

Add the casserole of stuffing to the oven for the last 45 minutes to heat through.

Remove roast from oven, cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes.  This allows the juices to settle and redistribute throughout the roast.

To serve, spoon the stuffing out of the roast's cavity.  Slice the roast between each rib, and remove any cording used to bind the roast.


The Review:
Because our roast weighed in much heavier than the BHG's 5-6 roast, I needed to alter the cook time accordingly.  The lower heat and longer cook time did not dry out the meat in the slightest, though the stuffing may have suffered a bit from over doneness. 

The meat was tender, juicy and rich in its own pork flavors.  A thick band of beautiful white loin meat was attached to each rib, dripping with juices.  Just enough meaty goodness clung to the base of each rib to justify us gnawing on the bones like rabid dogs.  For as elegant as the roast looks, in the end, its' hard to eat while maintaining such refinement!  The sweet and tart stuffing complimented the roast well, but could have used a bit more salt and seasoning.  I do think the stuffing cooked in the casserole suffered of dryness.   I'd opt for a different bread than our multi-grain next time.  Perhaps a mixture of white, wheat, sourdough and rye.

The roast itself looks intimidating when first un-boxed.  In all honesty, this lovely (and pricey) piece of pork was no more of a challenge than a Thanksgiving turkey. 

Caramel Apple Pie

Have you been to the Baker Chick?  You should, particularly if  you have a sweet tooth.  Audra's recipes are classic, classy and served up with a twist of her own and a marvelous smile.  Her photos are stunning and her anecdotes will lighten your day.  This recipe was inspired by her passion for salted caramels and a gorgeous crop of apples I had sitting on my counter.  Unlike traditional apple pies, there is no need to add butter or sugar to the pile filling.  The caramel sauce will provide all of the buttery sweetness you need.

Caramel sauce from Audra's Banana Caramel Brownie recipe at the Baker Chick
The pie recipe is my own

The Ingredients:
For the caramel:
6 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt

For the pie:
1 recipe for a single crust pastry
6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp cinnamon

For the topping: 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
1 stick butter, soft 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

The process:
For the caramel sauce:

Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sugar and stir frequently until sugar is a golden brown.  As soon as the sugar reaches the desired color and starts to smoke, remove it from the heat.  Carefully whisk in the cream, it will bubbly up and produce a lot of steam.  Slowly add the vanilla and salt.  Allow the caramel to cool while you prepare the crust, filling and crumb topping.

Preheat the oven to 350

While the caramel sauce cools, combine the apples, lemon juice, corn starch and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Toss to coat and set aside.


Prepare the crumb topping by combining the softened butter, brown sugar and flour with clean fingers or the tines of a fork until a coarse crumb forms.  Mix in the oatmeal and set aside.


Roll out the pastry and line in a 9 inch pie pan.  Mound the apple filling into the crust.  Drizzle the cooled caramel sauce on top.  Evenly spread the crumb top over the filling.  Bake the pie uncovered for 50-60 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crumb top is lightly browned.  Allow to cool to almost room temperature before serving.

The Review:
I've tried this sauce on many other occasions and the flavor and richness is astounding.  However, in this recipe it doesn't quite seem to hold its own.  As a sauce it turns out to be a but too thin and unstable for this type of baked good.  The pie was amazing, don't get me wrong, but where I was hoping for a rich burnt sugar flavor and rich caramel thickness, I was rewarded with a sweet and buttery ooze of apple filling.  


The pie needs to cool off substantially for the caramel sauce to set up again.  If you are impatient the pie with reward you with a soupy sea of filling pouring all over your serving plates.  (The lovely slice pictured above was taken the next day...after the pie had been in the fridge overnight).  


I absolutely loved the crumb topping, though.  The whole pie was marvelous, but this topping will lead me to try this pie again...perhaps using Audra's candy caramel recipe next time in lieu of the sauce.

Sage and Apple Pork Chops

I was in need of a quick-to-assemble dinner.  Not quick to cook, mind you, but quick to put together and toss in the oven.  And it had to use items on hand.  For some reason I had been craving the savory taste of sage.   Perhaps it was our lingering fall.  Something about sage, onions and apples screams fall...

The recipe is my own

Serves 4

The Ingredients:
4 bone in pork chops
2 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste


The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish and arrange the apple slices in the bottom.  Liberally dust with cinnamon. 

Meanwhile, sear the pork chops on both sides in a hot skillet...2-3 minutes per side.  Arrange the seared chops on top of the apples.  Sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper.  Layer the sliced onions on top.

Bake uncovered in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the chops are slightly pink or reach about 145 degrees.

To serve, portion out one chop to each plate and top with baked apples an onions.

The Review:
Simple, juicy savory and sweet.  This dinner was nothing to exciting, but it certainly hit the spot.  The apples disintegrated into nearly a sauce.  The pork was tender and flavorful.  The seasoning was low key, but well balanced.  Pretty pedestrian.  But very satisfying.

Butternut Squash stuffed with apple and pork

This dish defines fall to me. Warm spices. Freshly picked apples. Bountiful squash. The meat of choice was simple given how wonderfully pork pairs with sweet and savory. This dish could just as easily be prepared with ground turkey or chicken.

The recipe is my own

Serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
2 medium or 3 small butternut squash
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 lb ground pork
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 medium apples, finely diced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sage
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350

Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Pierce the skin in several places with a sharp knife. On a oiled baking sheet, place the squash cut side down. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Once cool, scoop out the flesh of the squash, leaving about 3/4 of an inch shell. Reserve the shells to be stuffed later. Finely dice the removed flesh and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat saute the onion, ginger and garlic until tender. Add the ground pork and cook until browned, 10-12 minutes. Add the diced squash, apples and seasonings. Continue to cook until apples are tender.

Generously stuff the pork and apple filling into the reserves squash shells. Set in a baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and heated through.

The Review:
I am a sucker for entrees served in nature's own containers and this dish is a beautiful in its butternut dish as it is tasty. The squash and apple play wonderfully off of the meaty pork and savory sage.

Fall is most certainly here!