Autumn Apple Cake

Although I didn't grow up eating apple cake, I've made one in the fall for many years. It most likely was inspired by the plethora of delicious apples grown in Maine. I've never had a special recipe-just used what I found in the paper or online. That is, until this year.

There have been a few mistakes through the years with my apple cakes. A few years ago I hosted an American Guild of Organists potluck and my cake got stuck in the bundt pan. There was no covering up the disaster and we just had to make do. This group of folks had no idea that I (mostly) know what I am doing in the kitchen, so I was rather horrified!

Lat fall the Washington Post had a recipe that was billed as "THE apple cake you will make from now on." It was complicated-soaking nuts and dried fruits, making some sort of syrup-but I took on the challenge. I took it to another potluck and fortunately it easily came out of the pan. And it was delicious-moist and flavorful.  But worth all that effort?  Not really. It was meant to be served as is, simply, with no adornments. So I was not happy when the hostess brought out canned whipping cream and bottled caramel sauce to slather on top!

This year I have found THE recipe, courtesy of my friend Karen, who visited recently. Simple and mixed by hand, it covers all the bases and is MEANT to be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I made it for guests last night and they scarfed it down.

Here's Karen, working her magic on fresh green beans from the farmers' market. And here's the recipe, which she found in a Neiman Marcus "friends" cookbook and originally came from a farm in New York State. I hope you'll give it a try- it's perfect if someone at your Thanksgiving table doesn't like pie.

Apple Cake

1. Cream together 1/4 cup Crisco (yes, really), 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg. 

2. Stir together 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add to creamed mixture.

3. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and 3 cups peeled and chopped apples.

4. Cook at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

It takes a bit of elbow grease, but you really can mix this all by hand-it's rather fun to do that. Enjoy!

 

Autumn 2020

When we lived in New England, fall was a bittersweet season.  The colors were stunning and the crisp air invigorating, but underneath it all lay a sense of darkness and farewell.  It's quite a different story here in Maryland. Autumn brings a great sense of relief from summer's intense heat and lasts a long time. Especially during this year of the pandemic I am grateful for the chance to spend time outside almost every day. We have entertained frequently on our front porch-what a blessing that's been during this time of isolation! (One or two guests at a time, socially distanced, of course).

There is much to complain about the pandemic, for sure, but there are unexpected gifts as well, if we will only look. One of the biggest gifts for me has been more time with my husband, including lunches together al fresco and evenings at home with no rehearsal tthat requires rushing out the door. Another gift is the time to really cook-thoughtfully, carefully- and to come up with my own recipes.

In an effort to use what's in the fridge I've begun making what I call "refrigerator review" soup.  Frustrated at reading recipes and trying to gather all the ingredients (and make another Covid-exposed shopping trip) I threw up my hands and just improvised.  Here's how it works:

Saute an onion and a clove or 2 of garlic in olive oil.  When softened add whatever vegetables you have on hand-I usually have some carrots and celery, a few pieces of squash or broccoli, a potato or two.  When these are softened add a can of chopped tomatoes with their juice, a quart of chicken or vegetable stock, and a can of beans. Salt and pepper to taste and throw in some dried herbs such as basil, oregano or thyme. Let simmer for 30 minutes or so; taste and adjust seasonings. I serve this piping hot and add a handful of fresh spinach to each bowl. Stir it in and it will wilt immediately.

Why did I ever need a recipe for this?

I've also begun making Irish Soda Bread and boy does it work well with this soup. There's a story to my soda bread, which I'll save for another post. You'll see it in the photo below, which shows a recent al fresco lunch. Bon appetit!

 

Summer's End

 The summer of 2020 was exceptional and I feel a great need to document it with words and photos. In some ways it seemed to endlessly stretch from one impossibly hot and humid day to another, while concurrently it was over in a second. With the advent of an early fall my head and heart have been restored a bit and I can see more clearly.

The first few months of the pandemic allowed us time to expand our vegetable garden, which ended up being a huge disappointment.  We have not managed the transition to gardening in Maryland particularly well!  Have you ever heard of a gardener bemoaning the lack of zucchini? Well, that's us. The basil, on the other hand, was spectacular, and I'd guess that we supplied at least a dozen folks with enough for a good batch of pesto.  Bill's signature crop, garlic, did well-enough.

This was the second year of my higgeldy-piggeldy garden and it came into it's own. Do you know what a higgeldy-piggelgy garden is? The definition of that term is in a confused, disordered, or random manner, and that's exactly what my garden is. Anchored by a few perennials, the garden is home to whatever is on sale at the nursery or has been given to me by friends.  I love it!  St. Francis is hiding in there somewhere-next year he needs moving.

For a few blissful days we were restored by the peace of a cottage in Central Maine.  It was a different sort of Maine trip, due to the pandemic, but I cherish every moment we were there.

The summer was notable in that we finally ate crabs, after 5 years on the Eastern Shore. Courtesy of dear son-in-law Jeff, we sat on the porch and made a huge mess.  Wow, crabs are a lot of work!  I really don't mind eating mine in a crab cake, tho.

And then...it was the summer of our family's relocation to Colorado Springs.  Zev spent a few days every week at Nana Camp and Ari made frequent visits as well.  It was intense, exhausting, and life-giving. There was time to introduce Ari to the books of Robert McCloskey and weekly trips to a farm market for lovely produce and yummy ice cream (especially the peach!). Zev and I greatly expanded our baking repertoire from blueberry muffins to include oatmeal cookies, homemade bread, blueberry crisp and banana muffins. Did we ever make a mess...but oh so much fun.

Bill and I made a similar cross-country leap when we moved from Dallas to Maine in 1993. Begrudgingly I have to say I understand the reasons for the move to Colorado. Of course it is different here without them 55 miles down the road and I miss them terribly. But I am happy for Emily and Jeff and proud of them for trying to do what's best for their family.

How could I not say something about the state of our country and the upcoming election? I am worried, yes, and the above says it all.

Every day I make it a point to remind myself that we are all God's beloved. May we treat each other as such and work for healing and peace.

The Recipe

Don't you love the Lady Editors above?  I was quite surprised to see that the first edition of this cookbook was published in 1972-it seems rather late for that sort of attitude.  But I do love the homey, old-fashioned kitchen pictured on the cover and admit that it is really my dream kitchen. The minimalist style just doesn't do it for me in the kitchen.

In the summer of 1982, a few months before Bill and I were married, he introduced me to Maine.  After picking me up at the Portland Jetport we made a stop at L.L. Bean in Freeport, where I picked up this cookbook.  It is at least as much about Yankee culture as cooking, which was brand new to me.  It was a summer of planning for the future, adjusting to a different way of seeing the world, and falling in love with Maine.

As you might imagine, the rural location of our rental cottage in Central Maine was like another country to this Texas girl, who had grown accustomed to big city ways in Dallas.  I could not believe my eyes at the scant choice of produce in the small groceries where we shopped.  But then Bill introduced me to Maine strawberries, the pick-your-own kind that you just can't stop eating.

I began making this strawberry pie back in 1982 and have made at least one every summer since then. The berries have been an adjustment in Maryland for the past 5 summers- certainly better than what ones buys in the supermarket, they are not as sweet and juicy as perfectly ripe Maine berries.

My pie is inspired by the recipe in the Yankee cookbook, but I take great liberties and must say it is delicious!  Let me know if you make one for yourself.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 baked, single pie shell

1 1/2 quarts strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch, softened in a little water

whipping cream

Wash, hull and dry the berries (drying is important!). If some are very large, cut in half. Arrange 1 quart of berries on cooked shell. Cook the remaining 1/2 quart of berries with the sugar on low heat for a few minutes.  Bring to a gentle boil and vigorously stir in the cornstarch softened in water. Cook a few more minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Let cool 5-10 minutes, then pour over berries in shell.  Top with whipped cream.

This makes a chunky glaze, which I like, but if you don't you could sieve the berries before adding cornstarch.

Quiet Time

So much has already been said about this time we are in-what can I possibly add?  I spend my days as many of you probably do-getting a bit of work done, taking more walks than usual, cleaning the house, catching up with friends and yes, watching Netflix.  Playing the piano is bringing much-needed joy to my heart and I still walk over to my church to work on some new repertoire for the organ.

And I pray...for my family and friends, our leaders, healthcare workers and everyone affected by this virus. I pray also without words, silently searching for what I might learn and how I might change.  As hard as it may be to admit, there will be good that comes from this moment in history.

I actually love all this quiet time, yet it is undergirded by fear of getting sick and fear of the economic repercussions.  Bill is at very high risk therefore I must take great care not to bring something home.  So, short of being extremely careful, what can I do?  The answer is cook! Healthy, heart-warming, pantry-friendly recipes which at least make me think I am taking action.

For years I've alternated between Moosewood Cookbook and The Barefoot Contessa for delicious lentil soups. As good as they are I was ready for something new.  Just last week I discovered the following and it's a keeper.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

1 large sweet potato, cut into bite size pieces

2/3 cup chopped onions

1 cup lentils, rinsed (any kind)

8 oz. diced tomatoes

1 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

4 cups vegetable broth

1 to 1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. In large soup pot, heat oil and saute onions and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Add seasonings and garlic and cook 1 minute.

2. Add bay leaves, lentils, sweet potato and tomatoes.  Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

3. Partially cover pot, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves.

This is a forgiving recipe-use what you have and season how you will!  Tomorrow I'll post my perfect-for-tea healthy muffin recipe.

Herb Garden Supper

One of our biggest projects here in our new place has been to establish gardens.  Perhaps decades ago someone had a vegetable garden here, but we couldn't find any evidence of it.  Rather than try to tame the local heavy clay soil we opted for raised beds.  Back in January we ordered the wood and Bill began building them.  We had some rich garden loam delivered and a choir member brought over a load of horse manure.  The garden was in business!

As you might expect, gardening is a bit different here than in Maine and it's been a summer of trial and error.  Some crops, such as garlic and beans, were a wipe-out, while others went on a rampage, like the squash, of course.

My first project was an herb garden and I'm sorry to say I didn't keep up with it.  But yesterday, in the midst of the weeds and bolted plants I managed to collect enough for one of my favorite summer dishes, Pasta with Fresh Herbs. This is adapted from the Moosewood Collective's Simple Suppers. It makes just the right amount for 2 servings but can easily be doubled or quadrupled-whatever you need.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add about 1/3 pound of pasta and cook until al dente.  (I like to use penne, but use whatever you have on hand.)

Mince a large clove of garlic and 1/2 cup of 3 or 4 fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, mint or others).  Try to use approximately the same amount of each herb.

Warm a generous tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet on the stove and add the garlic until it is golden, not brown, about 1 minute.  Add the herbs and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water and remove from heat.

Drain pasta when done and place in a serving bowl, adding the herb and oil mixture and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss in some grated parmesan and serve right away-enjoy!

We braved the heat and sat out on the front porch.  Add some red wine and a green salad and you have a lovely summer meal.