Baked Apples

It's apple season; and the apples we've been getting most weeks in our box have been delicious.  Usually, I eat them whole or chop them into a salad.  But this week, I decided to make baked apples as a light dessert to a rich meal.

One of the things I truly love about baked apples is the infinite variations there are to this simple and healthy dish.  You can bake apples entirely plain, of course, but it's much more fun to dig out the core and fill them with a sweet and crunchy filling that enhances their sweet-tart flavor and soft texture.

Dried fruit, such as cherries, cranberries, and raisins are great, as is candied ginger; and walnuts, pecans, and/or oatmeal give the filling a nice crunch.  Personally, I like to use brown sugar to sweeten the mixture, but you can use maple syrup, honey, granulated sugar, a combination of these, or none at all if you prefer.  A little finely grated lemon or orange zest will add some zing.  And don't forget the spices.  Cinnamon is practically required, but nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves add even more depth of flavor.

You can eat baked apples hot or cold.  I like to pour a little cream and maple syrup on them.  Leftovers are great for breakfast.  If the apples are large, you can serve half an apple instead of a whole.  Just cut them down the middle lengthwise to attractively reveal the filling.

One more thing:  The baking time depends on the apple's variety, size, and your taste.  Denser and larger apples need to be baked longer.  Also, the softer you prefer your baked apples, the longer they will need to bake.  I baked the large, dense apples from our box for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F and they were still relatively firm.  Some varieties, such as McIntosh, become quite soft the longer they are baked.

To start:  Wash and dry the apples.  With a sharp paring knife or a melon-baller, cut or scoop out the stem, core, and seeds, making a well, but being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the apples.

For each large apple, mix together:

1 T brown sugar
1 T chopped toasted walnuts
1 T chopped dried cherries
1/8 t cinnamon
A little finely grated lemon peel
A pinch grated nutmeg
Butter

Mix until combined and pack into the cavity that you scooped out of the apple.

Pack apples snugly in a buttered glass or non-reactive baking dish.  Add a little apple cider or water to the bottom of the baking dish (about 1/2 inch).  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until done, 30-60 minutes.  If the apples won't stand straight, you can take a small slice off the bottom to create a flat surface.  Just be careful not to cut open the cavity on the bottom, or the filling might spill out of the bottom when baking.

Friday's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Red leaf lettuce, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Tomatoes, bell peppers, rainbow chard, cilantro, basil, and winter squash;

From K and K Ranch:  Grapes and apples; and

From Weiser Family Farm:  Russian banana potatoes, beets, carrots, garlic, and Lucerne Valley onions.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Spiced Butternut Squash with Apples

Thanksgiving is coming. It's next week. If you haven't already done so, it's time to start planning your Thanksgiving table. Here's a super easy and delicious alternative to candied sweet potatoes that uses two fall favorites: butternut squash and apples.

1 butternut squash
3-4 apples
1/2 C brown sugar
1 T flour
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
4 T cold butter + extra to butter the pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a 2-3 qt baking dish and set aside.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and put them in the compost, or feed them to the chickens. Peel and slice the squash crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Put in a large bowl

3. Cut the apples in quarters lengthwise. Remove the cores and peel. Compost the peels and cores. Cut each quarter into 3 or 4 slices lengthwise. Add to the bowl. Stir the apples and squash to evenly distribute.

4. In a separate small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, salt and spices until well combined.

5. Chop the cold butter into 6-8 pieces and cut the butter into the sugar and spice mixture with a folk or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.

6. Pour the peeled and sliced squash and apples into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove the foil carefully as steam has built up inside and cool at least 2-3 minutes before serving.

This dish makes its own lovely sweet sauce. In fact, this dish is so sweet you might want to serve it for dessert. No kidding. Serve it hot with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream; or serve room temperature or cold with a dollop of whipped cream.

It was a wow week at the CSA. What a bounty! Today's box included:


From Underwood Family Farms: iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, purple kale, fennel, red beets, French Breakfast radishes, purple carrots, mizuna, bok choy, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, and butternut squash;


From Sage Mountain Farm: collard greens, summer squash, arugula, winter squash, and green heirloom tomatoes;



From Weiser Family Farms: golden beets, watermelon radishes, orange carrots, German Butterball potatoes, DeCiccio broccoli, dried Dragon Tongue beans, and purple cauliflower;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hass avocados and Satsuma mandarins;

And from Silver Lake Farms: bunch fresh herbs; Meyer lemons and Swiss Chard from the Dempsey's Tin House Farm.


Plus extras: Thai Guavas and some sapote. Thank you Shareholder Brian for picking and sharing from your trees.

If you're wondering what to do with kohlrabi, check out the blog post from March 19, 2010 on Minty Kohlrabi Slaw.

Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Shelley

Purple caulis from Weiser Family Farm, and pictured below that, Shareholder Brian's Thai Guavas

Apple Crisp

Four farms contributed to today's bountiful box:

Underwood Family Farms provided:
Broccoli
Organic fuji apples
Valencia oranges
Yellow zucchini
Eggplant
Round carrots
Radishes
Lettuce
Curly kale
Bok choy
Sweet corn
Peppers

Weiser Family Farms provided:
Butternut squash
Carrots
Parsnips
Potatoes


Tierra Miguel Foundation, a biodynamic grower provided:
Biodynamic carrots
Mixed summer squash
Yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes
Biodynamic chard

tomatoes

And Silver Lake Farms provided delicious microgreens: pea shoots and radish greens.

It's fall and apple season is upon us. I grew up in Michigan with a cider mill practically in my back yard. From September to December, I could smell the sweet aroma of apples being pressed into pure, unfiltered cider. There's nothing quite like it here. It's one of the few flavors of my childhood I can't quite replicate in sunny southern California.

Fortunately, there are many other wonderful apple treats that are just as easy to make here as anywhere else. And apple crisp is one of them. I've been making my own apple crisp since I was a teenager. It's much easier than apple pie and just as delicious. It's great hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If there's any leftover, it's also delicious at breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.

Here's my recipe that I've been making for years:

6-8 apples
1 C sugar
1 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1 stick (1/4 lb) cold butter, cut into pieces

1. Butter a glass baking dish such as a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or an 8-inch square. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut the apples into quarters lengthwise. Peel and core each quarter and slice each quarter lengthwise into 2-3 pieces. Put cut apples into prepared dish.

3. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, blend the other ingredients together until it resembles a very coarse meal. Sprinkle on top of the apples.

4. Bake at 375 degree for 45-60 minutes until the crumb crust is well-browned and the apples are bubbling.

Enjoy!

Shelley