"A" is for applesauce, apple cake, apple pie and tarts

10/17/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

There are many good things to be said about things living on the West Coast. One of those is that from now until the end of the year, we have a wide variety of local and almost local fresh fruits and vegetables to choose. For-instance, this month, Oregon and Washington State are churning out bushels of a variety of apples.

I grew up in the era when Red Delicious apples were our only choice for eating fresh. Romas were the choice for baking. Green Gravensteins were the choice for applesauce. Today, the choices are practically unlimited and right now, the apples are very fresh.

My husband’s favorite eating apple remains the Red Delicious. I prefer my apples a little less sweet but not sour. Some of my favorites are Fujis, Galas and the Honeycrisp variety. Cooking apples for baking pies, shredding in cakes or canning in applesauce call for different varieties entirely. I like to mix two or three varieties to get just the right balance of texture with a sweet-tart taste.

This year our Spitzenberg and Gravenstein trees produced enough fruit for us and the birds. But used alone, they’re a little tart for my taste. For baking, I mix them with either Jonathan, McIntosh, Golden Delicious or whatever else I can find on sale. Sometimes Detering Orchards in Harrisburg has mixed culls that you can mix and match.

My fall cooking projects always begin with homemade applesauce. (I like to get anything to do with the canner out of the way.) By itself, applesauce is simple to make but time-consuming. I have to be in a really good mood to hunker down and produce a couple of dozen jars. The first thing that you need is ripe apples. Two pounds of apples will equal about 6 medium apples or 6 cups of sliced apples.

I wash them and set aside. Then, it’s nice if you have someone who is willing to help peel them. Believe it or not, my husband likes to help because it involves a tool. Years ago I picked up a vintage apple peeler at a garage sale. You place an apple on the spindle fork, turn the crank and the apple is cored, peeled and dropped into cold water with a bit of lemon or Fruit Fresh; drain and follow the recipe below.

Right now apples are at their peak of quality. So have one for a snack. Dry some for the future. Make your favorite pie or cake. But trust me…once you start making your own applesauce you’ll never want to eat the commercial stuff again. Enjoy!

BASIC APPLE SAUCE

20 large apples

3-4 cups water (or 2 cups cider+2 cups water)

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar (more if needed)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (if desired)

Wash apples. Quarter, core, peel and remove all bruised or decayed parts. Drop into mild salt solution to prevent discoloration. Drain. Put apples, water and lemon juice into a large, deep pan and cook on medium-high heat until soft. Stir constantly until mixture reaches a boil. Apples burn easily as the liquid evaporates.

As the apples soften, take a potato masher and stir as you mash. If the sauce seems too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, cook down a little longer until it is desired consistency. Add sugar one-half cup at a time, stirring and tasting after every addition, until desired sweetness is obtained. Remove from heat. Add cinnamon.

Pack while hot into canning jars to within 1/2-inch of top. Put on caps, screw on the lids and process according to your canner’s instructions. Makes about 4-6 pints.

Note: The ratio of apples to liquid is tricky. More liquid is better than not enough. I put apples in the pan and then add enough liquid to come at least halfway up the fruit (depending on how dry the fruit is).

TWO CRUST APPLE PIE

Make pastry for 2-crust pie filling (9-inch)

Pie Filling:

6-8 large apples (your choice), sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Mix apples, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Place in pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Seal and flute. Cut slits in top. Bake until crust is nicely browned and apples are cooked through. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-8.

RUSTIC APPLE TART

Make recipe as above but roll the pie crust on baking parchment into a 15-inch circle. Slide crust (with parchment) onto a baking sheet. Pile the apple filling on top of the crust, leaving a 3-inch border. Fold the border over the apples. Prick crust lightly. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the entire pie with the cinnamon-sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. Let stand about 30 minutes before serving. Serves

GERMAN APPLE MINI-CHIP CAKE

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup bottled apple juice
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour, not sifted
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups diced peeled tart apples
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Slightly beat eggs in bowl. Add oil, apple juice, vanilla; beat. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to liquid, beating constantly, until thick. Add apples, chips, nuts; mix.

Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake in Bundt pan, 65-70 minutes or 9x13-inch pan 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, remove from Bundt pan, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can be served directly from 9X13 pan. Serves 12.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Tasty Tomatoes

10/3/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Thank heavens for Indian Summers. Some of us Oregonians would never be able to ripen tomatoes without it. Our tomato crop  blossomed early, set fruit late and ripened even later. But thanks to a dry, warm Sept. we just finished harvesting a bumper crop of tomatoes—along with a few odd zucchini and cucumbers.

As usual, we over-planted. In early June, it’s hard to believe that those tiny little tomato starts are going to produce enough tomatoes to can and eat fresh. For awhile it seemed like every time I turned around Chuck was bringing home another six-pack “just in case.” Early Girls (14), Better Boys (2) and one of those strange grafted tomatoes completed our tomato garden.

Of course, all of the plants grew and grew and grew. Ultimately, they produced hundreds of the strangest undersized fruit that I have ever seen. It took about 14 Early Girls to fill a pint jar and I’m not sure that any of the Better Boys produced slicing size fruit. They were yummy but not big. On the other hand, our grafted tomato was a stellar success as a plant but only produced about a dozen very ugly, humongous fruit.

So here it is Oct. and I still have ripe tomatoes. What to do? Last week I drug myself (screaming and kicking!) into the kitchen and canned about 18 jars of marinara sauce. It’s one of my staple items that sure comes in handy on a winter day when I’m wondering “what’s for dinner.” A recipe of sorts follows.

Of course, fresh, ripe tomatoes are best eaten plain and unadorned. We slice them and sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper for sandwiches almost every day. I dice them with homegrown cucumbers (still a couple in the frig!), some red onion and add a splash of Italian dressing for a dinner salad.

But I also found some great ideas while surfing the web at “Simple Bites.” This recipe for Marinated Tomatoes is simplicity personified and so versatile. It is one of those dishes that you ‘eyeball’ the amounts. You just keep adding (or subtracting) until it looks and tastes right.

AIMEE’S MARINATED TOMATOES

5-6 ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

A few cloves firm garlic

Fresh herbs (basil, oregano or thyme)

Wash and slice tomatoes and put in a large bowl. Cover with olive oil; salt and pepper to taste. Crush the garlic, chop the herbs and toss everything together. Cover and let marinade at room temperature until lunch (or dinner). Now you’ve got a base for a variety of meals or side dishes. Chose one of the following and enjoy!

Butter a baking dish, layer tomatoes with thinly sliced onion, top with breadcrumbs and cheese of choice. Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with grilled steak.

Lunch: Stuff a pita with the marinated tomatoes. Add sliced cucumber and a dollop of sour cream.

Vegetarian pizza: Drain liquid and arrange some of the tomatoes on a pizza base. Dot with black olives and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake until crust is brown.

Sloppy BLT Sandwich: Toast thick slices of rustic bread. Spread with mayonnaise and top with a layer of sliced marinated tomatoes, crisp bacon and lettuce. Oh, yum!

Crispy salad: Squeeze half a lemon over the marinated tomatoes. Crumble in several handfuls of pita crisps; toss together and serve over torn romaine lettuce.

Mediterranean salad: Add diced red onion, a splash of red wine vinegar and olives. Serve mounded in a bowl topped with crumbled feta cheese.

Dinner: Place 6-8 raw jumbo shrimp in the middle of squares of aluminum foil. Cover with the marinated tomatoes and fold up the sides of the foil. Seal foil. Place on the BBQ for 7-9 min. until shrimp are pink. Serve in its own broth.

Pasta: Toss tomatoes with hot, cooked capellini pasta and serve with a crispy French baguette and you’ve got dinner!

Bruschetta: Bake sliced rounds of French baguette until crispy. Pile tomatoes onto the slices and dot with fresh goat’s cheese. If you like, slide back into oven to melt the cheese.

MARINARA SAUCE

The ingredients in this sauce are few and as old as time. The sauce itself is rumored to have originated with early Italian sailors because it is meatless and doesn’t require refrigeration.

When I’m in a hurry, I use the sauce as a base for just about anything that I have on hand. I add ground meat and seasonings to it for spaghetti and chili. It makes a great quick vegetable soup base and a flavorful topping for grilled chicken. This is my first attempt at measuring the ingredients. (No wonder it never turns out the same way twice!) It can be frozen or canned and is especially appreciated in the winter. Another dish to ‘eyeball’ the ingredients.

BETTY’S BASIC MARINARA SAUCE

4 large onions, peeled and diced

3 large green bell peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

12 cups ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar (if using canned tomatoes)

1/3-1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Salt

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté slowly on medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasonings and brown sugar. Simmer about 45 minutes or so to thicken. Stir often and add red wine vinegar about 10 minutes before canning or cooling to freeze. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint.

Note: You can substitute two (28 ounce)  cans of crushed tomatoes for fresh.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Recipes for summer's late peaches

9/19/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Recipes for summer’s late peaches

Summer days are dwindling down to a precious few and I’m determined to enjoy every last drop of sunshine. So while the retail world is touting Halloween and recipe columns are featuring apples and pumpkins, I’m still eating corn on the cob and doling out the last of summer’s peaches.

This morning I canned the last of our peaches—the Improved Elberta variety. I really prefer to can Suncrest peaches but their season zipped by when I wasn’t looking and so I have struggled through canning a flat of Elbertas, a sweet, usually freestone, canning peach.

I say struggle, because, these peaches were not cooperative. They were not freestone, refused to turn loose of their seeds and bruised easily. Nevertheless, I got them in jars, processed and put away for winter. There were enough left to make some frozen pie filling and a fresh cobbler before they began to gather gnats on the kitchen sink.

Peach season is so short that the last couple of years I’ve lived dangerously prepared pie fillings and successfully frozen them. I put all my ingredients in a large sauce pan, bring them to a boil and spread in a square or rectangular baking dish. I let them cool, wrap and freeze. Before using, I partially thaw them before topping with pie crust or a crumb topping. But you can also add the filling to pie plates, remove when frozen, wrap in foil and stack. See directions below.

Today’s first recipe is for a peach cobbler with a vanilla biscuit topping. The filling calls for Demera sugar popular in the UK. It is large grained, unrefined, crunchy and a pale to golden yellow color. Don’t worry if you can’t find it. Just use brown or white sugar.

Next is a frozen pie filling and the last is for a Paula Deen peach pie. Paula has gotten a lot of bad press lately since her diabetes but she is a good basic cook. Her recipe is similar to mine and calls for both nutmeg and almond. Enjoy!

Last of Summer Fruit Cobbler

Filling:

4 cups sliced peaches, plums, or nectarines (or any combo of all 3)

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup Demerara sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar or vanilla sugar, if you have it

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold,

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla seeds or 2 teaspoons vanilla, added to buttermilk

Optional: vanilla sugar

Preheat oven to 350F and round up a medium-sized baking dish (I use a 1 3/4qt oval baking dish).

In a medium bowl, toss sliced stone fruit with lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar and cornstarch and combine well. (I use my hands). Transfer fruit to the baking dish and spread to cover the bottom.

In another, smaller bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using a box grater, grate cold butter to the flour mix and toss to combine.

Add buttermilk and vanilla and fold biscuit batter together gently, until just combined. Scoop dough in dollops onto the peaches; don’t worry if all the fruit is not covered.

Sprinkle top with a tablespoon of vanilla sugar and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly around the edges and the vanilla biscuit is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let stand until the bubbling has subsided. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Frozen Peach Pie Filing

Goldmine

4 cups peeled, sliced or coarsely chopped fresh peaches
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 or 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix ingredients thoroughly and pour into an 8- or 9-inch foil-lined pie plate. Freeze immediately.

When frozen solid, remove from pie plate and wrap in foil or other tight-fitting wrap, using drugstore folds to seal completely. Label and store in freezer.

To make pie: Prepare preferred pie dough and line an 8- or 9-inch pie plate (whichever size you used to freeze the filling). Unwrap frozen peach pie filling and place in the pie shell; cover with a second crust.

Seal edges; prick dough with fork. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until crust is golden brown, approximately 45 minutes. Do not let pie filling thaw before baking.

“Nita’s Secret Peach Pie”

Paula Deen

7 cups fresh peaches, peeled and thickly sliced (can substitute frozen slices)
½ lemon, juiced
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 prepared pastry for a 9” double crust pie
1 egg

Pre heat oven to 425º F.

Roll one half of the pie dough out to fit the bottom of your pie pan, allowing a 1” over hang and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a large sauce pan, add peaches, lemon juice, sugar and flour and stir until coated. Bring fruit mixture to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until fruit is just slightly tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in almond extract, nutmeg and three tablespoons butter. Allow to cool slightly.

Remove pie pan from refrigerator and fill with the cooled mixture. Dot the top of the fruit with the pieces of the remaining two tablespoons butter. Roll out the second crust and decorate the top of the pie with a lattice top or any special way you like. (If covering the top of your pie completely with the top crust, make sure to cut slits in the top to allow the steam to escape) Decoratively crimp the edges.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of your pie with the egg wash.

Bake for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350ºF for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbly.

Cool before slicing and serve with hand churned vanilla bean ice cream and a cup of coffee.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Getting along in the garden's compost pile

9/5/12 COOK’S CORNER

BETTY KAISER

My husband (the Master Gardener) and I usually get along quite well in the garden. He does most of the work. I help with weeding and do most of the cooking. We both enjoy the fruit of our labors. There’s just one area we disagree on—the compost pile. I like an active, neat and tidy compost pile. One that is layered properly, turned regularly and productive within a few months.

In a perfect world, I would be a by-the-book composter. I’ve read all about how to create a hot (or active) pile. You layer naturally decomposing matter like a cake: One part shredded dry plant matter and one part green plant matter like vegetable trimming, grass clippings, weeks and kitchen scraps (no meat). All that is topped with a layer of soil, soaked and watered periodically. As the pile heats up, the ingredients decompose and it shrinks. Once a week or so, it is turned to move materials from the center of the pile to the outside.

And therein lies the problem: I’m not very good at turning the pile. I’m good at nagging Chuck to do it and he’s good at ignoring me. So our compost pile at this time of year grows some of the strangest volunteer plants imaginable—everything from knobby squash to mutant tomatoes with a few petunias thrown in for good measure. In many ways it looks like a strange piece of modern urban art.

You see, Mr. Kaiser prefers what he calls a cold or passive composting pile. He knows about these things because as a Master Gardener trainee, composting was his specialty. He even has a diploma in composting! To cold compost you dump stuff in and ignore it until late fall. It takes less effort and longer to decompose (one year!) but he doesn’t care. He says the result is the same and a lot less work. And of course, he’s right. And that’s equally irritating.

Now, while I’m grumbling about the compost pile, the vegetables have to be eaten, canned, frozen or given away. What to do? Our zucchini crop has outdone itself this year. I’m tired of canning green beans and tomatoes. So today I’m going to share some simple ideas to help use up some of this bounty. And if your garden is anything like mine, maybe you can use some of these ideas.

The summer soup is a reminder that it’s never too hot or too cold to serve a delicious fresh tasting soup. Be sure and add a simple green salad with fruit and a crispy loaf of sour dough bread.

The Summer Green Bean Salad recipe I found on a blog is wonderful. The hazelnuts really dress it up and it makes a great company side dish. Try it soon. Enjoy!

LATE SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP

1 small onion, quartered, slice thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup zucchini, sliced

1 (15 1/2 ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed, drained

1 cup red potatoes, peeled, diced

1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled, diced

1 cup corn

1 cup peas

1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieced

1 cup tomatoes, peeled, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

A few red pepper flakes

1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

A couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in oil until tender, then add the next 13 ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover & simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add more liquid as needed.

Remove from heat, then stir in celery leaves, tomato paste and Tabasco. Cover & let stand for 5 minutes before serving. SERVES 6.

Mixed Green Salad

6 cups torn romaine lettuce

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup diced avocado

Few black olives

1 orange, peeled and diced

Put salad greens in large bowl and layer with onion, avocado, black olives and oranges. Refrigerate and prepare dressing.

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Whisk together all ingredients and set aside until serving time. Toss gently to combine with salad ingredients.

SUMMER GREEN BEAN SALAD RECIPE

“101 COOKBOOKS”

3/4 pound green beans, stems pinched off

1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
tiny pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

A handful of frisee or little gem hearts

A handful of small cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
1/2 cup hazelnuts, smashed and toasted

Start by making the dressing. Whisk together the chives, thyme, shallots, lemon juice, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil with a fork, stirring until everything comes together. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add more lemon juice if you like or a touch of honey to counterbalance the sour. Set aside.

In the meantime, bring two quarts of water to a boil. Salt generously and stir in the green beans. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Just until the beans brighten up and soften a touch. Go a bit beyond "al dente" here for this salad. Quickly drain them and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a large bowl toss the green beans with the frisee, about 1/2 of the hazelnuts, with a big splash of the dressing. Toss well. Taste, and add more dressing; salt or pepper at this point. Toss again if needed. Add the tomatoes and toss very gently.

You can turn this out onto a platter or plate individually topped with the remaining hazelnuts. Serves about 4.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.