Autumn Harvest

Autumn is here, and so is our appetite for the season's ample variety of apples. From Idared to Golden Delicious to Northern Spy, these fresh-picked fall fruits are good to the core.
But, as they say, one bad apple spoils the bunch - so make sure you grapple the very best apples.

1. When is the best time to buy apples?
"Here in the Northeast, the time is right now! The apple harvest season starts in August and lasts through November. Granny Smith and McIntosh apples are especially seasonal for this time.
These days you can buy apples all year round from different suppliers around the world, but August through November, you’ll have incredibly crisp and juicy apples."
2. How do I pick a great apple?
"A ripe apple should be crunchy and sweet. The best way to test if an apple is ripe is to squeeze it. The flesh should feel firm, without any soft or brown spots.
Gala apples should be a sweet, snappy, aromatic apple that is usually red-and-yellow-striped when ripe. Granny Smiths should be firm, medium grain apples - with bold, sweet and sour bursts in every bite. Fujis should be aromatic and juicy with a spicy, crisp sweetness. Golden Delicious should be a crisp, clean apple with extremely mellow flavors, while Red Delicious should have a strong sweet presence and only a few notes of acidity.
McIntosh apples should be white and have a tender, crisp flesh that’s spicy, highly aromatic and full of juice. You should always consider why you are buying apples (cooking, baking or eating raw) because that makes a difference. Once you get home, you can keep your apples in the refrigerator for up to three days if you plan on eating them raw."
3. What’s the most popular kind of apple?
"During native apple season, there are two apples that stand out far and above any other varieties. First is the Honey Crisp because as the name says, it’s sweet like honey and crisp to the bite. Honey Crisps have a short season, only six to eight weeks.
The second most popular is the Macoun, which is a sweet, tart, and crispy apple from New England, but that also has a short window of availability. When Honey Crisp and Macoun are not available, people go for the super sweet and crunchy Gala apple followed by Granny Smith."
4. What’s the best apple to use for cooking?
"When making a pie, you can really use any apple you like, but a firmer apple, like Cortland, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith works really well. Those won’t break down like the softer varieties, such as McIntosh, which can get mushy.
You can even try a 50/50 blend of the Cortland and Granny Smith in your pie for added flavor. When making apple sauce, use Granny Smith or McIntosh. These apples feature bold flavors and lots of juice, making them perfect for sauce."
5.What are the best ways to use apples this harvest season?
"Apple cider donuts and apple pie are delicious but I’m always watching my waistline, so I was given a new recipe to try at home the other night. Chop up a few apples, put them in a roasting pan, then drizzle some Vermont maple syrup over them. Follow with a few shakes of ground cinnamon and put it in the oven for about an hour. My whole family loved it.
If you aren't watching your waistline, try this French-style apple tart."

Pastry cream:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Tart:
1 large egg
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
2 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup apricot preserves
To prepare the pastry cream: In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg yolks and sugar to form ribbons. Mix in the flour and cornstarch. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. Remove 1/2 cup of the milk and gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Gradually whisk the egg mixture back into the hot milk. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Return the mixture to the mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into a large bowl. Cool slightly, then cover the surface completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the custard for 1 hour or until cold. (Pastry cream may be prepared up to 1 day in advance.)
To prepare the tart: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut a 1-inch strip off of each side of the pastry. Using the egg wash, brush a 1-inch border around the edges of the center piece of puff pastry. Place the strips onto the brushed border, folding the corners over to form another layer. Brush the border with the egg wash. Spoon or pipe the pastry cream onto the center of the puff pastry. Place the apples over the cream and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot preserves and 3 tablespoons water. Brush onto the apples. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve cold later.

Canning Know How~ Get Over The Fear & Just Do It!

I am busy right now going to farmers markets and hunting down the best produce and veggies to stock my pantry with. I will be making raspberry& blackberry syrup, applesauce, plum conserve, pear butter, apple butter as well as my various fruit leathers and dried fruits this season. What does your garden grow? What do you want to can? I grew up with 40 fruit trees growing down our driveway in the country so I watched my mom can and learned how to preserve the process when it came to my kids. Each Christmas I choose to give away some of my jams/jellies that I know my family members love. It is expensive to mail, but they are sure happy with the end results and nothing says "I am thinking of you" better than a can of homemade goodies! I usually make spiced blueberry jam, cranberry jelly, triple berry blend, and strawberry jam to pass out to the neighbors and my family at holiday time. What are your family's favorite time honored recipes and do you still can for your family today? I'd love to hear from you!

 

5@5 - Five myths about canning

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.
You say you want a can-volution? Well, you need to know Sean Timberlake.
Timberlake is a professional writer and author of the blog Hedonia. He's also the founder of Punk Domestics, a Web site devoted to all things do-it-yourself food - from pickles and jams to goodies in cans.
When it comes to preservation, Timberlake admits even learned people and accomplished home cooks are oftentimes stymied by the fear of poisoning their loved ones with a tainted jar of fig jam (Mmm...botulism!).
While there are real risks, follow a few rules and Sean assures you'll be safely jamming in no time.
Five Myths About Canning: Sean Timberlake

1. My home-canned foods will poison me and my loved ones.
"You will absolutely, positively not bring disease and death into your home by canning - so long as you follow the rules. Modern food preservation techniques are designed to eradicate the pathogens that can cause illness, thereby rendering your foods shelf-stable.
In fact, properly canned foods are about the safest things you can eat. But a modicum of attention must be paid to a few fundamentals to ensure that all the bugaboos that can get you are tamed."
2. My grandmother canned in the oven/used paraffin wax/turned jars upside-down while canning, and no one died, so it’s safe.
"There are a myriad of tools and practices that have been employed throughout the last couple centuries to can food. However, the USDA has established a recommended practice using mason jars with two-part lids, canned upright in a water bath or pressure canner. This recommendation is unimpeachable, and should be adhered to to ensure safety."
3. The lids on my jars sealed, so the contents are safely canned.
"It’s so enormously satisfying to hear the high-pitched pings of lids sealing as they come out of the canner, but that doesn’t mean what’s inside is safe to eat. In order to kill off the bacteria that causes botulism, the contents must be sufficiently acidic, having a pH 4.6 or lower.
Most fruits are high in acid, which makes them excellent candidates for preserves that can be canned using the water bath method. But unpickled vegetables, meats and many soups and sauces are not, and require pressure canning to destroy the botulinum bacteria.
How can you tell the pH of your recipe? Unless you’re a chemist, you can’t, so make sure you’re using a tested recipe from a reliable source. If you don’t know your recipe is safe for water bath canning, store it in the refrigerator or freezer (or in your belly) instead."
4. Canning is for people in big houses in the country, not me in my tiny urban kitchen.
"We are blessed to live in an age when gorgeous, ripe fruits and vegetables can be harvested at local farms and transported to markets in the very heart of even the densest cities on the very same day. If you want to hang on to that bounty well after the season’s over, canning is probably your best bet.
Other than a pot large enough to submerge your jars in boiling water, the other equipment required will fit in a drawer. Working in small batches ensures you don’t end up with mountains of jars all over your house."
5. Canning is hard.
"Do you find cooking hard? If so, then maybe this is true for you. Like cooking, though, canning is a process, so take the time to set up your space and develop a workflow. Have everything ready in its place for each step of the process and you’ll find that it goes quickly, is easier than you imagined and even fun.
It’s also an excellent activity to do with friends and family; after all, many hands make light work. And when you hear those lids popping as they cool, your heart will swell with pride and you’ll already start planning your next trip to the farmers market for another round of canning."

Choctaw Blackberry Cobbler

I also had this served at my wedding and was amazing since it was a warm summer's night! Enjoy!

2 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 c. blackberries
2 c. boiling water
Cream 1 cup sugar and butter then add flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Mix well and pour into 12x8x2 inch pan. Pour the blackberries over batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Pour the boiling water over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold. May be served with cream.

Choctaw Hunter's Stew

Hunting season is sneaking up on us again. I hear the wives talking about the "free time" they will have when their husbands and sons head off for the great hunt. So I thought I would share this recipe with you all as it is from my heritage: Choctaw. I had it served at our wedding ceremony as we tried to incorporate many of my traditions as well as recipes with our guest. Enjoy!

2 lbs. deer meat
2 tbsp. beef suet
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 to 8 carrots
3 ribs celery
2 lg. onions
2 lg. potatoes
1 lg. can tomatoes
1 lg. can whole kernel corn
Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and brown in suet then add the salt and pepper, cover with water and cook until done. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and cut into bite-size pieces. Add these to the tender meat and simmer until done. This is very good served with cornbread or fry bread.

Amish Friendship Bread Instructions

Following are the recipe and instructions for Amish Friendship Bread as it was given to me. You can also go to our Recipe Box for an easily printable version of the recipe by clicking here.
NOTE: Do not refrigerate starter. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment. If air gets in the bag, let it out.
Day 1: Do nothing.
Day 2: Mash the bag.
Day 3: Mash the bag.
Day 4: Mash the bag.
Day 5: Mash the bag.
Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.
Day 7: Mash the bag.
Day 8: Mash the bag.
Day 9: Mash the bag.
Day 10: Follow the directions below:

1. Pour the entire bag into a nonmetal bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup milk.
3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags.
4. Keep one of the bags fr yourself, and give the other bags to 3 friendship along with the recipe.

REMEMBER: If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking in 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. Only the Amish know how to make a starter, so if you give all the bags away, you will have to wait for someone to give you a starter back.
Should this recipe not be passed onto a friend on the first day, make sure to tell them which day it is when you present it to them.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. To the remaining batter in a bowl add the following:

a. 3 eggs
b. 1 cup oil
c. 1/2 cup milk
d. 1 cup sugar
e. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
f. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
g. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
h. 1/2 teaspoon salt
i. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
j. 2 cups flour
k. 1-2 boxes instant pudding (any flavor)

i. Optional: 1 cup nuts and 1 cup raisins

3. Grease 2 large loaf pans

a. In a bowl mix an additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
b. Dust the greased pans with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

4. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on the top.
5. Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
6. ENJOY!

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Need a Starter? THE RECIPE!
If you ask around, chances are you’ll find somebody you know with an Amish Friendship Bread starter to share (exercise good judgment if accepting a starter from someone you do not know). If not, here is the recipe for making your own:
Ingredients

1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a 2 quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added.
3. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.

Recipe Ideas

• Charcoal-Grilled Tuna Steaks with Red Wine Vinegar and Mustard Vinaigrette

      

Why this recipe works:

For a tuna steak recipe that turned out fish with an intense smoky char and a tender interior, we started by covering the grates with aluminum foil to superheat them. We moistened the tuna’s flesh with a vinaigrette to promote browning and allow the oil to penetrate the meat of the tuna steaks. And instead of using sugar in our vinaigrette, we used honey. Both promote browning, but honey does it faster. (less)

For a tuna steak recipe that turned out fish with an intense smoky char and a tender interior, we started by covering the grates with aluminum foil to superheat them. We moistened the tuna’s flesh with a vinaigrette to promote browning and all...(more)

Serves 6

We prefer our tuna served rare or medium- rare. If you like your fish cooked medium, observe the timing for medium-rare, then tent the steaks loosely with foil for 5 minutes before serving. To achieve a nicely grilled exterior and a rare center, it is important to use fish steaks that are at least 1 inch thick.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for cooking grate
• 3tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Table salt
• 2tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2teaspoons honey
• 2tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary leaves
• 3/4cup olive oil
• 6 tuna steaks , 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each) (see note)
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by arranging all coals in even layer over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Loosely cover cooking grate with large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil; position grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove foil with tongs and discard; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grate. Continue to wipe grate with oiled paper towels, redipping towels in oil between applications, until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
2. 2. While grill heats, whisk vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, mustard, honey, and thyme or rosemary together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until lightly thickened and emulsified. Measure out ¾ cup vinaigrette and set aside for cooking fish. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving.
3. 3. Brush both sides of fish liberally with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill fish without moving until grill marks form and bottom surface is opaque, about 1½ minutes. Carefully flip, cooking until grill marks form on second side, about 1½ minutes longer for rare (opaque at perimeter and translucent red at center when checked with tip of paring knife) or 3 minutes for medium-rare (opaque at perimeter and reddish pink at center). Transfer to large plate and serve immediately, passing reserved vinaigrette.

Step-by-Step

Vinaigrette for Foolproof Grilled Tuna

A simple dressing of oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey not only adds flavor but is the secret to grilled tuna with a hot smoky crust and rosy interior (plus less fishy odor!). Each component brings its own particular benefit to the mix.

• MOISTURIZER
  Oil keeps the fish moist and traps the fat-soluble compounds responsible for smoke flavor, leading to richer grilled taste.
• ODOR NEUTRALIZER
  Vinegar neutralizes the odoriferous compound trimethylamine, created when fish is exposed to heat.
• MASTER EMULSIFIER
  Mustard helps hold the vinaigrette together so it properly coats the tuna steaks.
• BROWNING BOOSTER
  Two teaspoons of honey help the tuna brown quickly before the interior has a change to overcook.

Technique

Not-So-Great Grilled Tuna: The Ins and Outs

• NICELY CHARRED BUT OVERCOOKED
  Tuna with a smoky, well-browned crust, usually features dry, overdone flesh.
• PERFECT INTERIOR BUT NO CHAR
  Tuna with a cool, rare center often has a pale, tasteless exterior.

 

Island Cookies

(By Aunt Shelia)

~ These are great because the shaved coconut keeps these cookies moist, even if they are frozen and then thawed!

1 2/3 C Flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
       Whisk together in a small batter bowl
3/4 C butter softened (when baking, I always use unsalted unless a recipe is specific)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla (for more flavor use vanilla bean)
       Cream these ingredients together in large mixing bowl
1 egg
        Add the egg to the creamed sugars and mix well
2 C milk chocolate chunks
1 C coconut (I use shaved coconut for better results and flavor)
3/4 C macadamias chopped (I like using regular snack macadamias because of the salt on them~it adds a punch to these decadent cookies!)

After all ingredients are mixed, use a small cookie scoop and place on ungreased pan. Bake in 375 degree oven for 8-11 mins. (I always do 9 mins so they are soft and chewy)
Makes: 3 dozen

Happy Baking!