Fall in the Finger Lakes: Part One

Fall is here, but rather than being SAD (or suffering from season affective disorder), I'm actually quite happy about it. Fall is my favorite season. And I was lucky enough to spend the first true "fall-like" weekend wandering among the vineyards and farm stands of the Finger Lakes. It's harvest season. Around one corner, row upon row of grape vines dripping with purple-black fruit. Around the next corner, row upon row of corn stalks, some still featuring corn, others drying out in the sun. And around the next, an honor-system farm stand featuring the last of the season's tomatoes next to the first of the season's apples. And while the local grape traditions -- from stomping and pie -- abound, when it comes to baking, I have to say I prefer apples. The first-of-the-season apples were super crisp and just a little tart. I attempted to make a riff on the Dutch apple tart served at Winkel in Amsterdam, where a thick pie dough rises to encase the apples. I followed this recipe but unfortunately was a bit stingy on the dough (stretched one recipe to fit two pie plates), so the end result was more pie than cake. But luckily, apple season, like the fall, is young. So there is lots of time left to get it just right.

Crisper Cleanout: Apple Muffins

I admit it -- I've been letting produce pile up in the crisper. Oh sure, if it gets soggy and/or brown, I'll toss it, but if it has some life left in it, I let it sit, waiting for the right day, right moment, right recipe. But no more. This week, I am using up all of the odds and ends that have been in the fridge drawer for too long. First up: Fuji apples. Shamefully, I've had about 10 small apples lingering around SINCE THE SECOND WEEKEND OF MARCH. Because that's when I bought them at the Hastings Indoor Market. They were starting to look a little shriveled, so I pulled them out on Sunday and made apple muffins. After all, who doesn't bake when it's 86 degrees out? After much deliberation, I chose Ellie Krieger's recipe, which uses apple sauce and raw apples. Since I had so many apples, I actually made my own sauce (which actually was more of a mash, since Fuji's don't break down easily). Making apple sauce is simple, and it does not take much effort (of course, turning on the oven and the stove on a warm day has it's own challenges). But the nut topping is what makes these a standout. Do not omit! Despite slaving over a hot stove/oven and dirtying all of my mixing bowls plus assorted other implements, the end result was worth it. And getting to enjoy breakfast al fresco on my newly madeover terrace made it that much better.

Double Apple Muffins

Inspired by Ellie Krieger's Apple Muffin Recipe

Ingredients 5-6 C. of apples, chopped ½ C. Milk 1 T. Lemon juice ½ C. water ½ t. Cinnamon 2 T. Brown sugar 1/2 t. Cinnamon ¼ C. Pecans, chopped 2 C. White whole wheat flour 2 T. Corn starch 1 t. Baking soda ½ t. Salt ½ t. Cinnamon ¼ t. Nutmeg ½ C. Brown sugar ¼ C. Vegetable oil 2 Eggs 1 t. Vanilla

Method Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Simmer over medium high heat about two-thirds of the chopped apples with a quarter cup of water and a dash of cinnamon, reserving one-third of the raw apples. In the meantime, pour half a cup of milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and set aside. Next, mix the next three ingredients (brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts) in a small bowl, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg) and whisk to insure they are well incorporated. In your largest bowl, whisk together the oil and remaining half cup of brown sugar. By now, your apples on the stove should be tender and starting to break down into a sauce (if not breaking down, give it a whirl in the blender). Add apple sauce/mash to large bowl and whisk to cool slightly. Once close to room temperature, add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the large bowl, mix until just combined. Follow with half of the milk mixture, and then repeat dry-milk-dry until everything is in the bowl. Fold in the remaining raw apples. Scoop the batter into a prepared muffin tin. Top with the sugar-cinnamon-nut mixture. Bake for approximately 20 minutes; allow them to cool before removing from pan.

Union Square Revisited

I went into the city on Saturday for the first time since moving (three months ago). I had fun doing my old routine -- swimming at the Y on 14th Street, getting sushi at Whole Foods Union Square, trekking down to Chinatown for won ton soup, and walking through the Union Square Greenmarket. I realize now I really took the greenmarket for granted. Living in the land of indoor markets, it'll be late spring before the vendors venture outside again. So I grabbed shallots and fingerling potatoes and about 8 lbs. of apples to haul back with me (after first taking them on a trip downtown through Soho and Chinatown. My left shoulder may never be the same). Since I got a mix of eating apples and cooking apples (at $3 a 4 lb. bag, I was willing to take my chances with the "slightly imperfect" ones), I settled on making apple sauce muffins with half the haul. The recipe, which is based on one in the Moosewood Low-fat Favorites cookbook, combines apple sauce with fresh whole cranberries and walnuts for a tart-sweet breakfast treat. With a mix of white and whole wheat flour, and only two tablespoons of oil, this muffin beats the low fat options at your favorite coffee shop hands down. And helps justify buying a grande mocha latte to wash it down.

Apple Cranberry Muffins

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

Ingredients

1 C. White Flour

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 T. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/4 t. Nutmeg

1 Egg

1 Egg White

1 C. Applesauce (Homemade or commercial)

1/3 C. Brown Sugar

Zest of one Lemon

2 T. Canola Oil

2 T. Skim Milk

1/2 C. Walnuts, Toasted and Chopped

1 C. Cranberries (Whole or Chopped)

Method

Preheat oven to 400; spray or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Sift together dry ingredients.

In another bowl, beat egg and egg white until frothy; add applesauce, brown sugar, lemon zest, oil and milk and beat until well incorporated.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mixed until just combined; fold in walnuts and cranberries.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tins to just below the rim.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Stocking up for the Winter

For us in the Northeast, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is traditionally the last farmer's market of the season. In other words, it's time to stock up. Which is why I braved the rain on Saturday and hit my local market.

With a little Googling, I found a great table listing produce and ideal storage conditions (from Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers by way of the University of Wisconsin). Just like our ancestors did, you can actually store much of the late fall produce (and you don't even need a root cellar). *Apples: According to the guide, late season apples store the best at cool temperatures and high humidity (to help retain moisture). The chart indicates you could get two-to-six months under the perfect conditions, but I was not quite ready to buy a bushel and test it out. Instead, I bought some to use in apple sauce, some to eat and a few to save in the crisper. *Cabbage: I don't eat a lot of cabbage, but the guide claims a head should last three-to-six weeks in the fridge. I got some brussel sprouts to roast this week (as I don't think they will last quite as long as a big head of cabbage!). *Garlic: Farmers market garlic tastes a lot better than the kind you get a conventional grocery store, and has a shelf life of six-to-nine months. *Kale: I am new convert to kale, particularly Tuscan kale, and throw it in everything from stir fries to soups. While I still have not figured out how to make a good kale chip (they say they taste like potato chips) or how to enjoy eating kale raw in a salad, I picked up two bunches, which should last two-to-three weeks. *Onion: I heart small red onions. I like to make a salad and use up one small onion versus hack off part of a big one (and then have the remnants stinking up the fridge). Onions are fickle, though, and can last anywhere from a few weeks (especially if they seem moist) to eight months, according to the chart.

*Potato: Under ideal conditions, tubers will last a while. Cool, dark and dry places are best to avoid rotting, sprouting and greening. *Winter Squash: Most sources claim that squash will last about one month, cool, dark place. I bought two butternuts, so check back in and I will let you know!

Eldress Bertha's Apple Sauce (From Cooking Light)

If you think apple sauce is for babies, you have not tried homemade! I like texture, so I use a variety of apples, including those that are a bit more firm and keep their shape. Try adding pomegranate seeds for extra crunch and flair. This also makes a good topping for vanilla ice cream!

Find the recipe here.

Bread and Oscars

Bread + cheese = award winning combo. At least that's what I think. And at least that's what I brought to my friend Laura's annual Oscars Party. Laura, a consummate hostess, gets very into the Oscars: not only does she do a themed menu, she does a three-plus-course, three-plus-selections-per-course themed menu -- it's practically a Top Chef finale. So to complement a menu that included chips and salsa, raw veggies, chutney, turkey chili, naan, jambalaya, cheeseburgers, sausage and kraut, German chocolate cake and milk and cookies, I brought an homage to the best picture nominee Milk: a round of cranberry pecan sourdough bread from Our Daily Bread, stuffed with melted double cream brie and topped with extra dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Served with slices of honey crisp and granny smith apples from Terhune Orchards, it took less time to assemble than most award acceptance speeches. And, come to think of it, barely lasted longer than one once I put it out on the coffee table.

Easy Baked Brie

I cut the rind of the brie before cutting into cubes and found a serrated knife did the trick.

Ingredients

1 round loaf of bread (sourdough or other flavored bread recommended)

1 T. Olive oil

12-14 oz. of brie, cut into rough cubes

1-2 T. of chopped nuts/dried fruit/herbs, to complement your flavored bread

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice off top 1/3 of round; hollow out remaining loaf leaving 1 inch border all around.

Eat small amount of bread right away. Cube top of loaf and "innerds" for later dipping.

Drizzle Olive oil inside of bread bowl. Add herbs if using.

Stuff brie into bread bowl, packing down to get as much cheese inside as possible.

Place bread on cookie tray covered with an extra large piece of foil. Bake, uncovered for approximately 35 minutes or until cheese is oozing but not browning. If exposed edges or cheese appear to be burning, cover loosely with foil.

During last 10 minutes of cooking, top with nuts and dried fruit, if using.