How About Those Apples

appletreeExcerpts from my October 9th, 2009 column in The Register Star.

Like many, I grew up hearing about the legend of Johnny Apple Seed, the chipper, barefooted man with a cooking pot for a hat, who roved around the county side dispersing apple seeds wherever he went. I pictured beautiful trees dripping with delicious apples growing in his wake. Well, that’s not exactly how it works. Yes, if you plant an apple seed you will get an apple tree but the fruit will not taste like the apple from which it came. In fact, most will hardly be edible. Johnny Apple Seed wasn’t so concerned with growing tasty apples. He was mainly growing apples for hard cider and not for making pie. The “spitters” grown from seeds work fine for cider but usually aren’t anything you’d want to sink your teeth into.

Apple trees need other apple trees to pollinate. The apple from a tree will take on the characteristics of the parent tree. The seeds in the apple will be a cross between the parent tree and the tree that pollinated it. That’s why the fruit from a chance seedling is a wild card. The apple may not fall far from the tree, but the fruit grown from that apple’s seeds isn’t going to be anything like the rest of the family.

From what I gather, there are a few ways to grow a good-tasting apple. You can hope for a good chance seedling. This doesn’t happen much but when it does, you’ve struck gold. Discovered in 1905, the original Golden Delicious apple tree was a chance seedling. A farm boy found the lone tree sapling in a field he was clearing. He worked around the tree and watched it grow for years. To his delight, the tree produced a brand new apple variety and a good one at that. Originally called Mullin’s Yellow Seedling, Stark Brothers Nurseries bought the rights to the tree and they gave it a catchier name, Golden Delicious. Every Golden Delicious apple’s linage can be traced back to this one tree in Clay County, West Virginia.

To grow other Golden Delicious trees you need to basically clone a Golden Delicious tree. This is usually done by taking a shoot (called a scion) from the tree and grafting it onto rootstock. You can also take a clipping and root it.

Modern day apples are usually grafted onto dwarf rootstocks. If you visit an old orchard, you may notice that the trees are considerably taller than newer ones. It’s not because the older tree have grown more, but rather the practice of grafting onto draft rootstock has become an industry standard. The smaller trees make for easier harvesting, though it’s up for debate as to which trees are better for climbing.

This past weekend my husband and I went apple picking. We went to Mr. Apples in High Falls, NY. Mr. Apples is a low-spray orchard. Apples from low-spray orchards are not pretty. Most of the ones we picked were covered with harmless black spots. I’ll trade a little ugly for fewer chemicals any day. I was pleasantly surprised to find that with a little baking soda and water, the black spots came right off and we had nice looking, tasty, natural apples.

Maple Molasses Popcorn Balls

My sister gave me this recipe. She altered the recipe she found by changing the syrup to 3/4 cup honey and the sugar to 1/4 cup brown sugar. Experimenting with recipes must run in the family, because I altered her recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil (I use olive oil)
1/2 cup popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

  • Place oil in four-quart kettle. Add a few popcorn kernels in the pot, cover with a lid and heat over a medium heat. Once you hear the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn. Shake the pot frequently until popping stops.
  • Transfer popcorn to large bowl. I scoop out the popcorn from the top. This helps keep the unpopped kernels out of the popcorn balls.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar and salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for five minutes on medium high (or heat until mixture reaches 235º F). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat.
  • When mixture is cool enough to handle, firmly press a handful of popcorn into a ball with buttered hands. If the balls aren’t sticking together, let it cool a bit more. Cool completely on waxed paper.

Makes about 10 popcorn balls

Caramel Apples

caramelapplesNo need to unwrap a gazzilion little caramel candies, this homemade caramel sauce whips up in a snap!

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart. She suggests in place of a wooden popsicle stick to use a twig to hold the apple. I decided to go this route not merely because it makes the apples so darn cute, but because I didn’t have any popsicle sticks. Trees, I have.

Ingredients

6 wooden popsicle sticks or firm twigs
6 small apples, any variety, stems removed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses (or corn syrup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

  • Insert sticks into tops of apples.
  • Bring cream, sugar, molasses (or syrup), and butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture reaches 245ºF, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Dip bottom of each apple in caramel. Using a spoon, coat apple halfway to three-quarters of the way up sides.
  • Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until set, about 10-15 minutes.

Makes 6, delicious apples.

Homemade Candy Corn

candycornIt never crossed my mind that I could make this iconic Halloween candy. I was happy to have stumbled across the recipe on Serious Eats website (www.seriouseats.com). Of course the homemade version is miles better than any store bought variety, plus it is super easy. Warning, this makes a lot and is addictive. Be ready to share, or risk a sugar overload.

All of the recipes I found for home made candy corn called for powdered milk. That is not something I keep around so I substituted whole milk. It worked great.

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup white corn syrup or brown rice syrup
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Food coloring

Method

  • Combine sugar, syrup, milk and butter in medium-sized pot, bring to boil stirring constantly.
  • Once a gentle boil is reached, turn heat to medium and boil 5 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, cook until the temperature reaches 230ºF. Swirl the mixture in the pot occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl. Add vanilla.
  • Add the powdered sugar and salt to the hot mixture; stir well until the powdered sugar is thoroughly incorporated and smooth.
  • Let the dough cool until it is firm enough to handle, about 10-20 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, let it cool longer.
  • Divide the dough into three parts and set each third into a separate bowl.
  • Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to one bowl (for the yellow), one drop of red and two drops of yellow to another bowl (for the orange), and leave the third bowl uncolored (for the white).
  • Knead the dough until the color is even (use rubber gloves so you don’t stain your hands).
  • Working in batches, on a sheet of waxed paper roll each color of dough into a long, slender rope about 1/4 inch wide. The wider the ropes, the larger your candy corn.
  • Set the three ropes of dough side-by-side and slightly press them together. Lay a piece of waxed paper on top and gently roll with a rolling pin. Gentle is the key word here; you don’t want to flatten them. This will help keep the layers together.
  • Using a sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough strips into small triangles.
  • Let the finished kernels sit for an hour or two in single layer on a cookie sheet to become firm.
  • Store in airtight container.

Spicy-Sweet Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

If you ask my friend Eric, I’m not the one to give anyone advice on how to roast seeds. One fall, years ago, in Eric’s West Virginia cabin dubbed “The Shack,” we roasted pumpkin seeds. For the record, I wasn’t the one who turned the oven to broil, which ignited the seeds, sending flames up through the burners. Yes, cooking can be dangerous.

Luckily, while six adults stood around debating what you throw on a kitchen fire (water=bad, wet towel=good), Eric quickly donned heavy-duty potholders, reached in the oven, grabbed the flaming pan and shouted, “Get the camera!” and “Get the door!” (in that order) as he headed outside to the grill, a perfectly safe place for flames.

I didn’t give specific quantities here because the amount of seeds you get from a pumpkin or squash will vary. Just eyeball it … a little of this and a little of that. Go easy on the cayenne pepper unless you really like it extra spicy.

Ingredients:
Seeds from a pumpkin or winter squash
Olive oil
Sugar
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut squash in half and scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp. Don’t fret too much about getting all the strings, they won’t hurt you. Rinse the seeds.
  • Toss seeds in a bowl with olive oil, sugar, cayenne and salt.
  • Spread seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet.
  • Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Butternut Apple Soup with Gorgonzola and Bacon

This combines two of my favorite fall things — butternut squash and apples — with two of my all-year-round favorites — blue cheese and bacon.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium to large tart apple, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
4 cups of water
2 cups of apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne and black pepper
2 to 3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or any blue cheese)

Method:

  • Cut squash in half (stem to bottom) and scoop out seeds and stringy pulp (save the seeds for roasting). Peel and cut into chunks.
  • Heat olive oil or butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion turns translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir often to keep garlic from browning.
  • Add butternut squash and chopped apple. I don’t peal the apple.
  • Stir in water, apple cider, vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
  • Use an immersion blender to puree soup. You can also use a traditional blender and puree the soup in batches. Let the soup cool a bit and be sure to keep a towel and your hand firmly on the blender lid. The hot soup has a tendency to spew. If soup is too thick, thin with water or apple cider.

Top soup with a sprinkle of bacon and Gorgonzola and serve hot.

Serves four to six.

Be Like The Squirrel

Experts from my Friday, September 18, 2009 column in the Register Star.

As I’ve said before, I think that I was a squirrel in a previous life. All summer, I somewhat lackadaisically picked fresh vegetables from my garden or bought them at the farm stand. I got what I needed for the week and maybe a little extra to freeze. Now, with a chill in the air, I know the days of catch-as-catch-can are drawing near. The squirrels and I know this. We get a little panicky and start to hoard.

I blame this personality quirk on reading too many books. One that changed the way I think about food is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal Vegetable Miracle.” After reading it, I found it hard to eat a banana without considering just how far it had to travel.

We are accustomed to being able to buy fresh produce all year round. Last year, I was in a supermarket and saw a nice-looking sleeve of garlic at a decent price. On closer examination, I saw that the garlic was from China. Chances are, your supermarket garlic is also from China, since China produces 75 percent of the world’s supply. I’m sure the farmers in China are excellent garlic growers, but that’s a long way for those little bulbs to travel. From then on, I made a point to stock up on local garlic. Every time I see some at a farm stand, I buy a few extra.

This past weekend, my husband and I went to our favorite farm stand, Black Walnut Farm in Cornwallville, NY. Farmer Todd Tremble started this organic farm 17 years ago and clearly loves what he does. His enthusiasm is infectious. Anyone who gets a twinkle in their eye when they talk about a patty pan squash recipe is my kind of person.

Todd was kind enough to walk us around his stand and show us some of the produce that keeps particularly well. I also consulted a book that my sister gave me, Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables.

There are many items that you can store without canning or freezing. If you plan to stock up, or “put food by,” pick unblemished fruits and vegetables. Don’t wash them, check them every couple of weeks and remove any that have signs of spoilage.

Winter squash, such as butternut, buttercup, acorn, Hubbard and spaghetti, are excellent keepers. Pick ones that are field cured and blemish free. The rinds should be hard. Pack them in a single layer. They should keep until March when stored at 50 to 55º F.

Smaller pie pumpkins should keep until February. Store them as you would winter squash. The larger ones should last until Thanksgiving unless, of course, you carve them for Halloween like I plan to do.

Ask your farmer for winter onions. They tend to be smaller, but are good keepers. Place the onions in a mesh bag, crate or container that allows air to circulate. Onions like a cool, moderately dry location. Our basement works well. They should keep for several months.

Hardneck garlic will keep until May, which is another good reason to buy local. Store garlic, like onions, or look for one of those beautiful braids of garlic and hang it on the back of your basement door.

Potatoes are another good vegetable to store. They need to be kept in a dark, cool place. Some people wrap the potatoes in newsprint to store, but you can also just keep them covered in a crate with good ventilation. Any light exposure will turn the potatoes slightly green and that is something you want to avoid. They should be good until April or May.

Parsnips, carrots and beets are best stored in a container layered with sand or damp sawdust. Parsnips and carrots should keep for most of the winter. Beets will keep for several months.

Other produce requires either canning or freezing. If you want to stock up on tomatoes, now is your chance. I saw big boxes of cooking tomatoes for $12 at Story Farms in Catskill. If canning sounds like too much work and you have some freezer space, wash the tomatoes, core them and chop or freeze them whole. They won’t work as slices for a burger, but they will work thawed and cooked in a sauce.

I grate extra zucchini and freeze it. I will welcome a warm loaf of zucchini bread in February. I also slice extra summer squash and freeze it. It’s easy to grab some and toss it into soups or a stir-fry.

My husband is in charge of roasting peppers. He likes to roast hot and mild ones. After they are cooled and peeled, he slices and freezes them. We usually freeze enough to last all winter. If you see organic bell peppers, snag some of them. Bell peppers are number three on the Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozen list of the most pesticide contaminated fruits and vegetables. I always try to buy those organic.

Stock up good and, come winter, you’ll be able to smugly walk through the supermarket and pass all the California carrots and Chinese garlic knowing that you have your own private stash of local goods.

Black Walnut Farm is located on East Stone Bridge Road in Cornwallville. Story Farms is at the junction of Routes 32 and 23A in Catskill. Both stands are open until Thanksgiving.