By Expat Chef
I try to get friends and family involved in local food events. My latest
attempt was one I perhaps, inappropriately, titled, “Applefest.” Fest implies
some kind of celebration and revelry. In fact, that was exactly what the
event promised. Food and a special farmers market put together just for the
weekend:
“The Cider Mill Cafe will be open and Jasper (noted local chef) will be cooking biscuits and gravy, pancakes and sausage and grilled Italian Sausages with peppers and onions for lunch!
Enjoy Local apples, exotic mushrooms, fresh flowers, exotic meats, and the Cider Mill Country Store will be open for cider donuts, apple cider, apple butter and preserves, Lost Trail Soda and so much more!”
Sunday began dark, gray and rainy with a cool wind. “Hey,” I thought, trying
to be an optimist, “it won’t be crowded and it feels like fall!” Yeah, right.
As it turned out, no one showed, not even the farmers. Seems they had had a
poor turnout the day before. The most exotic meat I found that day was the
sausage in my biscuits and gravy, which in consolation, were really good. At
first, I felt bad that I had dragged us and our friends (who were shivering
in shorts and t-shirts) out for a non-event early on a rainy Sunday morning
that otherwise would have been a perfect sleep-in day.
But then, something incredible happened. Our kids were running around
excited by the giant vat of apples being washed and put into the cider mill.
“Apple! Apple!” my little one yelled and pointed. The smell near the cider
press was crisp and sweet. The kids climbed and played on the hay bales and
picked out pumpkins.
Inside the market area, my child picked her own bag of apples by leaning over and taking a bite. Yes, through the plastic. And then she went after a whole gallon of cider. I stopped her before she gnawed another bag of apples. She’s an ambitious eater. She watched the cider donut-making through the glass with the same rapt attention most kids only reserve for Spongebob.
Her energy was irresistible. Three pumpkins, ten pounds of apples and a half-gallon of cider later, we rolled away from the all-but-deserted cider mill, happy and warm despite the day’s chill. We drove off in search of the local winery just down the road, vowing to volunteer for its harvest next
fall.
For the last weeks my child has run to the produce drawer every time I’ve
opened the fridge shouting “Apple! Apple!” Every piece of fruit, even grape
or pear, is proudly proclaimed as an “Apple!”
I realize, while trying to pry her out of the fridge before every piece of fruit is pulled out and sampled, that the day really was a celebration afterall.
My mom used to make homemade applesauce every year with the fall harvest. Her recipe is a bit of an ordeal, running the apples through a food mill. She left skins on to give it a pink color, and added quite a bit of sugar. Still it tasted fresh and amazing compared to the jar variety.
Below is my easier, lower sugar, take on the recipe.
Apple-Cider-Sauce
4.5 lbs. Apples of your choice (I used gala), peeled and sliced
2 cups no-sugar added apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (you can also use Cake Spice blend)
1/4 cup sugar
Combine the apples, cider, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes until the apples are tender.
Remove star anise and cinnamon stick. Mash to desired consistency with potato masher, then simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture is the desired thickness.
Remove from heat and mix in sugar and spices. Adjust tartness with additional lemon juice if desired.
Now, couple notes: I used early season apples that are more tart. You may want to add the sugar gradually and use less. You can put this through the food mill, but why? If your family does not like things spicy, or is not fond of the anise flavor, omit the star anise and stick to cardamom and cinnamon, but smaller amounts. I like spicy.
You can find the Expat Chef in her kitchen, knife in hand, contemplating the next ten pounds of apples, four pumpkins, butternut and acorn squash.
