Celebrate the apple season with apple based desserts

Apple Sorbet

Last week I participated inLife Cycle’s fruit pick/fruit tree program’s last pick of the year. It was a perfect fall day and the apple trees were glorious. Now I have another 30KG of apples to use up. So over the next few weeks we’ll be making more apple butter, apple chips and some apple based desserts. One of my favorites, which I first tried this summer, is apple sorbet. It is simple to make and delicious either on its own or served with pie. In the summer I made this with spartans with pink flecked flesh and the sorbet turned out a strinking pink (see pictures). I’m keen to try it again with a tarter apple. Another favorite, which I first made last fall, is Cinnamon Baked Apples with Hazelnut-Fennel Brittle. I got the recipe from Eat Magazine which I think is one of the best sources of recipes for seasonal, local produce.

To make this simple apple sorbet all you need is:

• INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/4 pounds eating apples , quartered, cored and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup apple juice or cider
• Apple chips (you can buy them at your local supermarket or make them)
• EQUIPMENT
• Ice-cream maker or shallow metal or plastic container
• Medium saucepan
• Sharp knife
• Fork
• Measuring cup

Over a medium heat combine  apples, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook until apples are tender. Press the mixture through a metal sieve placed over a bowl. Discard apple skins and stir in apple juice (or cider) and another 1/2 cup water. If making without an ice cream machine, pour into a shallow container and freeze 6 hours, scraping with a fork once or twice to break up crystals. (Or if you do as I did and completely forget about it for 12 hours you may need o take a vegetable masher to it to break it up again! – see pics). If using a machine, churn until firm enough to scoop. Garnish with apple chips.

To make Cinnamon Baked Apples with Hazelnut-Fennel Brittle you need:

INGREDIENTS

• Hazelnuts, whole, toasted and skinned, 1 cup
• Granulated sugar, 1 cup
• Water, 1/4 cup
• Babe’s honey, 2 tbsp
• Salt, 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp
• Baked Apples
• Brown sugar, 3/4 cup
• Ground cinnamon, 2 tsp
• Apples, 8 medium, such as local Gravenstein, Spartan, Jonagold,Rome Beauty or Spy
• Butter, softened, 8 tsp

EQUIPMENT

• Parchment paper
• melon-baller
• 9X13-inch baking dish
• thick-bottomed medium sauce pan
• sharp knife
• measuring cup

INSTRUCTIONS

brittle

For the brittle, coarsely chop hazelnuts. Measure out 1/3 cup and set aside. Finely chop remaining nuts and set those aside for the apples.

The best way to approach brittle is not to rush and to keep the heat moderate. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a thick-bottomed medium sauce pan, stir sugar with water, honey and salt over low heat until dissolved. Increase heat to medium and let boil and bubble until light amber. Occasionally (and carefully) swirl pan to prevent any dark spots. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour onto parchment. Tilt baking sheet to spread out as thin as possible and sprinkle with chopped nuts and fennel. Let cool completely. Break into shards.

apples

For the apples, in a bowl, mix brown sugar with cinnamon and finely chopped nuts. Trim bottoms of apples so they sit flat. Core apples, using a melon-baller. Peel a 1/2-inch ring around the cored opening. Stuff apples with cinnamon sugar mixture. Press 1 tsp butter into top of each.

Place in a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Cover and bake in preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until very tender, 10 to 20 more minutes. Pierce with a sharp knife to check they are soft all the way through. Serve with vanilla ice cream and tuck in shards of brittle.

recipe credit: Eat Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7&8 Nov Art of the Cocktail – fundraiser for the Victoria Film Festival

Coming up in the first week of November ( 7 & 8, 2009) is The Art of the Cocktail. It is a  two day festival celebrating the art, craft, and tradition of the cocktail. This is a fundraiser for the Victoria Film Festival, which like all arts in BC has been hit by funding cuts. There are three parts to this festival. First is The Tasting Room where you can taste spirits and cocktails, collect recipes and watch demonstrations. Pick a tasting time!

• November 7 Saturday 1 – 4 PM
• November 7 Saturday 7 – 10 PM
• November 8 Sunday 1 – 4 PM

Tickets for The Tasting Room are on sale now and can only be bought in advance.

In addition to The Tasting Room there are a large range of  workshops for which tickets are $20 each. Finally there are a range of dinners at some of the best restaurants around town. For all the details check out the VFF website.

Shop the wild festival Oct 3&4

Market open 10 am to 4 pm each day

For the last two years I’ve wanted to attend the shop the wild festival but for one reason or another I’ve missed it. This year we are going as I’m going to be out there picking apples in the morning. The shop the wild festival is a free event (always nice!) and according to the website there are over 35 exhibitors who will be providing “wild mushrooms, jams and syrups, alder smoked salmon, natural body care products, eco-furniture, native plants, artisan wood products” and more! There will be a interesting lunch (see menu) available from 11.30 to 3pm both days. There will also be talks on mushroom identification, Forest Herbal Walks with Folk herbalist Sheila Wray who will be taking people through the forest at Royal Roads University. For more details check out the website: http://buybcwild.com/2009-exhibitors

Celebrate the apple season

Spartan apple sorbet

making apple rings from spartans: notice the pink flecks!

local apples

selection of apples picked locally

Apple season is in full swing and we are thoroughly enjoying it.  I used to think that I disliked apples. The slightly dry and powdery texture and watery taste I experienced did nothing for me. But a trip to the Edmonton farmers markets a few years ago transformed my opinions. I realized that what I HATE is the apples sold at large chain grocery stores. Since that revelation I have happily discovered more apple delights. As a volunteer fruit picker with the Lifecycles fruit tree project I have picked giant apples (perfect for apple butter), winter banana apples (also perfect for sauce or apple butter or apple rings), small tart crab apples (perfect for blackberry and apple preserve),  spartans with  pink flecked white flesh (perfect for munching, sauce or sorbet)  and many more wondrous varieties. Apple celebrations continue this Sunday Sep 27 at Sea Cider: http://harbourliving.ca/event/apple-day/

Visit sunwing farms!

Tomato, basil and ricotta salad

Sun Wing farms, growers of fabulous tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers a( and a few other things) will be closing for the winter in a bit over a month. If you get a chance I’d suggest heading out there and picking up a selection of their lovely tomatoes for some late summer salads. Find out more about sunwing at: http://www.sunwingtomatoes.ca/

Some cucumber and tomato salad recipes (based on NY times 101 salad ideas)

Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette.

Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice.

Slice cucumbers thin, toss with red onions and salt, then let sit for 20 to 60 minutes. Rinse, dry, dress with cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard; no oil necessary.

Cook whole grape tomatoes in olive oil over high heat until they brown lightly, sprinkling with curry powder. Cool a bit, then toss with chopped arugula, loads of chopped mint and lime juice.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/18/5-farmers-markets/

Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival Saturday, February 7th, 2009

Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival

Since moving to Victoria two years ago I’ve become what Harbour news calls a big “picker-maker”. I make jam, quince paste, jellies, cordial, preseves, dried fruits and I pick black berries and (with lifecycles) apples, pears, and quince.  So this maple syrup festival (Saturday, February 7th, 2009  10:00 AM to 4:30 PM) caught my eye. Sounds like a lot of fun and very interesting.

BC Forest Discovery Centre 2892 Drinkwater Road, Duncan

More details:   http://bcforestmuseum.impgroup.bc.ca/?special-events,48

2008 Victoria Local Food Festival.

There is lots of activities going on as part of the Victoria local food festival.

http://www.victorialocalfoodfest.ca/

Here’s a small selection of the activities:

Beekeeper Hive Tour

Location: 1451 Grant St.

07:00 pm

Come for a guided tour of beehives by local beekeeper John Defayette. 1451 Grant St. (between Stanley and Belmont) 7pm. Please pre-register by emailing info@victorialocalfoodfest.ca

Lifecycle’s Fruit Tree Picking

Location: TBA. Contact: fruittree (at) lifecyclesproject.ca to sign up for this event!

05:30 pm

Pick backyard fruit with a team leader or become one yourself. Harvest fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste. All pickings are listed online (www.lifecyclesproject.ca) where locavores can sign up as a volunteer and get a password in order to access the pick database.
Volunteers are then entitled to keep 25% of the fruit and leave 25% with the homeowner; the rest is then distributed to Food Banks and Community Centers.

Hiking/Camping cookbook

This new book sounds like it would be an excellent reference for all camping/hiking enthusiasts

Fork in the Trail: Mouthwatering Meals and Tempting Treats for the Backcountry

“Book Description

A new cookbook, A Fork in the Trail, will forever change the way you eat on your outdoor adventures, whether backpacking in the wilderness, paddling, or even car camping. Inspired by foods from all over the world and the guiding principle of “if you wouldn’t eat it at home, why eat it in the backcountry,” Laurie Ann March has created 208 lightweight, mouth-watering recipes to turn an ordinary backcountry trip into a gourmet adventure.

Some recipes are cooked and dehydrated before the trip, a process that’s surprisingly easy. Preparing dishes such as Lemon Wasabi Hummus is as simple as adding boiling water. Other recipes, like Tropical Couscous and Chai Tea Pancakes, can be prepared in camp in just minutes. Laurie also demystifies backcountry baking; who wouldn’t want to end a long day of hiking with comforting Pear Berry Crumble topped with Trail Yogurt?

The author an, outdoor chef extraordinaire, has compiled only those recipes that survived ease of preparation and rigorous taste tests (by the author and many of her lucky friends). And of course, all are lightweight. Most recipes are found nowhere else: Garlic Shrimp with Orange and Balsamic Sauce, anyone?

You’ll also find kid-friendly recipes that they can make themselves In addition to the recipes, A Fork in the Trail covers menu planning, recipe creation, and meal planning for families and larger groups.”