Applesauce

A Change is in the Air

Ever have one of those moments where a sound or a scent transports you back to a favorite memory? That happened to me last Sunday morning and it made me smile because that moment told me, more accurately than any calendar could, that the Fall season is fast approaching.

Let me explain.

We have had some warm nights recently, so my husband and I have taken to sleeping with the window cracked a little bit to take advantage of any breeze that might blow our way. This is why on Sunday morning, I awoke to the sound of the freight train in the distance and a light breeze that had a cool bite to it. There is something about the sound of a train and a cool breeze that takes me back to waking up on Saturdays in Eugene, Oregon, with fallen leaves on the ground, the smell of a wood fire hanging in the air, and students walking along the Willamette River to Autzen stadium to watch the football game. In my mind there is nothing that paints a more accurate picture of the Fall season, and It happens every time I hear that train.

Even if the train thing hadn’t happened, I would know that Fall is upon us merely because I find myself buying a lot more apples, and using them for more that just school lunches. My favorite way to use the great seasonal apples that are now available is to make applesauce. We use applesauce a lot in my family. We eat it straight, or on pork, or even mixed into the pancake batter on the weekend. Sometimes, I spread some on a ham sandwich. (Yes, I’ve been known to do weird stuff like that.)

Below is my favorite recipe for applesauce from Alice Waters’ cookbook Chez Panisse Fruit––which is an incredible book, by the way. There couldn’t be an easier recipe, and it’s a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of Fall. Read more…

Honeycrisp Apples (and Strudel)

Apple Strudel One reason to love Autumn is apples, and a favorite variety is now in the store…for a while at least. Honeycrisp Apples have an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture, and are delightfully sweet. They are a great eating apple, fantastic for lunch boxes, and work wonderfullyin pies, cobblers and apple sauce. We love them!

The Honeycrisp was produced form a 1960 cross of Macon and Honeygold apples at the University of Minnesota, and has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples.

Try some in another exclusive Piedmont Grocery recipe:

Gam’s Apple Strudel

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

The Ripe Stuff
Last week I was out in my garden, and noticed that one of my watermelons “looked” like it was ready to be picked and devoured. Silly me. After many years in the grocery business, not to mention growing my own food, I assumed I would be able to figure out if a watermelon was ripe. Oh the arrogance! I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.

When I cut open the melon, it was totally white inside. No ruby red juiciness. Not even a lovely shade of blush. It was straight up flavorless, white melon flesh. I was mad, I was sad, and I was frustrated. Why couldn’t Mother Nature have come up with some handy little device that would tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bounty in your garden was ready to be enjoyed? Kinda like one of those pop-up things that comes in your turkey. That would be awesome, wouldn’t it?

Alas, it was not meant to be. So instead, I went in search of tricks to knowing when your produce is ripe. Some of the info I got was pretty cool. For most fruits and vegetables, it can be as easy as looking at the color. Bananas turn yellow, tomatoes turn red, and carrots turn orange.

It’s not always about looks. Sometimes you need a trick from an expert. So, I went our produce manager for a tutorial. Here are a few things I learned:

To test if artichokes are ready to eat, squeeze them. If they squeak they’re good to go. If they don’t they’re probably old. It’s the same with Zucchini. If they squeak when two squash are rubbed together they are ripe.

Peaches may look ready, but when you get them home they are either too hard and flavorless or too soft and icky. Color is a good indicator but not always accurate. The best way to know if a peach is ready is to push gently at the top where the tree stem should be. If it is soft it’s ready. For nectarines, if the skin on the outside is shiny, it’s not ready yet. The skin should be matte in appearance for a perfect nectarine. I learned these tips a few years ago from Fitzgerald Kelley who provides us with his tasty peaches and nectarines. I haven’t had a bad one since.

Melons probably present the most challenges when trying to determine their ripeness and, apparently, watermelons are the hardest of all, which made me feel a little better. The best way to check a watermelon for ripeness is to thump it with your finger. If it sounds hollow, it’s ripe.

Muskmelons, like Cantaloupe, are easy. The more fragrant they are, the riper they are. Also, if you push on the blossom end and it gives a little bit, then it’s ripe.

Honeydew Melons are the most fun though. Honeydew is ripe when you run your fingers across it’s skin and they stick. If your fingers slide easily across the skin, it’s not ripe yet. The reason is that as the melon ripens, the sugars from the fruit are released through the skin thus making it “sticky”. Not honey sticky but, well…sticky. Try it next time you’re in the store. It’s kinda cool.

So when you find that perfect watermelon, enjoy it right out of the fridge or, better yet, try this Watermelon and Arugula Salad adapted from the Barefoot Contessa. It’s a super fast great Summertime salad! Read more…

Mesclun and Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

The stone fruit season is here!
Can I get an Amen?

Last week, our first shipment of Fitzgerald Farms nectarines and peaches arrived. If you don’t know why that is such a big deal, then you’ve never tasted one of Fitz’s Carmen Miranda Nectarines…so get in the car now and come on down.

This is my favorite time of year for fruit, and lately I have been knee deep in it. Last weekend, I relieved my brother-in-law of 30 pounds of gorgeous apricots from his backyard, which were immediately made into 8 pints of jam. The remaining ‘cots were packed in school lunches or put in my dehydrator for snacking later. Yes. I have a dehydrator. Doesn’t everyone?

On Sunday, I went to the farmer’s market, and not only did I load up on even more nectarines, I went crazy for the cherries. We love cherries in my house. If I can get them to last more than a day it’s an accomplishment. My kids eat them like candy to the point we have to put them on cherry rations so they don’t make themselves sick.

More often than not we eat the cherries as is, and they are gone before I can make anything with them. But one of my favorite ways to eat cherries is tossed in a salad with some nuts and goat cheese. It’s a perfect lunch or light dinner for when the weather gets hot. If you add some nectarines and/or apricots, so much the better. Go crazy. Toss this with a walnut oil or white balsamic vinaigrette and you’re good to go. Or, if you like, go fancier with this recipe from Bon Appetit. Read more…