You just never know what you're going to find at the farmers' market. This past Sunday as I was walking toward a table heavy with eggplant I noticed something strange. The closer I got to it, the bigger it got. The eggplant was expanding right in front of my own eyes.
My first thought was, "Great, I mixed up my contact lenses again and have them in the wrong eyes." (Yes, I've done that before -- it distorts your vision.)
When I reached the eggplant, I bent down, staring closely at it. It stopped growing, and it was sharp and in focus. My eyes weren't deceiving me; these eggplants were far from normal. Sure, they still had their smooth, shiny, purple skin. But they were huge. Like beached whales, they were unmovable.
The farmer noticed me ogling and scurried over. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Oh, no. I'm just shocked at how big they are," I said. He exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled warmly.
Fall
Fall
Sip and Savor Apple Cider
Baby, its cold outside! I’ve found myself sippin’ and savorin’ a warm drink of sorts all day – Earl Grey this morning, Orange Zinger later on, the latter two combined and then for my nightcap, this warm cider was just the ticket.
Every year, my fair peach state yields the last of its famed crop towards summer’s end. Afterwards, apples from our northern mountain counties’ orchards start coming in, giving us another fabulous fruit for a season. Pies, cakes, tarts, butter, and sauce all come from the apple crop, but one apple product in particular is nostalgic with the crisp autumn days – apple cider.
Velvety smooth, delightful to the taste, and luscious warm or even chilled, apple cider is the result of concentrating the apples’ juice with flavors oh so complementary of apples: cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and a dash of citrus.
Whenever I journey into the mountains during apple season, I am sure to bring home to the Peach Country stores of apple cider to get me through fall and into winter. In lieu of trekking to these mountain caches for a jug or two of this delectable nectar today, this recipe was not a bad consolation at all.
Pear and Almond Cream Tart
Autumn begins this week, a season that is celebrated for the
bounties of late summer and of the harvest. And for many the season is
best represented by baking. Bread, pies, and tarts have become
synonymous with the season of change. Baking with fall fruit such as
apples, pears, plums, and quinces are a perfect way to celebrate. For me
the fruit that best represents fall is the pear. Even though most pear
varieties are picked unripe during the summer, the fruit can last in
cold storage all throughout autumn and winter. If picked ripe, the pear
is mushy, but when allowed to ripen on the counter or in a paper bag, a
pear can be the most flavorful fruit. Some criticize it for its grainy
texture, but I appreciate it for that uniqueness. The perfume of a
ripening pear is like no other fruit. With pears in mind, I decided to
put together one of my favorite tarts.
A French confection with
the utmost elegance, this pear and almond cream tart is great for
entertaining this season. Pears and almonds are a true match for one
another. Their flavors and textures work harmoniously in this recipe.
The almond cream base is traditionally called a frangipane and can be
used as a base in a variety of desserts, but its most common companion
is the pear.
Sweet and Savory for Fall
Sometimes the story behind a given dish is complicated. This is one of those recipes, though the recipe is is easy as can be. I'm particularly proud of it because it's rather original and I got a number of compliments on it and even a couple of requests for the recipe.
It's spicy fennel flavored Italian sausages roasted with vinegar-marinated pears and onions. The resulting dish has spicy, savory and sweet flavors and can be made for as many or as few people as you like. It's a perfect dish for Fall.
It represents my favorite type of recipe because it takes very little time, few ingredients and techniques but yields something absolutely delicious. I think you could call it foolproof. It can also be varied pretty easily – add other fruit, seasonings, vegetables, or different kinds of sausages.
Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin is one of my favorite ingredients, especially during the fall months. This is a great cake for friends with October/November birthdays (like me!)
It’s also a nice alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
Feel free to substitute whole wheat or white wheat flour for the all-purpose.
Pumpkin Cake:
3/4 cup (6 oz.) unsalted butter; more for the pans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
16 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
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