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Tag: seasonal eating (Page 4 of 6)

Recipe for Cozy Apple-Peach Cobbler

Cozy Apple-Peach Cobbler

  • Servings: 8
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Ingredients for Filling:

  • 3 apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced
  • 3 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lime or lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons flour

Ingredients for Pastry Topping:

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a standard sized pie baking dish.  Prepare filling: Combine and sliced apples, peaches, sugar, lime or lemon juice, and four in a large bowl.  Transfer to baking dish.  Prepare topping: Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in 3/4 cup of milk until the mixture forms a ball of dough, adding more milk only if necessary.  Gently knead the dough 3 or 4 times, until ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough around to cover the fruit and reach to the edges of the baking dish. Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Gently stretch the dough so it reaches the edges of the baking dish and covers the fruit.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect–this is a hearty, rustic dessert.  If the dough tears, just patch it with extra dough from an edge that has too much dough.  Lightly sprinkle the top with sugar.  With a knife, carefully cut three steam vents in the center of the dough.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-42 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.  **Note–it is a really good idea to put a cookie sheet under the baking dish while baking, so if the filling bubbles over, you only need to clean your cookie sheet and not your oven!  Serve warm or at room temperature, with our without vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Enjoying the Vitality of Homegrown Tomatoes

tomatoes and basilSometimes, when I am in need of an energy boost, and I don’t want to overdo it on the caffeine, I turn to red foods.  According the “The Complete Book of Color” by Suzy Chiazzari, red foods give us energy and strength.  Lucky for me, there are lots of ripe, juicy, red tomatoes around my house right now.  My husband’s parents are growing some delicious tomatoes this year, and they are generously letting us share in their bounty. three tomatoes When a tomato is really fresh and tasty, it does not need a lot of preparation.  Tomatoes and basil are a traditionally great combination, and we happen to have a lot of basil growing in our garden.  So to prepare an energizing snack, I went out in the warm, soft rain and picked a bunch of basil.  Then I chopped two medium-sized ripe tomatoes and a handful of the basil, and put them in a bowl.  I added two teaspoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the bowl.  (I am a huge fan of balsamic vinegar, and look for any chance I can get to use it.)  I put in a tiny pinch of sugar and a generous pinch of salt to the bowl, stirred it all together, and had a delicious, revitalizing tomato salad.  To make it more filling, I put the tomato-basil mixture on crackers.  If you are looking for a way to use your tomatoes and need an energy boost, this is a great way to do it!

tomato and basil in bowl 2tomato and basil on cracker 2

The Beginning of Apple Season and Simple Apple Crisp

apples in bowl 2The iconic, sweet scent of apples is in the air now.  The cider mill in the town where I grew up is open, offering bright-tasting cider and cinnamon doughnuts.  I bought our first few apples of the season at the farmers market last week.  They taste so fresh and delicious!  I had forgotten how good an in-season apple tastes.  There really is no comparison.  We have been munching on them raw the past few days, just enjoying the crispness and fullness of the flavor.  sliced applesBecause I have been craving the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the oven, I recently made my family’s favorite apple crisp recipe, which I have posted below.  It is so much easier than making apple pie, but smells and tastes very similar.  I absolutely love to make apple pie when I have the time, but when time is tight, this apple crisp recipe is great.  Plus it is light on the butter and sugar, and allows the taste of the apples to shine through.  The health benefits of apples are well known–apples are a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.  Apple crisp makes a healthy snack or dessert.  My family is known to finish a whole batch of this apple crisp in one evening!  I hope to post more apple recipes as summer stretches into fall, because apples really are a legendary staple in this area, and so much of our eating revolves around apples this time of year.  For me, apples are truly comfort food.

apple crisp and potholderapple crisp in bowl 1

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