Recipes, Photography, Musings

Tag: seasonal eating (Page 4 of 6)

Autumn Sun and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Three apples on trayAbsolutely gorgeous weather we are having these days! The birds are gathering in large flocks in the sky, getting ready to migrate, and pumpkins are ripe in the fields, waiting to be collected.  The sun is still warm and the light is golden. It reminds me of this quote from Walt Whitman: “Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard.”  It is the time of ripeness and fullness.  My mom recently gave us a bag of Empire apples from an orchard near where she lives. It is such a good feeling to have lots of apples piling up in the kitchen, just waiting to be eaten or baked into a tasty concoction. apple muffins in tin 1 I promised more apple recipes for apple season, and below I have posted a recipe for apple cinnamon muffins.  I made a dozen yesterday morning and they are already gone. They are so moist and delicious, and they work great as part of a breakfast or for a snack.  I know my kids love them, so it is a good way for me to be sure they eat something filling for breakfast before rushing out the door. I originally got the recipe from “The Family Circle Cookbook: New Tastes for New Times” many years ago, and have made only minor changes to it because it has worked so well for me.  I hope you enjoy these muffins, and hope we all can savor the beautiful autumn while it is here.

apple muffins on plateapple muffin with coffee 1

Recipe for Cozy Apple-Peach Cobbler

Cozy Apple-Peach Cobbler

  • Servings: 8
  • Print

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

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