Apple Sauce

Chunky pink applesauce

My father had a Jonathan apple tree in the backyard. (See below.) I remember sitting outside with my dad peeling apples with the juice running down our arms and the flies buzzing around. We would try to peel it in one continuous strip . . . just to say that we did!

We gave away bags and bags of apples, but we still had lots for us. Every fall, the whole family would pitch in and make applesauce. This went on for days . . . maybe weeks. My mom would can dozens of jars of applesauce. And, through the winter, we would eat it all! By the time I was in junior high school, I could peel and slice apples blindfolded.

I make applesauce different ways. Different apple varieties give different results. Sometimes I peel the apples, other times not. Sometimes I use only white sugar, other times I use brown, or a mix of the two, or honey or maple syrup. I've even made applesauce without cinnamon. See the Slicing Details below for tips on how to vary the texture (and color!) of your applesauce.

Applesauce can be eaten hot, lukewarm, or cold. It's great as a snack or as dessert. I love to pile hot steamed Macintosh apples over waffles and top them with a shake of cinnamon and a splash of maple syrup!

Lhassi Pudding with Kiwi

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm posting yet another version of the Lhassi Pudding recipe. This time, I added kiwi and garnished it with black sesame seeds (to play off the black kiwi seeds).

Green Apple and Onion Salad

Makes 4 servings (1 cup fruits and vegetables per person)

Plum Torte

This is a very popular recipe . . . because it's simple and delicious.  I've reformatted the recipe to make it easier for me to use and reduced the sugar by a few tablespoons.

Blueberry Buckle for 7x11 pan

• Double recipe is here.
• Blueberry Buckle is basically a coffeee cake with berries in it -- lots of them. This summer, I  increased the berries, again. I'm using 4 cups of berries instead of 3. With the additional berries, the pan is filled more but still plenty big. With 4 cups of berries, it may need a little more baking time. (Sorry. I forgot to keep track.)
• Also, the original version (from my friend Pat) had shortening, which I changed to vegetable oil.
• Blueberry Buckle is great served warm, but I also love it the second day when the cake begins to take up the moisture of the berries.

Batter and Berries
2 cups flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt (I may have used less)
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
¾ cup milk
2 to 4 cups blueberries, rinsed (If you use 4 cups, see my note at the top.)

Topping
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter, softened

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Grease an 7" x 11" pan. I have also used an oval au gratin baking dish made by Le Creuset, however now that I increased the berries to 4 cups, I doubt it will fit in that pan.
• Mix the batter:
  • Sift/mix together all dry ingredients onto wax paper or into a small bowl.
  • Mix oil, sugar and egg. Cream well.
  • Add half the milk; mix well.
  • Add half the dry ingredients; mix well.
  • Add the rest of the milk; mix well.
  • Add the rest of the dry ingredients; mix well and then beat vigorously.
• Fold-in blueberries.
• Spread into greased pan.
• Mix topping ingredients either with your hands or two butter knives. Sprinkle topping over batter.
• Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until pick comes out clean. (If you use 4 cups of berries, see my note at the top; it's going to take longer but I don't know how long.)
• Serve warm.

Blueberry Buckle -- Double Recipe for 9x13 pan

• Single recipe is here.
Aug 12, 2011: I just updated the recipe. More berries. No more shortening; all oil. It's bigger and will need more baking time now that I'm using 8 cups of berries instead of 6, but I can't tell you how many minutes it will need, because I lost track.
• Long ago, my friend Pat gave me this recipe. Over the years I increased the berries.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad

In my grocery store, fresh cranberries are only available in the fall, so this is a true seasonal recipe -- a rarity in this day and age!

Irish Soda Bread

Gingered Figs

Adapted fom: The New York Times Cookbook