Fresh Apple Cider and Pumpkins

For you, on this Autumn day in October.

The Doctor is In

Jiffy corn muffin mix

New Yorkers have the most typically American fruit widely available to them; the apple. Apples come in a glorious profusion of shapes, tastes, sizes, and colors that individually have ranges best suited for dishes from the sweet to the savory. Nothing smells more like autumn to me than the scent of apples. It wouldn't be a change of seasons without them. I grew up on a plot of land with the remaining six apple trees* that were part of the farm next door. *http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2012/07/treehouse-of-horror.html

Carmelized apples

Every year my grandfather took trips to the still-operational Davies' Farm* for fresh cider and apples. Almost every child of New York has memories about apple picking: whether it was warm that day or it turned cool early, if it was a good yield or the apples were rotted out with wormholes, but mostly you remember being outdoors on a farm with family and enjoying the fun of it. The delights of ripe fruit picked straight off the tree to be savored right then and there is an incomparable treasure that's best learned early, like children do. *http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/10/fall-harvest.html

A happy bag of apples

With this profusion of fall harvest all around us ready to be savored, the question for every cook becomes "What will I make"? Our meals become pleasurably linked to the seasons in perfect harmony, as each season directly manifests itself in our lives, from the large scale of an orchard to the warm intimacy of your plate.

Corn cakes on the griddle

At least, that's the magic for me whenever I open my fridge to see a brightly-colored package of New York State apples smiling back at me. Apple turnovers are a must and I'll post those later in the week. Yesterday was Apple Turnover Day!  But first I had a couple of boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix in the pantry. Earlier in the week I used the mix as batter for fried chicken (it didn't quite work out but it was a first try), halving the recipe and saving it for another day. 
 

Fini!

This was that day! I thinned down the refrigerated batter further with more half and half, adding cinnamon and Stevia. Once it was thin enough, the batter went down on the griddle pan just like any other pancake mix, though corn cakes were a first for me. As it cooked, I made a very simple and classic apple topping of apples, butter, and brown sugar. Like the best things in life, great cooking is all about the timing. Once the corn cakes were done, my apple topping was ready, too. I used some of the browned butter from the griddle pan on top of my corn cakes and piled on a portion of the apples. It was a rockin' morning at my house. See how cheerful this looks? Go for it. 

Fall Harvest

photos © Marie Doucette

Another benefit for those of us lucky enough to live in the Northeast part of America, is the bounty from the fall harvest. New York is known for its many varieties of delicious apples and autumn produce, as our farmers markets burst with great pickings.

When my family moved to the country, we spent autumns hiking, to view the changing foliage, and apple picking. I also tagged along with my Grandpa to buy apple cider from a local farm stand. He kept a jug of it outside our suburban house, on the patio, turning it into applejack. It was my introduction to process of fermentation.

So, I decided to revisit the orchard from my childhood, Dr. Davie's Farm. It's as gorgeous as I remembered; a beautiful, pastoral place unchanged through time. I was delighted to find the grounds in wonderful shape, preserved and tended with care, plus a thriving, working farm, buzzing with customers and orchard workers. The process of gathering apples remains unchanged; buy a bag for the fruit, then select an apple picker. 

The pickers' handle is a smoothed branch, with a bag that has wide prongs around the edge, attached to the top, for fitting between the branches and stems of the apple trees. With a slight twist, the apple dislodges from the branch to drop into the bag, or not, as you soon discover it can be a hit or miss operation. I was amazed at how easily I picked it up again.

Our suburban house was adjacent to a family farm. The backyard had six apple trees, remnants from the farm's orchard, perfect for climbing and constructing tree houses. We also had two cherry trees, and a raspberry bush that lived in the back corner of the property, near the farmers' honey bee hives. He grew corn, rhubarb, string beans, lettuce, which we picked with the children next door, on their families land. Eating fresh food, while sitting on the ground between the rows of crops, was an incredible way to experience produce.

As we walked the rows of trees, I couldn't help but smile at the festive, happy atmosphere of families engaged in harvesting. It's like a treasure hunt for kids! We passed child after child, grinning and biting into a fresh apple. What a wonderful feeling that is, to feel the sun shining on your face and the sweat on your brow, as you taste your first plucked apple. 

We learned to reap the rewards of our labor, and savor the fruits of it. The farm still produces this same effect on the children of today; to appreciate the finer things in life, while joining together as a community. Our society is not as corrupt as it sometimes portrayed. Children are the shared crop of our future, so let's tend to them well.

Enjoy the fruits of this season with your loved ones.

http://www.drdaviesfarm.com/history.htm