Apple foraging

Sam has been bringing apples home for awhile, but recently we got serious about the fall apple harvest. He picks from local trees that seem otherwise ignored. We don’t like to see the apples going to waste. Here are the six types he brought home recently.

Foraged apples with location noted
Tasting slices – note the reddish interiors of the ones on the right

I made an apple crisp with these after cutting into them for a taste test comparison. The apples with the reddish flesh (right) are my favorite. Tart and crispy. But they’re all good. The variety on the lower left is HUGE, the size of my fist or bigger. Not a superstar for flavor, but nice white juicy flesh. They were all juicy, probably because they were fresh picked. I wonder how they will store.

Today we went back so I could photograph the trees they came from, and also picked some more. The photos are in the order of the apples laid out above, going clockwise from top left:

Behind town hall, back left
Behind town hall, right
Across Point Road from the town hall – these are almost all gone now
On the roadside past the small yellow house on the east side of Point Road – very delicious apples
Across Route 1
Across Route 1 detail – hanging in thick clusters like grapes
Behind town hall, left (the huge red ones)

Harvest continues

A busy kitchen this morning with frost on the ground and the woodstove going. The coziness almost mitigated the ominous news about the Supreme Court. I have to keep remembering to return my mind to mutual aid as a principle. Feed the hungry. And take care of the land that feeds us.

Pumpkin sliced and roasted
Ready to purée
Two pounds of puréed pumpkin for pie or pancakes
Beets from Lesley preparing for canning
A single apple from our baby orchard. Edible and juicy but not too tasty.

Apple leek sweet potato bake

Time to start using food from the freezer!

I made up this WFPB recipe based on this:

Sweet Potato, Apple and Leek Casserole

Put in a casserole dish:

  • Half a bag of frozen leeks
  • Bag of frozen apples

Place in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to thaw.

Peel about 4 sweet potatoes and it into slices. Add to casserole dish, along with 1 cup of frozen broth. Add spices and salt. I used turmeric and cumin. Stir to mix. Bake for about 20 minutes to soften.

Stir again and add one cup bulgur wheat and two cups of water. Bake until bulgur is soft and liquid is absorbed.