Brandied Apple Butter

As a result of a misguided romantic notion about apple picking, I ended up with some pretty amazing apple butter. Which, I'm happy to say, is going to be part of the Christmas sweet-treat package I make for friends and family this year.

So, I did a little research and decided Carter Mountain Grove, right up the street from Monticello and Michie Tavern, would be a fantastic place to pick apples. We headed out semi-early on a Saturday, took the hour journey and were greeted on the mountain by a teeming throng of screaming children with their well-meaning, but oblivious guardians. Who were weilding long, dangerous-looking, metal basket tipped apple-pickers. Which, I might add, on several occasions barely missed tops of heads and a few cars. Witnessing all of this, I then get out of the car and the icy wind whips right through me.

I make a split second excutive decision, abandoning all thoughts of meandering through orchards, I run for the pre-picked bushels. One apple pie, a gallon of cider, 1 bushel of Jonagold's and 1 shredded tire later- we have apple butter! And I have to say, I am in love with the crisp sweet taste of Jonagold apples. A cross between Jonanthans and Golden Delicious, the Jonagold have an attractive freckly gold and rose exterior. They are also a sizable fruit which is ideal when you have to peel so many for this project!

Typically you don't want to fiddle around too much with a canning recipe, but since apple butter is a high-acid item, it is a more flexible recipe than most. I had some applejack lying around from a failed attempt at a colonial cocktail that ended up with my friend and I gasping for air and gagging. Quite good in the apple butter though!

Hope this inpires someone to try a new project. I promise, it's worth it! PS- It helps to enlist some help during the peeling process. See below and note who's behind the camera and who's peeling ;)

B's Brandied Apple Butter (aka: Flat Tire Apple Butter)

Bushel of apples (makes approx 14 Qts of apple sauce, 3 of which will just be for you, and 3 which will be in reserve for this recipe, the rest goes in the crockpot initially for the apple butter)

5 Qt dutch oven & stockpot
8 Qt slowcooker

2 1/2 c. white sugar, divided

2 1/2 c. brown sugar, divided

1 c. orange blossom honey

1 1/2 c. apple jack brandy

6 tspn cinnamon, divided

1 tspn allspice

1 tspn clove

1 tspn cardamom

1 tspn fresh grated nutmeg

2 tspn salt

2 c. apple cider

Peel, core and cut apple into chunks. Place into dutch oven and stockpot. Fill to just overflowing. Pour 1 cup of apple cider into each pot. Cover each pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Cut to medium high heat and cook until apples are tender and fall apart. Approx. 20 minutes. Run through ricer or food mill (if you use a food mill, you can leave the skin on).

Fill crockpot w/8 Qts of apple sauce. Add 1 c. each of the white and brown sugar, honey, 4 tspn cinnamon, rest of the spices, brandy and salt. You will have in reserve a 1/2 c. each of the white & brown sugar and 2 tspns cinnamon. Cook on desired temp until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Add reserved 3 Qts apple sauce, sugar and cinnamon, adjusting to personal taste. Cook until reduced by an inch or so or until desired thickness. If too thick, thin w/apple cider. If too thin, keep cookin'! Run through a blender or use stick blender for final texture.

This will make approx 26-28 half pint jars of apple butter.

For canning instructions, please refer to the experts here.

Apple Jelly

Well, it's officially fall round these here parts with the advent of Apple Jelly cooling on my counter top and the whole kitchen/house smelling like a spiced apple candle. Mmmmmm.......thanks Dave Lebovitz, for this inspiring post and recipe.

I grew up canning with my mother, but had not ventured back to my roots until recently. And I have to say, I'm glad I did. There's just something that feels so good about creating a beautiful & tasty product from local produce with your own two hands. Knowing that you'll possibly even give your project out as a gift at some point. And that gift will make someone terrifically happy on perhaps a crappy day they are having.

Sidenote: I concur with Dave that my jelly didn't set up until around the 230 degree mark. And this is really pushing it when playing with sugar. So, make sure to pull your pot off of the burner if you find yourself rising over the 220 degree mark and test every few degrees using the cold saucer method (notes in Dave's recipe).

Caesar Salad

I'm a firm believer that no good Caesar dressing comes from a bottle. So, what's a girl to do during a salmonella scare when she's craving Caesar salad? Employ some good, old fashioned Duke's mayo, that's what. This dressing is not as thick as it would be with a nice fat egg yolk, but tasty and safe just the same!

Caesar Dressing
Serves 4

1 tbsp Duke's mayo
1 tspn dijon mustard
6 anchovies (in olive oil)
Scant 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tspn salt
1/2 tspn fresh cracked pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. olive oil
1/3 c+ grated parm reg cheese

Place mayo, mustard, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper in food processor. Let it rip and then slowly add olive oil until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, cheese and lemon juice to personal preference.

Toss w/chopped romaine (2-3 hearts or 1 big head) and a sprinkling more of cheese.

We also serve ours w/grilled/roasted chicken, roasted tomatoes and bacon on top. You could also make your own parm reg croutons to thrown in. Enjoy!

Tapas Nite

This summer has blown by and all of my friends and I have been scattered to the wind. So, I had to come up with a good excuse to corral us all together and that resulted in 'Tapas Nite.' Inspired by a Tapas cookbook two of them had given me as a gift, I might add.

I highly recommend a Tapas party if you like to theme it up. Just beware the salt lick of ham that crops up when you want to get your pinchos on. Take your Diurex early and often!

If you're looking for menu ideas, we had:

• Pork tenderloin, caramelized onions and brie crostini
  
• Ham, brie, walnuts and balsamic crostini


• Marcona almonds roasted w/rosemary and sea salt


• Beef empanadillas


• Goat cheese and serrano ham empanadillas


• Mascarpone, goat and chive stuffed dates wrapped in serrano ham


• Swordfish ceviche


• Shrimp salad


• Potatoes roasted with rosemary, shallot, garlic and sea salt


• Sausage and manchego toasts


• Sangria


• Cava for dessert

I made the potatoes (amongst a few other things) and they seemed to be a hit! So here's the recipe for you--

Potatoes Roasted with Shallot, Garlic and Rosemary

2 lbs smallish older potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
5 oz shallot- larger ones cut in half or quarters so they cook evenly
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 c. good spanish olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring water to boil, add potatoes and a fistful of salt. Once water is boiling again after adding potatoes, set the timer for 5 minutes. Strain. Toss in bowl with olive oil, rosemary and salt. Roast for 35 minutes. Add shallots and garlic, roast for approx 20 minutes more.

Salmon w/Tomato & Lemon Vinaigrette

I don't think it's any secret that I absolutely love to eat and cook fish! Just don't make me clean them! I think fish is even more desirable to me now since it's the closest I can get to shellfish (developed an allergy- boo!)

So, I'm always up for a new recipe to add to my fish repetoire. And I can not get enough of this salmon recipe courtesy of Emeril. Light, zingy and addictive, it's enough to convert even the most hard core salmon haters. It also made me fall in love with the possibilities of marjoram. I now use this fresh herb in most of my sauces. I think it's almost replaced tarragon as my new fav.

Broiled Salmon with a Warm Roasted Tomato and Lemon Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006
4 servings

Ingredients
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 (6-ounce) portions salmon fillets
8 sprigs fresh marjoram

Directions
Preheat the oven to broil with the rack 6 to 8 inches below the lighted broiler plate.

Place the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, marjoram, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the lemon juice in a 10-inch saute pan, saute quickly, and set in the oven on the rack. Cook until the tomatoes are well caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Add the basil to the vinaigrette and toss to blend. Set aside until ready to use.

To cook the salmon, lay the fillets in a 12-inch saute pan and season with the remaining salt and remaining black pepper. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon, arrange marjoram sprigs over top, and broil in the oven until the salmon is browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the tomato and lemon vinaigrette after plating.

Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos

I love stocking up on bone in chicken breasts, particularly when they are .98 a lb or less. It seems most people are afraid of bone in chicken parts, which is too bad for them, but leaves more for me! :) They also come in handy for this Tequila Lime Chicken recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Ina wants you to have the skin left on your boneless chicken breast in order for the breast to stay moist while grilling. Getting rid of the bone minimizes cooking time. The only way I know to get a skin on boneless chicken breast is to debone a whole chicken breast yourself. If you want to know how, check out this video here. Super easy!

You can use regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you don't want to go to all the trouble. I halve this recipe for the 2 of us and it never goes to waste. If there's any left over from dinner, it goes in a pita for lunch the next day.

Love how easy this recipe is-- marinate overnite, grill up quickly the next day to throw into tacos. Great for a quick, fresh weeknite dinner option! This fragrantly mouth watering chicken melts in your mouth!

Tequila Lime Chicken
Copyright 2002 Barefoot Contessa Family Style
6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup gold tequila
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole (6 split) boneless chicken breasts, skin on

Directions
Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat a grill with coals and brush the rack with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, and grill them skin-side down for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the grill to a plate. Cover tightly and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I peel the skin off and discard. I think pull the chicken apart w/2 forks for tacos. Serve w/toppings of your choice- ie: salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream etc.

Prosciutto & Peach Salad

I've had some succulent peaches, ripe for the eating, ready to jump off my shelves this week. So, I decided to incorporate them into a fresh summer salad, riffing off of a recent Cooking Light recipe.

Prosciutto & Peach Salad

Dressing: (enough for 4 servings)

2 - 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tspns honey

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch salt and pepper

1 tbsp finely minced fresh mint

Salad:

Baby lettuce of choice

Prosciutto

Feta

Fresh slices of ripe peach

Sunflower seeds

Combine dressing ingredients and toss w/lettuce and peaches (amounts depend on how many salads you want and if you're making this as an accompaniment or main course). Place lettuce and peaches in individual serving dishes. Top w/desired amount of prosciutto, feta and sunflower seeds. Serve and enjoy!