The Classics: Apple Pie

I don't want to mess with apple pie. I don't want to change it or improvise with new ingredients.  No contemporary twist necessary thank you very much.  Not today.  Instead I would like to be taken to my comfort zone.  I want to return to the same fall story.  Sweaters, foliage, crisp air, apples, pie.  When my mom made apple pie growing up it was an event, a celebration of fall.  This Saturday was Nick's birthday and he wanted to go apple picking for the day.  I can't think of a better excuse to make apple pie. These pictures are from Stone Ridge Orchard, a beautiful spot just a couple hours north of the NYC.

I have to admit something.  Baking intimidates me. As comfortable as I am with cooking, I am that tentative a baker.  It's having to measure exactly and follow directions that gets this fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants gal.  With cooking I can be spontaneous.  You know, a little of this, a dash of that.  Inevitably, whenever I try to bake, something goes wrong.  I added too much baking soda or too little baking soda.  Oh no, I left out the baking soda!  Determination keeps me coming back though, if only a few times a year.  When my baking attempts are successful (and sometimes they are), it is truly satisfying, but clearly I need a little help.  How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman has been my trusted companion through many a cooking adventure and is what I usually turn to for a well prepared classic dish.   My copy of this book is a several years old and has been well used. Inside it is lovingly crinkled where some delicious concoction jumped right out of the pot and landed on its splayed pages. 

The first thing I need to do is be organized and prepared.  So I have lined up all the ingredients I am going to need like little soldiers preparing for battle.  Then I will measure out my dry components.  

I cored, peeled and chopped my apples.  Tossing them in lemon juice will keep them from turning brown if I am not going to use them right away.  

Nick and I did this little project together.  The two recipes we used in How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman were Traditional Apple Pie and Flakey Pie Crust with the Pie shell for Two Crust Pie variation.  As hard as we tried to stick to the recipe, there were still changes.  Tips from our moms, for instance.  My mom, Lydia, insisted I put a little more sugar.  The heart at the top of the pie is a trick from Nick's mom, Andrea.  The pastry heart keeps the knife slits from opening too much when the pie bakes (or it just looks cute).  The other hearts were my idea. Purely decorative.

I feel a little better about baking.  This was not so difficult.  The result was great.  Considering we still have a gazillion more apples, it looks like I will be baking again really soon.

  

Accompaniments: Sweet and Sour Apple Jelly with Caramelized Onions

This summer I became a mad pickler.  I couldn't help it.  All it took was a few to many cucumbers and an extra head of cabbage from our CSA share and I couldn't stop.  I pickled radishes, peppers, red onions and jalapenos.  What can I say?  I am frugal.  I hate waste.  Didn't your mother ever tell you about the starving children in Africa?

The truth is I have more pickled cabbage in my fridge then I know what to do with.  I must admit it is nice to put homemade pickles on an appetizer plate with olives and cheese when an unexpected guest drops by.  Or maybe my guests are trying to be polite and really thinking "what's with all the pickles?"

Despite the (wait let me count them) six jars of pickles I have left in my fridge, I recently purchased a jar of red pepper jelly off my Long Island City CSA.  It did not last longer than a week.  That is a sure sign that I need to change gears in my food preservation efforts.

I started looking at different recipes for red pepper jelly. Their is definitely more than one way to achieve this sweet, hot, peppery goodness.  Being me, I came up with something a little different.  ( I have always had trouble following directions.)  This recipe focuses more on apples with just a little peppery heat.  I thought that caramelized onions would work really well with the sweetness of the apples.

I found these beauties at the Greenmarket in Maccaren Park.  How could I resist?

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pectin

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

4 (or more depending on how hot you like this) small hot peppers such as jalapeno, chopped 

2 apples, chopped

1 red onion chopped fine

Combine cider vinegar, salt, apples and peppers in a pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Cover a strainer with cheese cloth and set it over a heat proof bowl.  Let the liquid seep into the bowl and then discard the apples and peppers.  In a separate bowl mix together sugar and pectin.

In the same pot add grape seed oil and slow cook onions on low heat until they are soft and golden on the edges.  Then remove the onions and set aside on a paper towel.  Add the liquid/vinegar from the bowl and return to medium heat.  Slowly stir in sugar and pectin mixture.  While this is simmering use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the liquid.  When it reaches 215 or 220 degrees it is ready.  Add your onions and stir.  Spoon a little on to a cool plate to test.  It should gel when cool.

Serve with your favorite cheese and baguette!