Apple a Day

I know you've heard the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." My dad certainly took this to heart and has eaten an apple nearly every day of his adult life. A child of WWII, he has been known to eat the WHOLE apple except for the stem. My Applesauce recipe embraces this notion: remove the stem and cook the entire apple once quartered. After the cooked apple is run through a food mill, the result is smooth and flavorful with a rosy tint from the skin. If canned, Applesauce stands at the ready throughout the year for a taste of fall's harvest anytime -- try it with a bowl of oatmeal on a chilly morn. Please note that I have never added more than 1/4 cup sugar to a large batch. And, please feel free to spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, or allspice to your heart's desire. I am a purist and keep it simple.

Applesauce

from Ball Blue Book

2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds apples per quart

Water

Sugar (optional)

Wash, stem, and quarter apples; do not core or peel. Cook apples until soft in a large covered saucepot with just enough water to prevent sticking. Press apples and juice through a sieve or food mill to separate seeds and peel from the pulp. Return apple pulp to saucepot. Add ¼ cup sugar per pound of apples or to taste, if desired. Bring applesauce to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints and quarts 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Blue

In the last few years, I have taken to blue pottery. With so many patterns made by so many different makers, blue pottery is easily found in vintage stores and easy to mix and match. I also find that blue pottery goes well with basic white and compliments so many other colors of dishware, making it extremely versatile.

I am also extremely fond of blueberries straight up as a snack, on yogurt or cereal, and in smoothies and baked goods. Blueberries like most berries are extremely easy to freeze while in season. Although I didn't have time to pick blueberries this year, I did manage to freeze one batch which I recently pulled out and made into Blueberry Sauce, simple and also very versatile.

In turn, I used my Blueberry Sauce to make my Oatmeal Shortbread Bars, another standard in our family. As you can see below, I have used a variety of fruit for this recipe over the years and am never dissatisfied. My only caution is to make sure your fruit sauce is not too watery. Rather, a thicker sauce will ensure that the crust of your bars remains firm rather than mushy and your remain rosy rather than blue yourself.

Blueberry Sauce

from Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon

1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest (optional)

1 tablespoon honey

⅓ cup natural cane sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to slowly bubble and boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature, or let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield: 2 cups

Blueberries

Pears

Cherries

Oatmeal Shortbread Bars

Substitute any whole grain or nut flour for those listed in these bars shown here with cherries.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup oatmeal
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 to 3 cups fruit in thickened syrup

1. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flours, oatmeal, brown sugar, and salt. Cut butter into flour         mixture, using a pastry blender, two forks, or your clean hands, until mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. Press two thirds of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, finishing by pressing firmly and evenly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Remove from oven. Top with fruit and spread evenly over the base. Sprinkle remaining one third of flour mixture over fruit layer.
6. Bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and cool completely prior to cutting into squares.

Yield: 16 two-inch square bars