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Pie! Any time of the year, most will agree that pie is the dessert of choice. Apple, cherry, pumpkin or sweet potato or an elaborate Royal Macadamia Raspberry Pie (Best in Show by an amateur, Phyllis Syzmanek, at the Crisco National Pie Championship, as reported on the American Pie Council website), everyone will be happy with pie.

Did you know that as early as 1300 B.C., Egyptians were making a primitive pie dough? The Greeks mixed flour and water to wrap and preserve meat. Romans made pies with oysters and other shellfish. The first written recipe for pie came from Cato the Censor, for a goat cheese and honey pie.

English pastries came along in the 1500’s, filled with pears, quinces and apples. Queen Elizabeth I may have made the first cherry pie. Pilgrims brought the idea of pie on the Mayflower. Settlers heading west made pies filled with foodstuffs found along their route. As a result of these adventurers, pie has made its way across our great country.

There are cobblers, crisps, tarts, single crust, double crust, turnovers, pasties, empanadas, a pie for every culture, every taste, every course of a meal. The American Pie Council website has a wealth of information and recipes, all about pie.

Here at Buckland Farm Market, an informal survey found Sour Cherry to be Sherry Lynn’s best seller, with Apple a very close second. Our freezer holds a selection of savory pies: tomato, broccoli and cheese, mushroom and onion, potato and pea. Pop one into a 400 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes (from frozen), make a salad, and you have a delicious meal. A relish from our “jar wall” makes an unexpected garnish for the pie.

Savory or sweet; main dish or dessert, there’s a pie to please every palate. What’s your favorite?

At Buckland Farm Market, our customers will often share a recipe or cooking tip that they find delicious, unique, useful. One such came my way this week: Our customer was so delighted to find a pot of chocolate mint, he readily told me about how he uses it. Citing a recipe his grandmother used from the *Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery, here is the recipe he wrote down for

Mint Syrup

4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 2 cups water, 40 stalks of mint (with leaves on).

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Wash mint and crush (use a rolling pin wrapped in plastic wrap). Cut into hunks to put in saucepan with syrup mixture. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Strain through cheesecloth into clean, sterile jars. Keep refrigerated.

Great for iced tea, ice water. Mix with vinegar to make a sauce for lamb.  I’m sure other uses can be found.  Feel free to use your favorite mint.

*His version of the Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery is the same as the one his grandmother used. It is still available online.

Fruit Crisps

The second recipe I share because I love Crisps. My favorite Crisp (until now) is the Apple Crisp served at Capon Springs and Farm in Capon Springs, West Virginia. This Blueberry Crisp was served as dessert after dinner with friends. I was particularly delighted because the Crisp stayed crisp. Now I have another favorite!

Blueberry Crisp

In an 8”x8” ovenproof dish, gently mix 4 cups of blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind.

In a large bowl, mix (with a fork or pastry cutter):

1 cup butter

1 cup flour*

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Spread or sprinkle crisp mixture over the top of the blueberries. Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees until golden brown on top and blueberries are bubbly. Can be made ahead. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

*The flour used in the dish I had was gluten-free, which may help in the “staying crisp” part. Any fruit can be substituted.

I love this because the ingredients are so simple and the recipe is simply made.  I think I’ll try it with fresh peaches tonight.

Braise

verb , braised, braising.

to cook (meat, fish, or vegetables) by sautéeing in fat and then simmering slowly in very little liquid. A great winter way to cook. Simmering meat and/or vegetables fill the house with warmth and an aroma of good things to come. Braising meat has long been practiced in dishes such as pot roast or lamb stew. But most any meat or vegetable can be braised. Four basic steps to follow: Step

1: SEAR.

Season the meat on all sides. Heat oil in a heavy pot with a lid such as a dutch oven on medium-high heat, then add the meat. Don’t crowd the pot and take time to get good color on all sides. Remove meat; set aside.

STEP 2:  ADD THE MIREPOIX*

Cook chopped onions, celery, carrots, etc., in the drippings left behind from searing, stirring frequently. Like the sear, use medium-high heat, until a nice brown color, but not scorched.

STEP 3: DEGLAZE THE POT**

Add the liquid of your choice, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. These bits are flavor bombs. When they’re dissolved in the cooking liquid they enrich the entire dish.

STEP 4:  BRAISE.

Return the meat to the pot, with any accumulated juices and the broth. The meat should not be submerged–you’re braising, not boiling, Adding too much broth will ultimately dilute the sauce. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover and slide into a 325-degree oven.

STEP IT UP:

ADD MORE VEGETABLES: If your recipe includes added vegetables (such as fennel, potatoes, or greens), add them to the pot 45 minutes before the meat is done. Check the liquid. If it’s low (say, less than an inch), add a splash more. Return pot to the oven. Carrots, small onions, green cabbage and rutabaga all braise well, and add loads of flavor.

MORE FLAVOR?

The braising liquid adds a great deal of flavor and defines the final outcome of your dish. Water, of course, but broth is better, maybe a combination of the two. Wine, yes, red or white depends on what you are cooking. Cider, fruit juices, soy sauce, fish sauce. Here again, depends what you are cooking. My secret, whatever is in the pot–a splash of balsamic vinegar as the last ingredient will bring all those flavors together. Which, by the way, is always better the next day.

Find some time on a cold day. Try braising, it will warm your heart.

*Mirepoix: A french cooking basic, vegetables such as celery, onion, carrot, maybe cabbage, celeriac, fennel, depends on the finish you want, small-chopped and added to liquid in a pot to enhance the flavor.

**Deglaze the pan: We all do it, but maybe don’t know the french cooking name for it. After the meat/veggies have been removed in the sear process and the mirepoix has carmelized, add some liquid to the pan. Magically, all those bits and pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan are coming loose and joining in the flavors of the dish. (Also makes cleanup a lot easier.)

Welcome to our new blog about the seasons at Buckland Farm Market.  Located on a working farm in Fauquier County, Virginia, Buckland is a true country market.  Our products are defined by the seasons of the year.   So are our lives defined by the seasons, in what we do, what we wear and, certainly, what we eat.

Apples are the definition of late summer, early fall.  Our Virginia apples are arriving almost daily,  each bringing back memories of past autumns, the aroma of apple butter cooking over an open fire, apple pies, dumplings, cobblers and crisps fresh out of the oven.  And freshly-pressed apple cider!

During apple season at Buckland, we may have over twenty-five varieties, each a favorite of someone’s memory.  Early apples, such as Galas and Honey Crisps are perfect for eating out of hand.  Cortlands and Empires are wonderful for fresh eating or cooking.  In Sherry Lynn’s Bake Shop, Sherry might choose Ida Reds, MacIntosh or Winesaps for her pies, but she may also add Golden Delicious or other sweet apples, allowing her to use less sugar.  Apples also flavor her strudels, dumplings, loaf cakes and apple cider donuts.

Our freshly-pressed apple cider is made from several different apple varieties, giving it a wonderful sweet, tart flavor.  It’s usually available mid-September, after gathering just the right apples for the best flavor.  A reminder: cider should be refrigerated.  Otherwise, you’ll have “hard” cider; although that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

FYI:   Virginia is one of the top apple-producing states.  Two pounds of apples are needed for a 9” pie and 36 apples for a gallon of cider.   Apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol free, with about 80 calories in a medium apple.  Apples are healthy, benefitting cholesterol, diabetes, weight loss, certain cancers, bone health, asthma and Alzheimer’s.  Who knew?

So after you’ve played the last baseball game, the first football and soccer games, raked the leaves, or enjoyed the colors and aromas of fall, come to Buckland Farm Market for a delicious, healthy apple.

Margaret
for Buckland