Recipes

Crustless Apple Pie
This would actually be considered a crumble though I lovingly refer to it as pie.

In one gianormous bowl throw in 5 heaping handfuls of sliced granny smith or any mix of apples that you have -cored but not peeled is preferred but not mandatory. If you have pear that would add a delicate balance, and quince paste would be a real spulge. Toss in a handful of brown sugar -eyeball about a 1/4 cup and keep adding to suite your sweet tooth. Continue with a spoonful of cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, a pinch of ground clove and a liberal drizzling of brandy (if possible). Mix and transfer to one big baking dish or use several individual sized oven bound dishes.

In another bowl, create a crumble topping by combining coarsely chopped walnuts or any combination of nuts that you have. 1/2 cup whole oats, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cut packed brown sugar, generous pinches of salt, freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon and 3 big pads of chilled butter (don't skimp) cut into small pieces. Use hands to combine and then layer over apples. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Serve with a layer of fresh goat cheese.

Cranberry-Cornbread Stuffing
Make your cornbread a day ahead to take the edge off. Don't be thrown by the list of ingredients. Feel good about adding whatever you have in the pantry.

2 cups walnuts
1 stick butter
3 large onions, chopped small
1 bunch celery, chopped small (set aside a heaping handful)
bundle of fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
cornbread, roughly crumbled (recipe follows)
1 loaf stale bread, crusts on & cut into cubes (10 heaping handfuls)
3 large eggs, lighten beaten
2 cups dried cranberries plus any other dried fruits in the pantry
1 bunch italian flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon salt (more to suite your tastes)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
a generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Step 1. 2 handfuls coarsely chopped walnuts or any combination of nuts that you have, toasted 8 minutes in 350 oven. Anticipate raising oven temperature to 375 for stuffing.

Step 2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet. Add 3 heaping handfuls each of onion and celery, both chopped small. Cook over medium heat til the onion is translucent. Toss in a generous handful of fresh oregano, at least 1/2 cup chopped and add a 1/2 cup stock. Let simmer and reduce by about half, about 5 minutes.

Step 3. Transfer onion mixture to large bowl and rough-cumble the cornbread and toss in the bread cubes. Add the eggs, pecans, dried cranberries, parsley, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and remaining stock. For more texture, you can add in a heaping handful of rough cut fresh celery and maybe a tart apple if you have it. Butter your baking dish and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the top is golden, crunchy and heated through.

cornbread fixins:
1/4 skimmed chicken fat or vegetable shortening
2 cups flour
2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
4 large eggs

Step 1. Place fat in an ovenproof skillet and transfer to 425 oven.

Step 2. Wisk together your dry ingredients in one large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk & eggs. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and combine without over-working it (lumpy batter is good).

Step 3. Carefully pour batter into oven skillet - being mindful that the skillet is mucho HOT. Cook until the top is golden brown and the center appears dry when poked with a knife, about 25 minutes.

Consider serving a no cook cranberry relish on the side. Just combine into a food processor whole cranberries, fresh oranges cut into wedges (with skin on) add sugar, and the zest and juice of a lemon or lime to suite your taste. Get fancy by adding coarsely chopped nuts (preferably toasted), red onion & jalapeno pepper chopped small, grated fresh ginger and/or a handful of celery chopped small.