Summer Applesauce Red Jacket Orchards, Peonies, Pickles and Last Week's Bounty at the Long Beach Farmer's Market

Fragrant and Elegant Peonies* from Stanley and Pat Osip's farm

The market is beginning to burst, and I have to share some simple recipes and beautiful images from the visit my son and I made to Kennedy Plaza this past Wednesday.  Despite the monsoon-like conditions, Bernadette reported record numbers coming out, and it's no wonder. Our vendors are extraordinary.  Their produce and wares are fantastic, and they're such cool and interesting people to talk with.  If you haven't visited yet, you have to make it your destination this coming Wednesday, open from 10-6, next to the LIRR train station, Long Beach, NY.  If the weather's nice, take the day off and go to the beach. As always, items that are available at the market are following by an asterisk*.

The image at the top of Blue Heron's blog are strawberries from Dan Madura's farm. Strawberries* will be available from several vendors at the market in the coming weeks. Don't miss them. These are sweet, delicate and unsprayed local strawberries.  Once you've tasted them, you'll take one look at those strawberries in the supermarket and say, "yeah, right".  My son and I ate almost an entire quart that night, but what was left over, I threw into my Red Jacket Orchards Summer Sauce. (recipe below).

Dan Madura's mushrooms* are magic (and they're legal)   (I combined Shitake, Hen of the Woods (my fave!) and Pearl Oysters) and sauteed them in some extra virgin olive oil, added some freshly ground pepper, some fleur de sel (the best coarse salt from France) and some freshly chopped parsley* (available at the market ... or in my case, from my garden), and threw them over some fresh whole wheat fettucini* from Papa Pasquale.  

Then, grated some Parmaggiano Reggiano with my Microplane Zester!  

(doesn't this look great?)  

I put together a simple salad of mixed field greens*, also from Dan Madura,

and put out some French Sour Dough* from Bread Alone and, you should excuse the expression, a ball of Papa Pasquale's fresh mozzarella* (for fun).

Strawberries* for dessert.

oh .. I had to buy a quart of amazing pickled tomatoes* from Horman's Best Pickles for my fabulous daughter, Captain Kitchen (see "Mother Blogs").  

Summer Applesauce Red Jacket Orchards

Blue Heron Kitchen

Yield: approx. 5 cups "Summersauce"

Applesauce is one of those always great comfort foods, and this is a summery applesauce that needs no sweetener (and if you must, use Red Jacket's Apple Cider Molasses*, a natural sweetener that's fantastic and can be used as a glaze, used in hot beverages and can be used to sweeten iced tea ("sweet tea") too!)

Red Jacket Orchards comes to the Long Beach Farmers Market every Wednesday.  Their selection of apples is extraordinary, and you can use any combination of apples you like for this applesauce.  Macintosh work well, but I'm partial to Empires.                          

                           

Their Joe's Summer Blend juice is available now.  It's a delicious blend of pure apple juice with a splash of lemon juice.  It's tart and refreshing on its own, but it's a perfect liquid for applesauce. 

Strawberries* turn this into a 'summersauce'. Their season is brief, so grab them while you can.  Several of our vendors carry them.  You'll only need a cup for this recipe.  The house will fill with their unique aroma.  There is no match for local strawberries.  Once you've tried them, you'll be hooked, and you'll count the days until they make their appearance again next June!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. (approx. 8 medium) Empire (or other variety of your choice) apples*, cored and coarsely chopped, skins on

1 cup Red Jacket Orchards Summer Blend* juice

1 cup local strawberries*, tops removed and sliced in half

Procedure: 

Bring cut up apples to a boil, in a non-reactive (not aluminum) pot over medium/high heat. Reduce heat to medium/low and cover, simmering for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. 

Reduce heat to low and cook, with lid slightly off, simmering the apples until they begin to become 'mushy', approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (The required cooking time will vary, depending upon the liquid content of the apples you're using.)  

Add the cup of strawberries and cover completely.  Cook until the mixture has come together, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and add sweetener (I recommend Red Jacket's Apple Cider Molasses) if you feel it requires sweetening.  I feel that this is not at all necessary, but you may prefer sweet applesauce, or the apples you're using may be of a tart variety.

Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Using the medium disc of a food mill, pass the mixture through the mill into a bowl. (Alternative solution if you don't own a food mill:  first peel the apples, then core and chop them.  The end result will differ slightly - especially in color - but you will be able to cook the applesauce and then simple stir vigorously or pass the mixture through a medium strainer.) 

Serve warm, room temperature or refrigerate prior to serving. This keeps well for at least a week in the refrigerator, if you can hold onto it that long.  

Stay tuned for another recipe, using Summersauce as an ingredient in a fabulous cake! 

10 1/2-cup servings