My Farmhouse Kitchen

Friday, July 31, 2009

Garden Street Inn. San Luis Obispo, CA

I always see summer this way. Memorial Day. 4th of July. Labor Day. Beginning. Middle. End. And after July is over, I shift into high gear. "End-of-the-summer-on-the-horizon gear."
Here in San Luis Obispo, California farmers market on Thursday night is a BIG DEAL.
To be perfectly honest with ya, it's really not my thing. Oh, I love, adore and live for fresh produce, but this Thursday night gig is another animal. And ALOT of people love it. My husband John loves it. So does my brother Mark and his wife Julie. But it is crowded and tends to have a circus like flair. There are dancers and puppets, bands and ballerinas, singers and skateboard contests. I just want tomatoes and squash. But I just file this one under the "be a good sport category", smile and suck it up.

It takes place on Higuera Street and on every corner there is a BBQ. And the lines are LONG. I just don't like waiting for an hour to get a bbqed hot dog. I'll bbq mine in my own backyard. Thank you.

But I did score BIG in the "kinda pumpkin department". It's a squash really. Shaped like a pumpkin and colored black and orange. Halloween enough for me. I'll take whatever I can get at this stage of the game. I LOVE Halloween...and this was my first taste of the glory that is to come.

For me though, walking home on Garden Street was the best part. The moon was almost full, the sun had sank over the hills, and as we walked along Garden Street...all the houses had their porch lights on. Their windows glowed giving me a peek inside. I wondered what they had for dinner. Meatloaf or spaghetti? Pot roast or swiss steak? And what were they doing now? Sewing a quilt? Reading the newspaper?
Watching Top Chef?

As we rounded Chorro Street and headed up Upham Street my pace quickened as we got closer to my garden gate. It's been a long time since we've come home in the dark.

The days are getting shorter.

I can tell.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Anticipation and Apples

I already admitted I don't like the fair, dare I say I don't like summer too. I do like summer, its just that by the end of July I start thinking about fall. I already told you the BREAKING NEWS that Gopher Glen had opened for the 2009 apple season. I might not have been perfectly clear to all you non-locals what Gopher Glen actually is. There is a long tree lined road here that is called See Canyon... the road winds past apple orchards..my favorite thing... most of the farms have apples for sale..but none of them has the charm like Gopher Glen does.It is the last farm at the end of the road. I guess I am just not much of a summer gal. I don't like the beach (don't tell anybody) the sand, the suntan oil, the masses of people. I don't like waterskiing. I kinda like camping, but only when it's time to start supper.So while most people are off at Pismo Beach getting their summer tans, I am home. Waiting for Gopher Glen to open. "Its's Open"! I screamed. "Let's get Buddy and go" ! John and I never miss opening day. It's pretty big stuff around here. And we always go at 3 o' clock. I don't know how that got started. I like baking at 3 in the afternoon too. I like the way the house smells with something baking in the oven late in the afternoon. So maybe it's just a "3 o'clock thing".

As we take the drive up See Canyon, my mind goes to all the things I'll be making this fall. The crisps, cobblers, bettys, dumplings, turnovers and pies.

The anticipation of the glorious autumn days to come. And baking with all those apples.

I have a favorite cookbook called "DOWN HOME" by John Hadamuscin. It is out of print now, but am I glad I have it.

One of the first things I like to make every year is the Apples in Brown Sugar Sauce.
Recipe adapted from DOWN HOME by John Hadamuscin

APPLES in BROWN SUGAR SAUCE

makes about 4 cups

Delicious with gingerbread pancakes. This can be made up to two days in advance.

4 cups peeled and sliced tart baking apples
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup apple juice or water

1. Combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar,and spices in a small heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat, stir until sugar is dissolved and bring the mixture to a simmer.Simmer until the apples are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and apple juice or water and stir until smooth. Stir in a few tablespoons of liquid from the pan, stirring until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the saucepan.Simmer till thickened, 3 or 4 more minutes. Serve warm or chilled.