'BITTERSWEET' OCTOBER ~ DEEP DISH DUTCH 'SPY' APPLE PIE

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

~ Carol Bishop Hipps

AUTUMN MUM

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DEEP DISH DUTCH 'SPY' APPLE PIE

"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness."

~ Jane Austen

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(October is the best month for apples ...

do yourself a favor and make a pie. If you choose,

omit the crust and make apple crisp.)

1 10-inch unbaked deep dish pie shell

Topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup unsalted butter

Filling:

7-9 large baking apples (Northern Spy best)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

dash salt

dots of butter

• Make topping: Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is consistency of coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Make filling: Core apples and pare, slicing into large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Toss with apples. Turn into unbaked pie shell distributing evenly. Dot with butter. Cover with topping.
• Bake 45 to 60 minutes (apples bubbling).

October Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Front Door Autumn Containers

(Pansies, Autumn ferns, 'Caramel' Heuchera)

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"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."

~ Edwin Way Teale

'OH, THE APPLE TREE' ~ APPLE COCONUT CAKE with BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."

~ Robert H. Schuller

~ Apple orchard (Old Mission Peninsula)

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APPLE COCONUT CAKE with BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup oil

3 organic eggs

2 1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups chopped toasted pecans

3 cups peeled and chopped apple

1/2 cup flaked coconut

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• Combine oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture at low just until blended. Fold in toasted nuts, apples and coconut (batter will be stiff).
• Bake in greased & floured tube pan in middle of oven for 1 hour and 25-30 minutes, until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove & drizzle with warm Brown Sugar Glaze.

BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup milk

Combine and bring to full boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Let cool to lukewarm. (2/3 cup)

FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FEAST ~ GLAZED APPLE & HORSERADISH SALMON

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple.

Only God can count all the apples in one seed."

~ Robert Schuller

~ Apple Orchard

(Old Mission Peninsula)

(http://www.oldmission.com/)

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GLAZED APPLE & HORSERADISH SALMON

~ Autumn supper blending the flavor of sweet salmon and tastes of the season.

*

4 (6-oz.) 1-inch thick skinned salmon fillets

extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

sprinkling of thyme and rosemary

Glaze:

1/3 cup good apple jelly

1/4 cup vermouth

2 Tbsp. horseradish

2 tsp. finely snipped fresh thyme

2 tsp. finely snipped fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. chopped chives or green onion

• Drizzle olive oil over salmon and massage into surface. Sprinkle with herbs, salt & pepper. Set aside.
• For glaze, place vermouth, horseradish, thyme and rosemary in saucepan. Bring to boil. Sir in apple jelly and simmer until melted. Remove from heat and add chives or green onion. Let cool slightly and brush over salmon, reserving remaining sauce for serving.
• Grill salmon on hot coals until opaque or until oil breaks through surface, about 10-12 minutes. While salmon is cooking, heat remaining glaze.
• Serve warm glaze over salmon garnished with fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs. Delicious with brown sugar-glazed baked peppered acorn squash. (4 servings)

Note: Pair salmon with a beautiful wine (Pinot Noir or Riesling) from Michigan's award winning wines.

(http://www.michiganwines.com/)