tasting memories

Plate by Roger Baumann. Photo by Marta Bartolomei Edmonds.

Fall leaves are starting to show and the roadside fruit stands are now all pumpkin. It's officially fall.
I go a little pumpkin/squash crazy this time of year and find as many ways to enjoy these seasonal veggies as I can. Last night we enjoyed some white beans, fresh sausage from Buon Italia and squash. This morning I made some warm pumpkin muffins with the leftover squash.

Okay, so technically they were squash muffins. I use either fresh pumpkin or squash interchangeably. If you use squash, I would recommend a Kabocha because it is flavorful and smooth. Butternut and even acorn squash will do. You can also use canned pumpkin puree, which will do in a pinch, but, why use a can when the fresh stuff is in abundance this time of year?

Pumpkin Muffins
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a 12-cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, oil and eggs until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture until just until combined.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

4. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and remove them from the muffin pan. Enjoy warm or let cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins.

One of our favorite fall escapes is to a little family farm in Cornwall, NY called the Jones Farm. Grandma Phoebe and her family make freshly baked goods daily: wonderful pies, delicious linzer tarts, lemon bread, apple cider doughnuts and more. You will often find Grandma Phoebe by her fudge offering samples. The farm has become a required stop anytime we drive out of the city on a weekend to enjoy the Hudson Valley. Last Sunday we took such trip.

After enjoying some fresh apple cider and picking up some fresh strawberry rhubarb pie (so good that Angelica now wants it for her birthday), some lemon cake and a few other goodies, we headed out to enjoy the rest of the day. Our next stop was a farm offering apple picking and hay rides. I picked up a half bushel of macintosh apples. Yes, half a bushel. So all week, I have been finding ways to use these apples and Grandma Zona's apple butter came to mind. I prepared a batch and canned it as soon as it was ready. Apple butter will keep in a canning jar for a few months.

I was introduced to canning by Scott's family. Scott's parents were both raised in Powell, Wyoming, where farming was their means of livelihood. Powell is a small rural town in a semi-arid desert. Farming this dry land often saturated with minerals that make the land inhospitable to vegetation, was their means of survival. Preserving the food they raised during the short summer months was an important part of surviving through the winter.

Scott's mom Dorthy and Grandma Zona are both avid canners. They can what they raise, like bird egg beans, green beans, beets, potatoes. Also fruits like peaches and cherries end up in mason jars for winter enjoyment. I still remember walking down into Grandma Zona's root cellar, a space carved into the ground, perhaps about 7 feet wide by 7 feet deep, lined with wooden shelves stacked high with cans of fruit and vegetables and home made soap. I have great respect and admiration for this tradition of food preservation.

Grandma Zona's Apple Butter
8 macintosh apples, quartered
1 cup water or apple cider
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Make apple sauce: Place quartered apples and water (or cider) in a large heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the apples and liquid into a large strainer. Strain the pulp and discard the seeds and skin.

2. Return the apple sauce to the large heavy saucepan. Add sugar and spices. Bring to a slow simmer for 3 hrs or until the apple sauce has reduced to 5 cups (about half in volume). Remove from heat. Can the apple butter and let sit overnight at room temperature. Keep in a cool place for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up to 6 months.

Makes 5 cups.

Three Tarts gift and dessert boutique is a little treasure here in Chelsea. Simply delicious confections are prepared with the right attention to flavor, texture and presentation. Their chocolate lovelies are delightful and the homemade raspberry marshmallows can bring out the kid in even the most serious.

Angelica and I stopped by this week for a fall treat and discovered their pumpkin parfait. Layers begin with crumbled chocolate cookie crust, topped with spiced pumpkin puree, followed by sweet pumpkin compote and finished with a molasses cream and pumpkin seed brittle. My wildest pumpkin dreams come true in a miniature and delicately slender container.

To treat yourself or someone you love, go to Three Tarts.