Do you ever start the school year with a trip to farmer’s hoping to stock up on fresh produce only to return home empty handed because you spent your money on BBQ ribs and Thai iced tea? We can’t promise you that those days are over, but we can promise you that after reading this article, you’ll (hopefully) feel inspired to get down and dirty in the kitchen.
Here are three semi-original recipes highlighting some awesome seasonal fruits that you can find at farmer’s throughout fall quarter:
Apples- Apple Butter
Yields 1 ½ pints
Ingredients
5 medium/large apples (or 10 small ones)
½ cup sugar, white or brown
½ T cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
Pinch of black pepper*
1 T lemon juice
* Feel free to use a scant tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice or allspice if you have it instead.
Directions
1. Cut each apple into large chunks. Leave peel on, remove seeds and core.
2. Place apples into crock pot and cook on high for 2 ½ hours, mashing and stirring occasionally.*
* If you don’t have a crock pot, cook apples in a large pot on medium-high for 2 ½ hours, mashing and stirring occasionally.
3. After 2 ½ hours, mix in rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook for another 2 ½ hours.
5. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Your apple butter should be a dark caramel color, hold its shape when you draw a spoon through it and be spreadable but grainy from the apple fiber.
Pomegranate- Pomegranate Swirl Ice Cream
Yields 2 pints
Ingredients
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup brown sugar
Directions
1. In a bowl, lightly crush the pomegranate seeds. Add brown sugar, stir and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and extract.
3. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until it forms stiff peaks (usually 3 minutes on high).
4. Fold whipped cream into condensed milk until uniform in texture.
5. Gently swirl in the pomegranate mixture but take careful not to over mix.
6. Freeze overnight.
Figs- Fig Newtons
Yields 20 cookies
Ingredients
Filling:
8 purple figs*
½ cup white sugar
½ cup water
1 T honey
1 tsp cinnamon
Dough:
1 ½ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
* Since fig season is almost over, it’s best to find soft and jammy figs!
Directions
1. Quarter the figs. Simmer all of the filling ingredients in a pan over medium heat until figs break down fully. Transfer to blender and blend until smooth, if needed. Refrigerate.
2. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, egg and extract.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Refrigerate until dough is hard.
5. Once dough has hardened, remove it from the fridge and preheat oven to 325°F.
6. Portion the dough into four parts. Roll out one part into a rectangle, ¼” thick.
7. Smear a few large spoonful’s of fig paste down the middle of dough, lengthwise.
8. Fold the dough sides over the paste and place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
9. Bake 35 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Slice into squares.
We hope that now you feel a little inspired to spend your cash on quality fruit to make some quality treats. Who knows, maybe these recipes will find their way into your fall bucket list this quarter!