Napa Farmhouse 1885™

I "retired" from the corporate world a couple of years ago because I wanted to experience a real life after years of 80 hour work weeks and constant travel. A year later I realized that I was having a really good time, was always busy (how did i ever fit in a job??) and needed a creative outlet to share my experiences. Now I split my time between California and New Mexico but, wherever I am, I write about delicious, fresh, local, organic/sustainably grown food.

Showing posts with label apples. Show all posts

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Peach & Blackberry Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

I'm back....and I brought cake!

It has been over a year since my last post. I really missed you guys. The past year has been crazy. I spent nine months as the Acting Executive Director of our local animal shelter and worked 70 hour work weeks during that time. It was supposed to be a two-three month assignment but went three times as long. Then, just as the new director was hired, I fell in love with a very shy, scared, formally abused dog that I just had to adopt. (Of course, I fell in love with every dog and cat in the shelter, but this one ripped my heart out.)

The boys watching me get ready. Jax is one the right.

So I have spent most of the summer working to develop a bond with our newest dog (Jax.) It has been a long and sometimes painful process. He is terrified of men, and I am working with the shelter's trainer to establish trust between Jax and my husband. Very slow going, so please keep this sweet boy in your thoughts. The best thing for all of us is to live our lives as normally as possible so he gets used to being part of a family...I am blogging today while both dogs sleep at my side...and my husband watches football. Pure happiness.

Yesterday was Saturday, and there was a hint of Fall's crispness in the air. Our local farmers' market carried beautiful peaches and the sweetest blackberries I have ever tasted. Nothing to do but bake a cake, right? I am always happy when cooking or baking so having the time to hang out in the kitchen for the day was a gift. Cake, homemade pasta, homemade pesto sauce, salad from ingredients grown in our garden...perfect day.

I have baked all of my life but, after moving to Taos, New Mexico with our 7000 ft elevation, I was lost. I didn't know how to make my tried and true recipes work with our higher altitude and needed help from numerous online sources and cookbooks. This cake is an adaptation from one of my favorite bloggers, Mountain Mama Cooks. Her recipes are tailored for cooking in the mountains. I tend to pick something from her blog as a starting point and either make it exactly as is...or try some slight tweaking. I used her Apple-Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Frosting and substituted peaches and blackberries for some of the apple. Delicious. *** BTW, this one is not a high-altitude recipe so it should work for anyone at sea level. AND, I did not need to make any adjustments so higher elevation friends...you are in luck too. Enjoy!

Peach & Blackberry Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
(adapted from the Mountain Mama Cooks blog)

Ingredients:

2 cups white, unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups diced fresh peaches

1 pint blackberries

1 Granny Smith apple1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan. Set aside

In a medium size bowl, sift together unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.

In a small bowl toss peaches, blackberries, apple, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; set aside.

In a large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat together both sugars and oil. Add one egg at a time incorporating each one thoroughly. Mix in vanilla extract and apple cider. Slowly stir in flour mixture into wet batter stirring just to combine. Fold in fruit and any juices that have accumulated.

Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes or until cake is done. (Mine took exactly 55 minutes.) Test using a cakes tester or thin chopstick. Cake is done when tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes before turning out of pan. While cake cools, prepare glaze.

For the Glaze:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons milk

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until light brown in color, 8-10 minutes. (It took me 7 minutes. Maybe my heat was higher?) Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk; stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable. Let cool 5 minutes. Then use immediately and pour over warm cake. Frosting will harden as cake cools.

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Additional peach recipes you may enjoy:

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

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MoseyLove

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Curried Pumpkin & Apple Chowder

Brrr! The weather forecast for Halloween night this year is clear and cold. 26 degrees. Yikes! I feel sorry for all the trick or treaters. They will be so bundled up that no one will be able to see their costumes. In Taos, very few people actually go door-to-door begging for candy. Our homes are on lonely roads, many are dirt or gravel, and there are few actual neighborhoods. So the big event is held in town at the Plaza and adjacent shopping areas. (Check out the John Dunn Shops by clicking here). I posted a story with photos of Halloween in Taos, New Mexico on my sister blog California Girl in Taos. Learn about Halloween in Taos by clicking here.

So, we will be bundled up too as we make our annual trip downtown to grab some drinks and watch the adorable children. Our usual margaritas won't do...something to warm us up is required. Before we leave, I plan on making this delicious, HOT soup and serving with crusty bread. Pumpkin puree mixed with apples and mildly spiced with curry and a bit of jalapeno for heat. Just what we need to fuel us up before the big night. Happy Halloween everyone!

Curried Pumpkin & Apple Chowder
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2000
(6 servings)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped (white & green parts. Reserve some green onion for garnish)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (Use the whole jalapeno if you like it spicy)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
32 oz organic vegetable broth (or homemade)
1 cup dry white wine
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
sea salt
black pepper

Warm olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add white and green onions, bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute until vegetables are soft and onions have just begun to caramelize. Add the curry powder and apple and saute for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, wine, pumpkin, tomatoes, sage and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes stirring frequently.

Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve topped with reserved green onions.

Next week is Brussels sprouts week. See you then!

It is Halloween week at Food Network's Fall Fest roundup. Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network.

The Hungry Traveler: Halloween Spiderweb Brownies
Devour: 6 Halloween Movie and Food Pairings for a Spooktacular Party
Creative Culinary: The Black Goblin – Tequila, Coffee Liqueur and Cream
TasteBook: Pan de Muertos (Day of the Dead Bread)
Domesticate Me: Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat Bites
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Pumpkin Brain Pasta Halloween Special
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Curried Pumpkin & Apple Chowder
Red or Green: Pasta with Cilantro, Jalapeno & Pinenuts
Swing Eats: Trick or Treat, Spaghetti or Squash? Both!
Feed Me Phoebe: Blood Orange White Sangria with Pomegranate
Taste with the Eyes: Pumpkin Risotto Stuffed with Burrata, Fried Sage
Healthy Eats: 5 Ways to Host a Healthier Halloween Party
Weelicious: Deviled Egg Spiders

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

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I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos." Please visit and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

"Grownup" Caramel Apples

I am part of a group hosting a "scotch tasting party" in November. This was a silent auction item at a fundraiser for our local food pantry. The other hosts are contributing the scotch. I have the task of creating an appetizer menu to pair with each scotch offering. Yikes! Food and scotch? This should be interesting. I am still working on the savory items...but dessert? That one is in the bag.

I loved caramel apples as a kid. Still do. It is my guilty fall snack. I make a big batch of caramel and then dip sliced apples into the deliciousness. Not very healthy, I admit. But, once in a while, a very welcome treat. There is something so magical about combining apples and caramel sauce. For the party, I decided that a bit of spice and a shot of the aforementioned scotch would add a grownup component to my childhood treat. So... "Grownup Caramel Apples" were born.

I baked apples filled with coconut sugar, honey, spices and extra virgin olive oil and then drizzled lots of warm dulce de leche sauce spiked with a bit of scotch. My husband and I did a taste test in preparation for the party. I won't admit to how fast we devoured every bite. A shot of scotch with the apples was the perfect finish to the day. This recipe is a keeper and will be a welcome addition to our Thanksgiving dessert table. Enjoy!

Grownup Caramel Apples
(makes 6)

6 Granny Smith or Fuji apples
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups dulce de leche sauce (homemade) or best quality purchased. I use this brand.
2-3 tablespoons Scotch
pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease rimmed baking pan with olive oil.

Core apples and place in prepared pan. Drizzle olive oil in the center of each apple and along the tops. Drizzle honey equally in the center of each apple. (Heat honey in microwave for a few seconds if necessary to make it pourable).
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, allspice, cinnamon and sea salt. Sprinkle equally in the center of each apple.

Cover the pan with foil and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the apples just easily pierce with a sharp knife. Do not overcook the apples, you want a bit of texture.

Remove from oven and place apples on serving plates. Drizzle some of the pan juices over each apple.

Place dulce de leche in a microwave safe bowl and heat, in 10-second increments, until soft and very pourable. Quickly stir in the Scotch and salt. Drizzle into the center of apples and along the top. Serve immediately.

Note...you could serve this with vanilla ice cream, but I don't think it works for the scotch tasting party. I love it as is.

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It is Apple week at Food Network's Fall Fest roundup. Do you have a favorite apple recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network.

The Lemon Bowl: Sparkling Apple Cider Punch
Creative Culinary: Boozy Apple Crisp
Homemade Delish: Apple Chips
Healthy Eats: 6 Healthy Treats to Make After Apple Picking
Daisy at Home: Fall Farmer's Market Salad
Virtually Homemade: Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Apple Bars
TasteBook: Caramel Baked Apples with Cinnamon-Oat Crumble
Napa Farmhouse 1885: "Grownup" Caramel Apples
Red or Green: Caramel Apple Spiced Shortcakes
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Whole Grain Oat & Millet Pancakes with Shaved Apples
Domesticate Me: Roast Chicken, Apple and Brie Grilled Cheese
Taste with the Eyes: Classic Apple Tarte Tatin with Cognac and Crème Fraîche
FN Dish: Quickest, Easiest Apple Dessert Recipes

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove
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I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos." Please visit and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Apple & Chocolate Cake

Happy Fall everyone! Can you believe summer is over? It has been rainy and cool the past couple of months so it has not felt much like summer in Taos. (But the rains have been amazing helping to end our drought. Now we need the rains to move to Napa!) I was at the beautiful farmers' market in Santa Fe, New Mexico last weekend and, while there were tons of end-of-summer produce like tomatoes, zucchini, corn, berries, peaches and peppers, many vendors had bushels of apples ready for sale.

Apples always remind me of fall. The scent of them baking in the oven, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg is home to me so it is the perfect item to kick off this year's Food Network's Fall Fest. The schedule is as follows:

SEPTEMBER
25: Apples

OCTOBER
2: Cauliflower
9: Pumpkin
16: Roasted Garlic
23: Slow-Cooker-themed
30: Halloween-themed

NOVEMBER
6: Brussels sprouts
13: Carrots
20: Favorite Thanksgiving side

DECEMBER
4: Holiday cookies
11: Holiday-themed beverage
18: Holiday side dish

My apple submission? How about Apple & Chocolate Cake?" Inspired by a cake in the Moosewood Restaurant Book-Desserts, their version first introduced me to the concept of using vinegar and oil in a cake instead of butter and eggs. Thank you Moosewood! This cake is also delicious without the apples..a bit lighter and more "cakey". The apples make it dense, moist and really fudgy so you have options depending on what type of cake you want. Try both versions (exact same recipe...just leave out the apple) and please let me know what you think. I have also made this cake using figs, zucchini and pears in place of the apples. As you can tell, I love this recipe. Hope you give it a try. Please tell me what you think in the comments section at the end of this post.

Apple & Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups organic unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup organic white sugar (or coconut sugar)
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup best quality unsweetened premium cocoa powder (I like Scharffen Berger)
1 Tsp kosher salt
2 Tsp baking powder
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp pure balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded apple (I use a box grater or food processor with the shred disk)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt cake pan using extra virgin olive oil. Add the first 6 ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Add rest of ingredients and stir, using the paddle attachment, until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45 min to 1 hour. Test for doneness by sticking a skewer, chopstick or knife into the center of the cake. If your tester is clean when you remove, the cake is ready. Rest on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto cake plate and allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. (This is also delicious with a chocolate glaze drizzled over the cake and served with ice cream or fresh fruit.)

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It is "Apple" week at Food Network's Fall Fest roundup. Do you have a favorite apple recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one.