The Goods Are Odd

The weather this year (not to mention my blog posts) seemed to just just skip summer. I got away to some blazing Oregon days, swam in a some rivers and helped out a bit with a new baby in the family. But Fall seemed to just shove its way in and it felt like no time between abundant bees and blossoms to fruit that needs to get harvested and used.

People love the idea of backyard gardens and urban fruit trees, but I have to say, as someone who professionally deals with people’s yards, most backyard fruit goes to squirrels, rats, and worms. Which isn’t the worst thing, but it just goes to show how much work it is to take responsibility for your own food.

Our backyard apple tree is basically the reason we ended up renting this place. A few years back we spent months looking for a new place to live when we moved to Berkeley, it was December when we found this apartment, 1/3 of an old house on a busy street on the Oakland/Berkeley border. My (then to be) husband went into the mess of a backyard (then to be garden), picked the last apple off the bare tree, took a bite, and he was sold. For our first fall here the apple crop was overwhelming for us fruit tree newbies and a lot of the apples went to waste (ie garden rats and compost). The second year (last year), heavy Spring rain knocked off almost all the blossoms and we hardly got any fruit at all. This year, the blossoms were incredible. The picture above was actually from trying to capture one of the hundreds of bees buzzing up in the pink and blue. The tree has gotten more love this year, more water and compost and good intentions, and we made out with a decent crop, this time with intentions to use our bounty.

Luckily they don’t all fall at once and we’ve managed to keep up with ripe apples by getting in five very full apple pies in the last month. A pie a week seems like a good run right? Well before October I had never actually made a real deal apple pie. My go to apple gallette has now been replaced with something far more substantial as it uses far more apples (which is the goal after all). This has been a great reminder of how to get a particular dish right- make it once a week for a couple months. Now the idea of throwing together a stellar apple pie for dinner guests coming in two hours doesn’t seem the least bit daunting (and yes, we have been sharing all this pie action with others). Through repetition you learn what you like and what proportions get you there, the steps become second hand and before you know if you’ve mastered a dish and can make it with confidence and ease.

I am pretty set on having a flaky crust, but I wanted to avoid the temptation of a white flour pie. (my mother in-law makes the best tasting pie crust from white flour and crisco…and while I enjoy it, at a pie per week, it kind of crosses the line from indulgence to dietary staple and so I have to make it something more nourishing) I learned “white” and “flaky” don’t necessarily go hand in hand. The heavy whole wheat crusts I’ve humored over the years at hippie pot lucks largely have their fat (or lack of it) to blame. The more shortening the better, but that being said you don’t want a high protein whole wheat.  In the nutrition facts on a sack of flour (if you are buying pre-ground, from a store) will give you the protein content, which for a flaky pie you want to be low and for chewier things like bread you want a higher protein. Whole wheat pastry flour is low protein and really makes a great crust- provided that you have enough good fat.

For pie, butter or lard are the best. I haven’t made a pie crust with lard yet (the ranch I get my grass fed meat from has been out…pie making time they say), but I hear that once you try it, you won’t be able to go back. I also haven’t made pie crust from flour ground at home. I did make a crust from sprouted spelt flour and was really pleased with the results. It is very rare from me to eat grains that have not undergone one of the three S’s (sprouting, soaking, sourdough) but I just wanted to make a “normal” pie. Again, as it it now officially pie season I just couldn’t justify the exception (my tummy and skin agreed). I don’t quite understand why spelt works well because it contradicts the statement above about protein levels- it is high in protein, but I have to assume that there is something different with regular wheat protein and spelt protein- since some people can’t digest the former but are fine on the latter. The sprouted performed well and tastes great, largely to do with how fresh it is. Check out what the Whole Grains Council, a pretty mainstream group nutrition-wise, says about sprouted grains…so good for you.

The lessons of cooking can be learned quickly when you work with a dish consistently. Our first pie ended up shallow which led to my first lesson in apple pie: cut the apples into big chunks and pile them very high. Out of habit from the gallette I am used to I sliced them, which makes for a very shallow pie (and also takes longer). The apples are peeled, which I did hesitantly, but I think it makes a difference for getting the right texture. I should try going un-peeled and see for sure.

The cross cuts are so classic and just make me feel…wholesome. The way the steam comes pouring out into the cool air seems like it will lure neighbors, cartoon-like to our house, floating with their noses on the scent.

With the sprouted flour this pie is a dessert (or snack, or part of breakfast) that stays out of “exception food” territory. Made with at least eight apples, only two tablespoons of unrefined palm sugar, lots of healthy butter fat and a bit of arrowroot powder for thickening its something I’m thrilled to eat week after week all season.