Posted on 11/21/2012 11:59:47 AM PST by SE Mom
Sooo...today I'm making my annual Thanksgiving apple crisp, a labor intensive project (peel, core and slice 2-3 dozen apples).
I went to the store and bought 2 bags of Rome and Granny Smith with a few loose Mac's and Golden Delicious. I noticed none of them had that apple fragrance but brought them home and started peeling and slicing.
Wait a second...none of them have an apple scent even when I cut them open..wonder how they taste..sliced off a few bites from each variety and what do you know..they don't TASTE like apples. They LOOK gorgeous..but they taste ...like...cold, crispy, crunchy...nothing. NOTHING!!!!!
What the hell have they done to apples? Are they being genetically engineered now to look great but taste..blah? Did Michelle outlaw flavor in fruits to decrease our sweets intake? Is there a grinch somewhere who stole all the real apples?
Anyone else finding this happening with apples and/or other fruits?
Same thing they’ve done with flowers. They’ve “new and improved” the scent right out of them just so they look perfect.
I’ll be growing Captain Lucky tomatoes this spring (if we’re still here), and I’m 3000 miles from that California cess-pit. If CL’s turn up at farmer’s markets in the Houston area; give them a try. I grow some very tasty Italian heirlooms, as well...they ARE awesome, no question.
2006??????
Here is a promise, if your tomatoes show up within a hundred miles of me, I will travel to buy them.. I know they will be everything you say and I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get some.. LOL
Apples are so wonderfully versatile. A favorite are apple dumplings, with some cream poured over them. But fritters are nice, too. As are fried apples, baked apples, apple pie, etc.
Someone had a brilliant idea, in that mini-fridges are common today, and available used. He put a large open container of apple cider, with some other ingredients in it, set at the optimal temperature of 60F, I believe. Then after considerable fermentation, he just set the mini-fridge on freeze, and low and behold, hard cider over ice.
Happy Thanksgiving, dear!
Not genetically engineered. You got apples that have been in cold storage. They probably aren’t from this year’s crop. They can be kept in cold storage for up to three years, but the flavor and texture suffer.
The only way to be sure that you are getting truly fresh apples is to pick your own.
Thus sayeth the owner of a You-Pick apple orchard.
Apple crop wasn’t so great up here this year. No apples (or deer) where I hunt and the trees are usually loaded.
Good to see you my dear FRiend.. Here is an early one of my Holiday Threads, with plenty of recipes.. Happy THanksgiving to you and yours.. HUGGGGGS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2960872/posts
Maybe you just don’t know how to pick out apples. Rule number one with all fresh food is to sniff it first; if it has no scent it’ll have no flavor.
And look for johnathans & pink ladies, they seldom disappoint.
I worked with PA apple farmers over the past summer. Everything they grew was way ahead of schedule. Most of their apples, tho, tasted wonderful. Maybe you’ll have to shop at a Farmers Market or go to a pick your own after this season. Think most apples are GONE for this year.
Sorry, didn’t mean to say it that way. It’s hard to tell how an apple smells these days with all the wax they put on them to make them keep!
Someyimes you can salvage substandard apples in baked goods by adding the brown apple cider that can be found this time of year, or by adding some pears, which almost always have good fragrance.
Hey, Big Boy, my Meyer lemons are starting to turn yellow, in another few weeks they’ll be golden, approaching orange.
*wink* *wink*
Sooo good to see you here! I was going to ping you but got sidetracked by getting the bread stale for stuffing. (Old school..lol)
My Fujis smell and taste fine.
Could be old wharehoused apples...
Hey girl.. Happy days are here again, we’re posting recipes and drinking beer again.. So lets get started..
Green Bean Italiano
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Finely grated zest of one Meyer lemon
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
Heat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with 2 Tbs. of the oil, a generous pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool and then transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese.
In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice, cream, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the green beans in the boiling water until tender, 4 to 6 minutes; drain well.
Toss the beans with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer the beans to a serving platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
Make Ahead Tips
The crumbs can be prepared the morning of the meal and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The vinaigrette can be made a day ahead and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
No offense taken:) I have often gotten apples at the framer’s market- but in central Florida we don’t get “local” apples. I realize commercial grade aren’t going to be terrific- but I’ve never purchased apples devoid of any flavor- even commercial.
Live and learn!
“Try Pink Lady, Honeycrisp varieties. All apple all the time.”
Costco here (Phoenix) sells them organic/sliced...consistently sweet.
Raspberry, Meyer Lemon, Tart
For the crust
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups organic all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
For the frangipane (A ground almond cream)
1-3/4 oz. almond paste
3-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 heaping Tbs. organic all-purpose flour
Pinch of sea salt
For the lemon custard
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. organic all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of sea salt
1-1/2 tsp. Meyer lemon zest
To finish the tart
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
Make the dough:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Add the vanilla. Add the flour and sea salt and mix until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Make the frangipane:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste on medium speed.
Alternate adding the butter and confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula frequently; this will help to break up any lumps of almond paste.
Beat in the egg and vanilla. When the mixture is light and fluffy, add the flour and sea salt and mix until just combined.
Make the lemon custard:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Whisk in the lemon juice, egg and egg yolks, then the cream and sea salt.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, stir in the lemon zest and set aside.
Assemble and bake the tart:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Tear off small pieces of dough and press them into the sides and bottom of an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Keep pressing in pieces until the entire pan is covered with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of dough. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is just golden. Remove and let cool.
Spread the bottom of the tart shell with a 1/2-inch-thick layer of frangipane. Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the frangipane is set.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325°F. Sprinkle the raspberries on top of the frangipane. Stir the lemon custard and carefully pour it over the frangipane.
Bake the tart until the custard does not wiggle when you gently nudge the pan, about 20 minutes.
Remove and cool to room temperature. Serve each piece with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
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