What's For Dessert: Skillet Apple Cobbler

D and I were invited over to a gathering last night, and I knew whatever I'd bring along to share for dessert would involve apples, as we still have quite a few of them in the refrigerator left over from our apple-picking trip to Blue Vista Farm in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

I pored over apple recipes, trying to decide what to make. I knew I wanted something that would use up a lot of apples but an apple pie was out of the question as I wasn't in the mood to deal with a fussy pastry crust. (Making pie crusts still makes me nervous.)

I came upon a few recipes for apple cobbler and decided that would be the winner. There are many different styles of cobbler crusts -- some recipes have you drop rounds of dough over the fruit, while others have you pat the dough over the entire top of the cobbler. I decided to do a hybrid of the two by rolling out the dough and cutting out fluted biscuit circles to cover the top of my cobbler. I covered the entire cobbler, but I think it would look just as nice if some more of the fruit was able to peek through.

Baking the cobbler in a cast-iron skillet makes for a great presentation, and of course, this crowd-pleasing dessert wouldn't be completed without a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Skillet Apple Cobbler (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

For the apple filling:
2-3 pounds (8 cups) apples, cored, peeled, and sliced (1/4-inch thick)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the cobbler dough:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
sanding sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large oven-safe skillet, add together the apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and cook over medium heat. Continue to cook for several minutes until the apples are just beginning to caramelize and have softened slightly.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Pour the mixture onto the apples and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat.
4. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal, and just a few pea-sized butter pieces remain. Add in the heavy cream and pulse a few time until combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a round and then roll out until about 1/2-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out 12-15 dough circles. Place the biscuits on top of the apples in the skillet in a circular pattern. Brush each biscuit top with heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Pro-tip: place an aluminum-foil wrapped baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips from the skillet above. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Made From Scratch: Tart Cherry Jam (Small Batch)

Picking blueberries in Bayfield wasn't our only fruit-picking experience this summer. D and I also packed up the car (along with the dogs) and day-tripped to Door County back in July, with the main goal of picking tart cherries. 

The tart cherry season is relatively short; it lasts from late July just into early August. So if you miss the window, you're out of luck. And since tart cherries are rather delicate, they don't get shipped very far, making fresh tart cherries a fairly rare treat to find outside the areas where they are produced.

After doing a little research online, I decided our cherry-picking destination would be Cherry Lane Orchards in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Once there, D and I each grabbed a pail and headed into the orchard. Since the season had already been open for more than a week, we had to grab ladders to pick the cherries from the upper branches. It was hard work I tell you -- particularly with the hot summer sun shining down through the branches. D proved to be a more efficient picker than me, and filled his bucket in no time. Eventually I filled my pail, too, and we headed back to settle our account. In all, we picked about 20 pounds of cherries.

And let me tell you, pitting 20 pounds of cherries is no joke! I managed to pit about half of them myself (with those cherries ending up in cherry pie filling, recipe to come) and I let D pit the remaining 10 pounds of cherries. Some of those cherries made their way into this recipe for tart cherry jam. This recipe makes a small batch of tasty tart cherry jam. If you don't have access to fresh tart cherries, I bet frozen cherries would also work (though I have not tried this myself). You can keep the recipe simple and stick with a straight cherry flavor, or experiment with the addition of other ingredients, such as vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, or amaretto/almond flavoring.

Small Batch Tart Cherry Jam (printer-friendly version)
makes 5 half-pints

16 cups (4 pounds) pitted and mashed tart cherries (this should yield about six cups of jammable fruit)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 packet liquid pectin (half a box)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Add the fruit and sugar to a large non-reactive stock pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 20 minutes, skimming and removing foam from the surface occasionally.
2. Stir in the pectin packet and boil for an additional five minutes. Stir in the vanilla. When the jam is ready to can, it will appear thick and viscous. You can use these tips to ensure your jam is good to go.
3. Fill your (sterilized) jars, leaving about a 1/4-inch head space. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (Add 5 minutes processing time per 1000 feet in elevation above sea level; I processed our jars for 15 minutes.)
4. Carefully remove the jars from the water bath and let cool on a towel-lined counter or tabletop. After 24 hours, test the seals to ensure each jar sealed correctly.

For additional canning tips, check this guide from the USDA.

(adapted from this Food in Jars recipe)

What's For Dinner: Baked Whitefish Tacos

This past weekend, D and I, along with his parents who were in town for a visit, travelled up to Bayfield, Wisconsin, a small town located along the shores of Lake Superior. The goal of our trip was to pick some blueberries (goal achieved!, post to come) and we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring Bayfield's cute downtown area.

When it came time for dinner, I had a serious craving for whitefish tacos. We found a little hole-in-the-wall place that had several whitefish options on their menu, but alas, the fish tacos were fried (not my favorite preparation). I opted instead for the grilled whitefish sandwich (which was quite delicious), while D ordered, and thoroughly enjoyed, the whitefish tacos.

I decided to recreate our Lake Superior dining experience at home (sans the Pac-Man machine, sadly) and made whitefish tacos for dinner. D requested breaded fish, so I added a breading before baking the fish. (Personally, I think it would be just as tasty (maybe even moreso), without the breading, but I was too lazy to make separate portions for the two of us.

I used frozen whitefish (from Bodin Fisheries, which actually hails from Bayfield), and my quick-thawed fish had a little bit of a fishy odor. I had recently read a tip about soaking fish in milk for 20 minutes to remove the fishy smell, and the trick worked well for me. (You can watch a short video about this technique from America's Test Kitchen here.) Note: if your fish is both smelly and slimy, it has probably seen better days, and your best bet would be to toss the fish and order some takeout instead. :)

The jalapeño-lime-cilantro marinade gives the fish plenty of flavor and pairs perfectly with the coleslaw recipe I featured recently. While the view out my window may not be quite as blue as the one from Bayfield, if I close my eyes as I eat these tacos, I can almost hear the water lapping against the shoreline. I think another trip to Bayfield is in order -- apple season, here we come!

Baked Whitefish Tacos (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 servings

1/2 lb whitefish fillet
1 cup organic milk (whole, low-fat, or skim) [optional]
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat, but panko or white bread crumbs would work just as well)
4-6 white corn tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
2. If your fish is fresh (i.e., it smells like the sea and not "fishy"), you can skip this step. If you have thawed your fish from frozen or it has a fishy smell, place the fillet in a shallow dish and cover with milk. Set in the fridge for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the fish and pat dry. (Rinse out the shallow dish so that you can reuse it for the marination step.)
3. Place the fish fillet back into the rinsed shallow dish. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, jalapeño, and cilantro.
5. Pour the marinade mixture over the fish and place in the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes.
6a. If you prefer to not bread your fish, move it directly onto the prepped baking sheet.
6b. If you do want to bread your fish, place the breadcrumbs on a large plate. Coat each side of the fish fillet evenly with the breadcrumbs, then place the fillet onto the prepped baking sheet.
7. Bake the fish for 10-15 minutes (or until the fish is flaky and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees).
8. Serve with coleslaw (and your favorite taco toppings, such as crumbled cheese, sliced avocado, or salsa).



(adapted from this food comas recipe)

Weekend Shenanigans: Slow Food Marathon County Field Days

I haven't done a weekend shenanigans post in, like, forever, so let's take a quick glance at how D and I spent (a portion of) our weekend, shall we? Last week D and I randomly ended up in the Wausau Starbucks (gee, I hate when that happens...) after an early evening drive to test how long it would take to get to that town from some property we were considering. 

Long story short, whilst waiting for my frappuccino, I noticed a flyer for Slow Food Marathon County Field Days and I was instantly intrigued. Several farms in the Marathon County area (all located just outside of Merrill, WI) were hosting open houses on Saturday where visitors could take tours of each property and get a behind-the-scenes look at relatively small-scale sustainable and organic farming. Five farms and one cheese shop were a part of the tour; we made it to four different farms but had to head back north for an evening engagement before we could hit up the fifth farm. (Admittedly, I was sad to miss out on the wood-fired pizza offered at Stoney Acres Farm - but I think there's a good chance we'll make it to one of their Friday night Pizza on the Farm events before the summer is out.)

Since D and I are looking to purchase a bit of acreage suitable for agriculture, our visit to these different farms served as a bit of a fact-finding mission. In addition to growing our own produce, D is interested in raising some livestock (chickens (broilers and layers), maybe some pigs, and perhaps a goat or two) -- though I'm a little nervous I'll become a bit too attached to all the little guys (see below for some cute farm critters). We don't have any plans to do anything other than raise food for ourselves; our farm visits taught us that running a farm is definitely not easy work (duh). 

Below are a few photos from the farms we visited. It was really interesting learning about all the different methods used, and it was great seeing how much care is taken with their livestock and the pride the farmers take in sustainably managing their land and animals. Many of the farms we visited sell their products at the farmers market in Wausau -- glad to know I have another place to go to find sustainably raised organic meats and produce in the area!

GrasWerka Farm

10806 9th Lane

Hamburg, WI

  {Berkshire piggy}

{Red Rangers}

{Cows}

{Laying ladies}

DanCin' Hills Farm
421 County F
Hamburg, WI

{Apple orchard}

{Goats}

Half Moon Hill Farm
625 County A
Hamburg, WI

{Sheep}

{Ducks}

{Newly planted berries}

Ninepatch Farm
10849 3rd Lane
Hamburg, WI

{Carrots just pulled from the ground}

(Hoop house tomatoes}

{Fields}

What's On the Side: Mashed Potatoes

Whenever roast chicken is on the menu, you can be assured that mashed potatoes will also be on the table at my house. For our Thanksgiving meal, I opted to follow a recipe to make "Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes." This recipe called for both Yukon Gold and Sweet Potatoes. I used Wisconsin-grown organic Creamy Gold potatoes and organic jewel sweet potatoes. However, my mashed potatoes lacked the two-tone coloration as my sweet potatoes were decidedly not orange on the inside. Regardless of their lack of orange pigmentation, they still added plenty of sweet potato flavor to the dish. I think the real highlight of this recipe is the addition of buttermilk, a smidgen of Greek yogurt, and a smattering of onion powder. I think this will be my go-to mashed potato recipe from here on out -- and I can assure you that they are just as good when just one type of potato is used, too.

Mashed Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes about six servings

1/2 tablespoon organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 pounds (about 3 medium-size) Wisconsin Cream Gold (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 pounds (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2/3 cup organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

pinch ground black pepper

pinch salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1. In a small container, stir together 1/2 tablespoon buttermilk, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, and onion powder. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chopped potatoes and leeks and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Drain and return the vegetables to the pot.
4. Add in 2/3 cup buttermilk, butter, and the prepared sauce. Mash with a potato masher. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve immediately.

(adapted from this Eating Well recipe)

What's On the Side: Wild Rice with Sausage and Dried Cranberries

After our adventure gathering wild rice earlier this autumn, I knew that I wanted to include this ingredient in our Thanksgiving feast. While paging through the November issue of Eating Well last weekend, I came upon a recipe for Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage, and used it as inspiration for my wild rice dish. This side dish turned out to be all sorts of Wisconsin-centric, as it included not only wild rice, but also bratwurst from locally-raised Berkshire pigs, locally-grown leeks, and locally-harvested and dried cranberries. The sausage and leeks add a nice savory flavor to the wild rice, which is complemented quite well by the sweetness (and tartness) of the dried cranberries.

Wild Rice with Sausage and Dried Cranberries (printer-friendly version)
makes about six servings

1 cup wild rice
2 cups filtered water (for cooking the rice)
1 cup chopped bratwurst, casings removed
1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
sea salt
ground black pepper

1. Cook the wild rice according to the package's instructions. (I cooked mine in my rice cooker using the "brown rice" setting.)
2. Meanwhile, remove the casing from the sausage and chop into small pieces.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Remove from the heat and place the cooked sausage on a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess fat.
4. In the same skillet, saute the chopped leek until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Combine together the cooked wild rice, cooked sausage and leeks, dried cranberries, and pecans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

(inspired by this Eating Well recipe)

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

Apparently it's soup week over here. After a dinner of bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes) one night, the next day we revisited the same concept and had creamy potato soup with chopped leftover sausage. (I am totally getting my money's worth from the 99-cent 10-lb bag of Wisconsin russet potatoes I bought at the grocery store over the weekend.) I, of course, had to make the soup in the slow cooker to make my life easier. Twenty minutes of prep is all it takes to throw this soup together. If you'd prefer to make a vegetarian version, leave out the sausage (obvs) and substitute veggie broth for the chicken broth. I topped my bowl of soup with shredded monterey jack cheese and a sprig of fresh thyme; I think freshly chopped chives would also be a great garnish option.

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup (printer-friendly version)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped scallions (white parts only)
5 cups diced peeled russet potatoes (about 5 medium)
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth [alternately, use low-sodium veggie broth to make this vegetarian]

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence
pinch rubbed sage
1/4 cup organic half-and-half
1 cup cooked sausage or bacon, chopped [optional]
shredded cheese for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and scallions and cook until softened, about five minutes.
2. In a 4-quart slow cooker bowl, add together the cooked onions and scallions, diced potatoes, chopped celery, and minced garlic. Top with the chicken broth. Season with pepper, herbes de Provence, and rubbed sage (optional).
3. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
4. Thirty minutes before eating, puree the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches using a blender (being careful to allow steam to escape from the blender). Add the soup back in to the slow cooker. Stir in the half-and-half. Cook for an additional half-hour.
5. Stir in cooked sausage or bacon, if desired.
6. Top with shredded cheese and serve.

(adapted from this recipe)

Friday Five ... On a Saturday

1. On a recent trip to Madison, D and I had breakfast at Marigold Kitchen. We both had an order of one of the morning's specials -- granola pancakes with fresh berries and 100% pure Wisconsin maple syrup. I am still dreaming about those pancakes, they were so good!

2. On that same trip to Madison, I stopped in at the National Mustard Museum, which recently relocated there from their original location in Mt. Horeb. I was there to pick up some mustard seeds -- after making ketchup from scratch last week, I think I'm ready to tackle homemade mustard!

3. When my Mom and Dad were in town last weekend, we roadtripped down to Chippewa Falls to visit Leinie Lodge, taste some brews, and tour the Leinenkugel brewery. Though I've had Leinie's brews a few times, after a round of tasting, I now know for sure what to order the next time I'm out for dinner. (The Creamy Dark and the Honey Weiss were my favorites.)

4. On our way to the brewery, we couldn't help stopping at a cheese shop along the route. At Yellowstone Cheese (located in Cadott, Wisconsin), we picked up a bag of fresh (and super squeaky) white cheddar curds. Fresh cheese curds are my favorite.

5. On the last day my parents were in town, we stopped in at The Crimson Cafe for lunch. I am definitely going to have to re-create the brie and apple sandwich (on a delish cranberry-wild rice bread) along with the mixed green salad with crumbled pecans, gorgonzola cheese, chopped apples, dried cherries, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

What's For Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Granola

We've been in the fall season for almost a month now, and I have yet to post a recipe involving pumpkin -- the horror! Since I just ran out of granola this morning, I needed to bake up another batch. I quickly decided that doing so would be the perfect occasion to add a little pumpkin flavor to my normal yogurt-and-granola breakfast routine. A bonus to baking up this granola? It makes the whole house smell like pumpkin pie. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Granola (printer-friendly version)
makes about 8 cups

5 cups 7-grain flakes (alternately, you can substitute in rolled oats)
1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the 7-grain flakes (or rolled oats), shredded coconut, sliced almonds, roasted pumpkin seeds, and chopped almonds. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, sea salt, honey, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the dried cranberries.
6. Spread the granola evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, patting the granola down evenly before putting the baking sheet back in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until the granola is golden brown.
8. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 1-2 hours.
9. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Three Things for Friday: Getting to Know the North

1. Tomorrow marks our first week as Wisconsinites (Wisconsiners? Wisconsinians? Cheeseheads?) Yesterday we made it official by getting our Wisconsin driver's licenses.

2. I've had quite a few grilled cheese sandwiches lately. Luckily, we joined the YMCA of the Northwoods--now I just need to work on my motivation to drive there everyday. It was a little bit easier in Philly when the gym was just a short five-block walk away.

3. This is our new backyard. Apparently we live on one of the best lakes in Rhinelander. Our landlords (who live next door) are letting us borrow their kayaks for the next week -- I cannot wait to go for a little paddle. Just waiting for our life jackets that we ordered the other day to be delivered!