Archive for 2011

Tiny and Sweet Seckel Pears

October 13, 2011 | Susan

Seckel pears are cute tiny pears that are only a few inches long with a round body and a small stem. Their skin is an olive green with a dark maroon blush that sometimes covers the entire pear with a pale white to yellow flesh. They are super sweet and have been described as sugar pears.

An 18^th century Pennsylvania farmer is credited with introducing the Seckel pear from a wild seedling. The tree is naturally a semi-dwarf which is about 40-75 % the size of a standard pear tree and grows to about 10-16 feet. Seckel pears are not grown commercially as much as other pears so don’t miss out if you find them in your grocery store.

Sweet Seckel pears are in season from late August through January. As the Seckel ripens, the olive-colored skin takes on a matte finish and the red darkens. As we talked about before, pears ripen from the inside out. Ripen at room temperature until the area near the stem yields to gentle pressure. Make sure your pear has a stem on it because once the interior is exposed to oxygen it will start to decay. Seckel’s store best in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You don’t want to ripen the pear first and then put it in the refrigerator or it will turn mushy. Unlike many pear varieties, Seckel’s don’t turn brown immediately upon cutting.

They are perfect for a snack in your children’s lunch, can be canned whole, delicious poached for desserts or roasted and served with meat. They also go well with light cheeses such as Manchego that won’t over power the delicate sweetness of the Seckel Pear.

Vanilla Poached Seckel Pears With Honey And Warm Spices

Sugar Pie Pumpkins from Tutti Frutti

October 11, 2011 | Susan

Fall is one of my favorite times of year as the weather turns colder, Halloween and Thanksgiving draw nearer and so does my desire to bake. Everywhere you look pumpkins of all colors are begging to be carved, displayed on your porch or cooked in your favorite recipe. The small and sweet Sugar Pie pumpkin with dark orange flesh is great to bake with and has a smooth texture. It is very versatile and can be used in cakes, pies, muffins, pasta and even salads.

Pumpkins have been grown around the world for centuries. They grow on every continent except for Antarctica. The top pumpkin-producing states in the U.S. include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Pumpkins are one of the top crops in the United States and over 1.5 billion pounds are produced annually. Interestingly, 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois. Pumpkins are planted in early July and need full sun. They take about 90-110 days to grow and are harvested when they have full color and don’t dent when you press a fingernail against the shell. The Sugar Pie pumpkin averages about 5-8 lbs, and about 10” in diameter. For the next two weeks we have them on special at Earl’s. Check out our weekly specials

Click here for easy and delicious Sugar Pie Pumpkin recipes

Sugar Pie Pumpkin Sweet and Savory Recipes

| Susan

Pumpkin Muffins
Whole Living October 2011
Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups pumpkin puree(see recipe below)
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 large eggs
1 cup turbinado sugar, plus 2 tablespoons more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 12 jumbo muffin tins (each with a 1-cup capacity) with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, yogurt, eggs, and 1 cup sugar to combine; add 1 cup walnuts and reserved dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Divide evenly and spoon batter into muffin tins; sprinkle tops with remaining walnuts and sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan.

Pumpkin Puree
Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally, scoop out the seeds and stringy matter and rub the cut sides with oil. Place the 2 sides face down in a roasting pan with one cup of water and bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes. Once the pumpkin is cool scoop out the flesh and put it in the food processor until it is pureed. Place a cheese cloth in a colander, add the puree and let it drain for about an hour. Lastly squeeze out the remaining liquids until only the solids are left.

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Whole Living October 2011
Serves 4

1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1 sugar pumpkin (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 pounds arugula (2 to 3 bunches, thick stems removed), washed and dried
6 ounces feta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread pepitas on a large rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss pumpkin with 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, red pepper, salt,and black pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until pumpkin is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove garlic cloves from sheet pan; set aside. Drizzle pumpkin with 2 tablespoons maple syrup; toss to coat. Return to oven and continue roasting, tossing occasionally, until pumpkin is glazed, 5 to 10 minutes more; let cool. Meanwhile, cut off root ends of garlic cloves; squeeze out garlic and mash to a paste with the side of a knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lime juice, mustard, and remaining maple syrup; season with salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add remaining oil in a steady stream; set aside. Add arugula and pumpkin and toss to combine. Serve salad sprinkled with toasted pepitas and crumbled feta cheese.

Pumpkin Thyme Rigatoni
Whole Living October 2011

1/2 pound rigatoni
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-size onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
2 cups chicken stock, or low-sodium canned
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the rigatoni and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the chicken stock and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the pumpkin is fork-tender. Add the cinnamon, lemon juice, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the pasta and serve.

Cameo Apple

October 10, 2011 | Susan

The Cameo Apple is a newer variety that has been grown since 1988. When Darrel Caudle from Dryden, WA planted a new apple tree in his orchard, he noticed that the apples were striped red with a cream background instead of the solid color he was expecting. Today all Cameo trees are descended from Darrel’s seedling, which is still producing fruit in his hillside orchard.

Cameo apples are grown almost exclusively in Washington. The hot, dry days, cool nights and pure mountain water produce apples with extraordinary sweet and tart flavor with a lot of crunch. Cameo apples are known for their beautiful red color and their thin tender skin.

The growing season begins around March with a small fragrant apple blossom that turns into a pink flower blossom around the first part of May. As the maturing apple grows the flower blossom will fall off. Cameo’s are harvested around October when the fruit is at its peak flavor and color has developed. Since apples don’t all ripen at once, this can involve three or four hand pickings.

Cameo apples are dense enough to keep their shape during cooking and because the skins are so thin they don’t need to be peeled. They are also perfect for snacking on anytime.

Try Cameo’s in a Mocha-Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Photo courtesy of Produce Oasis

Mocha-Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

| Susan

Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Annette Joseph

Millie Souza, Fall River, Massachusetts, Southern Living SEPTEMBER 2011

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups peeled and diced baking apples(Cameo, Granny Smith, Pippen, Golden Delicious, Jonathan) (about 2 lb.)
2 (2.6-oz.) milk chocolate candy bars, chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
2. Beat sugar and next 4 ingredients at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 5 minutes. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Add apples, chocolate, and pecans; beat just until blended. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake at 350º for 28 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Spread Browned Butter Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Brown Butter Frosting

1 cup butter
1 (16-oz) package powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan immediately from heat. Pour butter into a bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.