Apple Cobbler (sort of)

A few months ago, I made my first attempt at homemade pie crust, something that I'd shied away from because, well, I've had a lot of bad homemade pie crusts and seen a lot of recipes and tips for "fool-proof" pie crust. These two indicators led me to believe making pie crust is tricky, and since Pillsbury helpfully markets a delicious ready-made refrigerated crust, I'd never seen the point in tackling it myself.

Nowadays, though, I'm more curious about whether homemade versions of everything are better, and approach new experiences with a "How hard can it be, really?" sort of attitude. What finally led me to try making my own crust was wanting to make a lemon meringue pie at 9:30 on a Friday night and not feeling like going to the store for the aforementioned Pillsbury crust. I seized the moment, and the crust actually turned out really well. It's not that hard. The secret, as I'd read many times, is very cold butter and ice water. I still have some trouble with the whole rolling out dough process, but I'm getting better.

Anyway, the recipe made two 9-inch crusts, so one went in the bottom of the lemon meringue pie pan and one went in the freezer, to be pulled out months later for tonight's dessert.

I had planned to make an apple galette -- or my version of one, anyway, in which I put a pie crust on a baking sheet, fill it with sugared fruit, and fold up the edges. It's a simple, rustic-looking dessert and seemed like the perfect finished for tonight's inelegant pasta dinner.

I peeled, cored, and sliced four Macintosh apples of dubious quality. The flesh was surprisingly white and very juicy. Almost too juicy - the texture was firm, but still sort of spongy.  I'd read that Macintosh apples were very good for baking, so I picked these up at the local grocery store, which was sheer laziness -- I probably should have waited until I could get some local ones at the greenmarket. These were billed as "Produce of USA" at the Hispanic grocery store down the street, though, so that should have been fine, right? Toss them with brown sugar , cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice and they should work, I figured.

I got the apples all ready and then turned my attention to the thawing crust. I started unrolling it, and found that it was still pretty stiff, but I needed to get that thing in the oven, so I tried to coax it flat. Mistake! You can't rush pastry dough. It cracked into a bunch of pieces.

The best idea I could come up with to avoid wasting the crust was a cobbler of sorts. I put the apples in a shallow baking dish (so much for that lovely rustic galette), dotted them with a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter, and arranged the pastry strips on top, finishing them with an egg wash. I used the whole egg, which I read about in some recipe online, but I think just using the yolk would have yielded a better finish.

After about an hour in a 325-degree oven, the dish was smelling divine. While it cooled, I whipped some cream, remembering to pop the stainless steel mixing bowl and whisk (okay, the beater for the electric hand mixer) into the freezer for a few minutes first, which makes the cream thicken so much faster. That's a truly handy kitchen tip, folks.

The cobbler, while completely edible, was a little disappointing. The crust didn't get quite as  golden brown as I'd have liked. The apples had gone mushy, and I like the pieces to retain their shape and crunch somewhat. I think fresher apples, or maybe another variety, might have helped. The flavor was okay -- a little too sweet, maybe, although the apples had a slight tartness to them that balanced that out. I think I needed some other spices -- maybe a pinch of ginger, or some nutmeg. Some toasted walnuts might have made a nice addition, too.

Despite being less-than-spectacular, this dish was totally adequate as a quick weeknight dessert. And who am I trying to kid? I'd rather have a so-so dessert than no dessert at all.

Sausage and Kale Pasta

Much like American Express, CSA membership has its privileges. Throughout the summer, Zac and I brought home bulging bags of tender lettuces, fresh herbs, and crunchy carrots. We also brought home more radishes and beets than I ever wanted to eat, and several bunches of epazote, a powerfully flavored Mexican herb used in bean dishes. 

We received several bundles of kale, too. I’d never used it before but quickly developed a liking for its earthy flavor. Plus, it seems like a very virtuous thing to eat -- probably full of folic acid and other healthy stuff. With one bunch, Zac made some excellent kale and black bean tacos with bacon, and we used another bunch in a hearty soup with leftover roast pork.

One morning last week I pulled some garlic-and-gruyere sausages from the freezer and took a quick inventory of what else we had on hand for that night’s dinner. We still had broccoli and kale from our last CSA share, and I used all three in this recipe, adapted from Southern Living.

Sausage and Kale Pasta

Adapted from Southern Living

Small bundle kale, washed well
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 package whole wheat pasta (farfalle or similar)
3 sausages (Polish, Italian, fancypants specialty ones – it’s your preference)
1  medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2  garlic cloves, minced
1/4  cup  balsamic vinegar
2 c. chicken broth
8  fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1  tablespoon  chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2  teaspoon  pepper
1/4  teaspoon  salt
3  tablespoons  pine nuts, toasted
½ cup grated gruyere or parm or other hard cheese

Put on big pot of salted water to boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, remove kale’s thick stems, and cut or tear leaves into strips; set aside.

If starting with uncooked sausage, slice and fry them in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned. If you’re using a loose sausage, like Italian, you can remove the skins and crumble the meat instead of slicing it. (I used smoked sausage, so I just sliced them and added them towards the end to heat them through.) Remove sausage to a bowl. 

When the water starts boiling, stir in the pasta, put a metal colander or steamer basket over the pot, and place kale and/or broccoli inside. (If your colander or steamer is big enough you can steam all the vegetables at once; mine’s not so I did the kale first and then the broccoli.) Cover tightly and let steam for about 3-5 minutes, or until kale softens and broccoli turns bright green.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, add onion and mushrooms to sausage grease in Dutch oven, and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add vinegar, and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and kale; cook 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli, basil, and next 4 ingredients; cook 1 minute. Stir in pasta and sausage; cook until thoroughly heated (about 5 minutes).

Spoon portions into bowls and sprinkle with pine nuts and grated cheese.