No more apple pie....

On September 27th, Shelburne Orchard hosted its 7th annual Pie Fest.  M and I entered two pies.  Well I made both but he supervised. LOL  We had been testing pies for over 4 weeks in preparation for the big day.

McIntosh, Pippin, Wolf, Paula Red....the list of apples goes on and on.  My dining room table was covered in apples.  I tried several kinds of crusts - All butter, butter and Crisco, butter and lard, butter and cream cheese.....butter butter butter.... The fillings were basic as the contest was a classic apple pie contest.  M kept wanting to get fancy and I think ultimately wore himself out.  For a man who does not like apples, he sure put away alot of apple pie.  The ultimate compliment I think and I thank him for his tenacity.

I had a couple of meltdowns.  Crust was not pretty enough...pie exhaustion.  But we finished at 4am the day of the contest.  Before I reveal the pics....here are my top tips.

• All butter is the way to go - though it is the most difficult crust to deal with
• Lattice tops DO count as double crust entries - we were not sure. 
• Lattice tops can hide alot of flaws
• Pyrex glass pie pans are the best - they allow for the crust to brown on the bottom
• I loved Pippin apples - firm and tasty - no falling apart in the pie
• Put sugar in your crust - no question just do it.
• Half and half wash over egg wash
• Murray River salt is awesome!

Now the pictures.....

My pie - Classic Apple Pie

M's "Pie"

The Competition

The Mother of All Pies

So the real question - did we win?  Sadly...no.  But I know my pie was up there with the best. The judges came back a few times to retaste my pie.  I need to work on my appearance...needs to be fancier.  I will post the recipes later this week.

But I am now sick of apple pie. I keep finding dough all over my kitchen and I still have a whole bowl of apples left.

Happy Autumn!

Shelburne Orchards Apple Pie Contest

I like pie.  But pie scares me.

I don't make pies.  Well, let me amend that.  I make pies but only with Pillsbury premade pie crust.  But usually I stay away from pies because I don't feel right about the cheat.  Same way I don't like cakes out of a box.

This contest challenged me to make my own crust.  M also joined in so we could do this together.  We visited the orchard yesterday to scope out the apples available and to taste their version of an apple pie.  The apple picking was lots of fun and their pie was...ok.  So we feel we have a chance.

The evening began with a dining room table piled with different apples.  M started on the filling spice mixture. He is very creative with tastes and loved mixing and then my tasting.  He didn't always love my taste "faces".  He loves ginger - I can only take ginger in moderation.

I had gathered pie crust recipes from a veteran pie maker - my step-mother and from a variety of favorite authors - Mark Bittman, America's Test Kitchen, etc.  But I admit I was intimidated.  My one and only pie crust attempt was in my early twenties and ended in disaster.  A crust that had no taste and a chocolate pudding that gushed out after the first cut.  My father and boyfriend at the time were very kind but I knew I made a mess of it.  Not to mention the 3 pounds of chicken breasts drowning in dijon mustard sauce that made us all pucker our faces.  I shudder just to think of it.

So I stood among a pile of butter, lard and Crisco waiting for the magic to begin.  The Joy of Cooking recipe required butter and Crisco. Crisco scares me, but people swear by it for crusts.  The second recipe was all butter.  The food processor is a godsend people.  Forget hand cutting - go get yourself a kitchen aid. 

Tips for a great crust:

• All fats need to be VERY VERY cold
• Use your food processor
• Watch the dough - it will tell you when it is ready
• Ice water is critical to bring it together
• Double your recipe

I rolled out the first crust and it was way to small for the double crust pie required by the contest.  So I pieced it together swearing to myself the whole time.  Oh if you don't know me...here is a unattractive flaw in my personality...

If I can't do something perfectly or close to perfect the first time I HATE DOING IT!!!!!!!

I usually can do things pretty good the first time...pie crust was not such a thing for me.  I was snippy and bitchy and exasperated.  M took a good beating like a champ and laughed at me for being a perfectionist.

I apologized.  And then the pie came out of the oven.  The crust looked good and tasted flakey and delicious.  Next time - double the recipe and voila!  I will take those 80 year grannies down. *smirk*

See M - I am close to perfect!  Lucky man.

More pies to come!

Love, Your Vermont Apple Pie Bitch - A

Green Chicken Chili - Wednesday night dinner.

My mother made this dish first and then I perfected it.  Oh I know its ON mom and I say bring it!!!!! :-)

Green Chicken Chili - serving: A nice big pot full!

 

2 large onions, chopped

 

3 TB Olive oil

 

8 medium size white potatoes, chopped into smallish cubes - think bite size

 

3 large poached or grilled chicken breasts

 

1 and a half jars of green tomatillo salsa (Frontera is a good brand but I made my own which was way easy)

 

1 /2 packet of chicken chili seasoning

 

3 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (cannelini or kidney)

 

1 - 2 cups of of chicken stock

 

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. When potatoes are firm but moving towards soft, drain and hold aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and saute until they are mostly clear and soft. Add chicken cubes and mix together.
• Add beans and salsa and stir.
• Add potatoes and chili seasoning.
• If chili is too thick, add small amounts of chicken stock until it is the right consistancy.
• Let simmer for about an hour but you can eat right away if you like.
• When ready to serve, add chopped cilantro and mix.

Serve with sour cream and extra cilantro. I also serve with crusty bread and Dos Equis Mexican beer.

 

Slow Food Tomato Fest 2009 - Thanks to Anonymous David!

This looks delightful.  Calling out to all my Chicago friends and family.  Please check this out!  I am so jealous.  Thanks David for pointing this out.  Maybe next year....sigh.

Slow Food Tomato Fest 2009

Too many apples....

Well it is well known that men's eyes are bigger than their stomachs. This is why I have a huge bowl of Vermont apples idling away in my largest bowl. Despite promises to consume these lovely fruits from the men of the household...the bowl remains full. So it is up to me to make this right.

In keeping with my current interest in Gluten free cooking, I give you Maple Apple Crisp.

Maple Apple Crisp - serves 8

7 tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 TB. maple syrup
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, room temp.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix apples, lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup. Toss to coat.
  
• Layer apples in a 9 x 12 inch glass pan.
  
• Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and oatmeal in bowl. Cut in butter to make pea size pieces. Sprinkle over apples.
  
• Bake 45 minutes until golden brown and crispy
  
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream