Notes from Windward: #67

 

Wild Harvest Apple Pies

Lindsay and Nikki doing a bit of wild-crafting


     One component of landscape design that the early homesteaders in the Klickitat River Valley seemed to understand thoroughly was the integral role that fruit trees played---so they planted several trees and multiple varieties. Apples, pears, plums, elderberries, together they supply a kitchen with a wonderful array of ingredients for various creations: jams, preserves, pies, dried fruit, beverages. And since different types of fruit, as well as different varieties of a single type, ripen at different times of the season, the right combination of trees allows for a continual harvest from late summer into the fall.

  

     Fortunately for us, the early homesteaders knew this. And fortunately for us (though presumably unfortunately for them), these homesteads were abandoned, leaving the ripening fruit for the taking by birds, deer and purposeful wanderers before it serves to fertilize the soil beneath the tree with its organic matter. Since the Windward trees are still relatively young and not bearing copious amounts of fruit, we welcome the additional fruit to our supplies.

     Over the past few weeks, we have picked a couple buckets full of apples. They have made for refreshing snacks on theses hot, dry, August days. But even an apple lover such as myself cannot eat that many apples, and while apples keep well, they take up a lot of refrigerator space. So today, Nikki and I started on the venture of processing the apples into other treats to be enjoyed both now and during the winter months when fresh fruit is hard to come by. We dehydrated several batches, by slicing them thinly and letting the dehydrator work its magic.

  

     And Nikki mixed together some pie crust and baked two delicious apple pies. I’m sure these will be the first of many more apple concoctions to come.

Apple Pie Recipe (from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

For the crust: (makes 5 pie crusts)
  • 4 cups unsifted flour
  • 1 Tbs Honey
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups shortening
  • 1 Tbs white cider vinegar
  • ½ cup + 1 Tbs water

For the filling: (makes 2 pies)
  • ¾-1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 ½ Tbs flour
  • 10 cups apples (we kept the peels on)
  • 2 Tbs shortening

    Preheat to 425. Line 9 inch pan with pie crust. Mix apples with sugar and spices. Place apple mixture on top of bottom crust layer. Add shortening on top of apples. Roll dough to add on top of apples, crimp edges, and cut a few vents on top. Bake 10 min then lower heat to 350 and bake 30-40 min or until apples are tender and crust is browned.

    		  


    Notes From Windward - Index - Vol. 67