Possibly the most nostalgic smell from my childhood would have to be homemade applesauce. The apples usually came from apple trees in our yard or from my grandparent’s yard. Every fall a large bowl of multicolored red, pink and golden apples flecked with pocks and oftentimes worm holes, was common place in my mother’s kitchen.

I anxiously looked forward to the sound of the 1970’s red-handled apple peeler and corer grinding through the aromatic apples and watching it spray sweet and sticky apple juice on the counter and floor. After chopping and stirring, the heavenly smell of sauteed apples with cinnamon and brown sugar would coat the air. It would stretch and swell throughout the kitchen, creep into the hallways, living areas and even spread itself out onto the couch and weave its way into the fabric of our clothes. And before my dad would reach the front door of the house, the scent was already welcoming him home.

As we welcome fall, what better way to embrace it then with long lasting autumn flavors. Here is my mother’s ultra simple homemade Slow Cooked Applesauce:

Other fall recipes to try:

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My grandma’s name is Betty, so this lip-smacking apple treat holds a special place in my heart. And belly. But, as much as I’d like to give my dear sweet granny credit for this traditional dessert, it came about long before her.

No one really knows who the real “Brown Betty” was, as there are a number of stories out there. I like to think of her as a tough and mighty pioneer woman who could wield both knife and saucepan like no other. All while breastfeeding one child, consoling another, cooking supper, laying a table for eight, and building a fire in the corner.

Ah, there’s just something us modern women lack that those tough old gals of yesteryear possessed.

But, thankfully, we have iPhones.

Apple Brown Betty

2 cups coarse day-old bread
6 cups baking apples (e.g. Granny Smith)
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup raisins, optional

Grease an 11 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle approximately 1/3 of the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the baking dish. Place ½ of the apples over the bread crumbs.

Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle half of this sugar mixture over the apples. Add 1/3 of the breadcrumbs, another layer of apples, then sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mixture. Top with the final 1/3 of the breadcrumbs (we also sprinkled a it of oatmeal on top. Not traditional, but good texture).

Splash the lemon juice and water over the top of the Apple Brown Betty. Cut the butter up in small chunks and place around on top of the apple casserole.

Bake covered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, cover, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

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I grew up in New York and Vermont and have always had the belief that Northeastern apples are better than Washington apples. Now I know that will be offensive to a lot of people in my adopted state of Washington, but fear not Washington Apple Commission, I am hereby declaring that I was WRONG! I’ve been tasting various Washington apples at farmers’ markets and am really enjoying them, but I was still missing my all-time favorite, the Macoun. Never heard of it? Well, that’s a mighty shame.

The Macoun (pronounced MaCowan) is an apple from New York State that was developed as a hybrid in the 1930s. I love it because it is crunchy and juicy with bright white flesh and a beautiful combo of red and green on the skin. Macouns have the perfect balance of sweet and sour for my taste. They are great for cooking, eating sliced with a nice sharp cheddar cheese, or simply biting into and enjoying.

Then it happened last weekend…I found Macouns at the West Seattle Farmer’s Market. Big thanks to Stina Booth and John Richardson, of the Booth Canyon Orchard in Carlton, Washington, for growing these fantastic apples!

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Nothing screams summer barbecue like a good old fashioned cheese burger. But since the price of beef has increased it’s nice to have another tasty and satisfying alternative. Many people wrinkle their noses at the thought of a turkey burger, as they are usually dry, boring and uninspiring. I’m hoping to change that perception – at least in my circle of friends!

Asia met Washington State the other night when I created these delicious and juicy burgers. What ground turkey needs – especially turkey breast- is an ingredient that will not only add, but lock in, moisture in the meat. I’ve done this before with onion, but this time I went for the Triple Crown: red onion, green apple and fresh ginger. All ingredients providing moisture, flavor and texture.

Apple Ginger Turkey Burgers

1 – 1.5 lb ground turkey breast
1 Granny Smith apple, grated with peel on
2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled (about 1/2 – 3/4 tablespoon)
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Crush the peeled ginger through a garlic press, and add the grated apple and diced onion. Add the soy sauce and a couple pinches of salt and a few good cranks of fresh ground pepper. Mix well with your hands, then form into patties (about 4-5).

Grill a few minutes on each side or until juices no longer run red. Patties should feel slightly firm, but not hard.

Great topped with Brie (shown) or sharp white cheddar.

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When you land at the airport in Obregón, Mexico, as we did on our way back from Puerto Vallarta, you can buy candied apples for $2 a piece. And here’s the best part – the Mexican Immigration and Customs officials are the ones selling them! Like Girl Scouts selling cookies they have them sitting right there on the desk in a cardboard box. A dozen or so beautiful tamarind candied apples wrapped in cellophane and tied with little ribbons. I’d love to know how the wife suckered her Customs Official-husband into selling her apples to tourists. “Gustavo, just a few, por favor. They’ll love them, just you wait.” And we did. On the way down we bought one and the way back we bought five. How do you like them apples?

After tasting the tamarind apple I will no longer be able to eat a regular old caramel apple (when was the last time I had one anyway I cannot tell you). It was unlike anything we had ever eaten. Crisp Granny Smith apples were wrapped in a paste made of tamarind (a sweet and sour fruit pulp), chili powder, sugar and salt. The result is a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Wouldn’t it be nice if our Customs officials sold sweet little treats to tourists…apple by apple we could whittle away at the national debt!

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