Yummy Yards CSA BOX 13

I still had apples falling this week, so I searched the web and found an interesting-looking  apple cake.  Or was it a pie?  Kind of both.  It used loads of apples, so call it what you like, it did the trick.  It was easy and tasty and HUGE.  It was so big that after 3 days there was still half of it left, and the apple had seeped into the crust, making it too mushy for my liking.  I would recommend this cake for a large gathering.  Gobble it all up the day it is made and the crust will still be nicely caramelized, like the best bits on the top of an apple crisp.

I added 1 tsp. ground cardamom to the original recipe. I don’t seem able to make a recipe as written…

http://www.marthastewart.com/341316/apple-pie-cake   

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Next we have a very delicate, creamy soup, with lingering flavours of roasted garlic and squash. Mine turned out a little greenish because I tossed in the zucchini water left over from making zucchini bread.  It would look nicer without the green tinge, and perhaps be  a little more elegant without the corn, but a delicious, warming soup; just right for a fall evening.  While wearing a sweater.  And a pair of Phentex slippers.

Roasted Squash and Garlic Soup with Fresh Corn

• 4 or 5 small crookneck squash, unpeeled, cut into chunks
• 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tsp.  plus 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• Vegetable broth
• 1 ear corn, kernels cut off
• Cream
• Salt and pepper

Toss in 1 tsp. olive oil, then roast garlic and squash at 400 degrees in oven until tender.  Peel and chop garlic when cool.

Sauté onion in 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add garlic, squash, bay leaf and broth.  Simmer until all veg is soft.  Remove bay leaf.  Purée soup with hand blender.  Add corn and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes.  Adjust salt and pepper.  Add a splash of cream just before serving.

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Still on the topic of food to enjoy with slippers when the weather starts to change, I used to be crazy about Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate.  One day I ran out, and after a little experimentation hit upon a recipe that is much, much better.  The original recipe is at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-hot-cocoa/.  I’ve adapted it to be less sweet and lower in calories, since it uses way less sugar and evaporated milk instead of cream.  And if I need a Mexican chocolate fix I can always just add a pinch of cinnamon and maybe a little chile pepper.

Perfect Hot Cocoa

• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 2 or 3 cups milk – I use 1%
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Mini marshmallows, of course

Whisk the cocoa, sugar and salt together in a medium pot.  Whisk in the boiling water .  Heat the sludge to a gentle boil, then add the milks.  Heat just to the point of boiling.  The more you whisk, the frothier it will become.  Turn off heat.  Add vanilla.  Pour into cups and top with marshmallows. 

Ahhh, good chocolate.

Hmm.  Time for some new slippers…