Apple Picking Time

Autumn is here!!!

I think that the leaves are turning a week or so early, this year, because of the drought. However, finally, we've had two lovely days of soaking rain. It was glorious! The grass is starting to be green and glowing again.

A week ago, my sister came by to pick some apples to make apple chutney for Rose Arbour. We had a lovely time picking and I thought that perhaps it's time for me to share the recipe for apple cheddar quiche.

(Suzy took this photo with my camera =])

Apple Cheddar Quiche

- 3 cooking apples (peeled, cored and cut into chunks) and 3 Tb butter to saute them with

- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar (grated)

- 1 cup cottage cheese

- 1 cup half and half

- 4 eggs, 2 yolks

(all lightly whisked together)

- cinnamon sugar and salt

- pie crust (I like Pillsbury's refrigerated dough for ease but there is a gorgeous whole wheat recipe in the Silver Palate cookbook if you're lucky enough to own it)

1)  Saute apples in 3 TB butter until softened but still firm (about 5 minutes)

2)  Put pie crust in pie or tart dish

3)  layer apples, grated cheddar and egg mixture.

4)  shake some salt over all and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for around 45 minutes or so. The center should be definitely set but not cooked all the way through. Let stand for 15 minutes to finish cooking and to firm up.

Eat!

By the way, can you peel an apple all in one go without breaking the skin? You could if you'd done it as many times as I have when I was working at Rose Arbour! hee hee!

One of my absolutely favorite smells is the aroma of apples cooking in butter.

Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!

How does one blog a smell?

     Speaking of quiche...... perhaps this is a good time to tell you about the fate of the mammoth egg. Well, I kept it, I couldn't bear to harm it - it was such a work of art. After a short while, however, it began to occur to me that this had the potential of being a wretched idea. I began to have dreams of photographing it on a silk pillow or under glass before I cooked it. Then, one of our hens laid a tiny egg and, of course,  I just had to photograph them together. However, one day, I came into the kitchen a moment too late. Mammoth was scrambled and the little one cracked in the trash. I guess that Tom had a right to eat it. After all, he really is the chicken farmer around here! Oh, well! He reports that it was indeed a double yolk; so, for those of you who were wondering about the fate of our incredible egg, that was it!

I must say, though, there is nothing like a quiche made with your own super fresh eggs!