Name: Dutch Apple Cranberry Crêpe Filling
Prep time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10 -12 filled crêpes
Ingredients: 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. tart apples (I use about 5 Granny Smiths); 1/3 cup dried cranberries; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ teaspoon lemon zest; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg; Pinch allspice; 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 3 tablespoons butter; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cornstarch (only if necessary; see note); Whipped Cream

Dutch Apple Cranberry Crepes {Recipe}

December 21 By Renée ♥ 9 Comments

Looking for an easy brunch that will Wow your overnight holiday guests? Dutch Apple Cranberry Crêpes are just the thing! (They will make your house smell fabulous too!

Dutch Apple Cranberry Crêpe Filling

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 10 -12 filled crêpes

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. tart apples I use about 5 Granny Smiths
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch allspice
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch only if necessary; see note

1 Batch Sweet Vanilla Crêpes

Additional Ingredients:

Whipped Cream

Instructions

Make a batch of Sweet Vanilla Crepes.

Dutch Apple Filling:

Peel, core, and slice apples into a large mixing bowl. Add dried cranberries (if desired), and then lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice. Toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let set for about half an hour.
In a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together, stirring frequently. When mixture begins to bubble, add salt and reduce temperature to medium low.
Add prepared apple mixture and bring to mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook apples until they are no longer crunchy, but still have some texture to them. (You don’t want applesauce!)
If the mixture is very runny, add cornstarch a half-teaspoon at a time and simmer until thickened.

Assembling the Crêpes

Fill crêpes with prepared Dutch Apple Cranberry Filling, fold and garnish with whipped cream and dried cranberries.

Sweet Vanilla Crêpes Recipe

Rotkohl {German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage}

October 10 By Renée ♥ 5 Comments

Each mouthful of this traditional Prussian Rotkohl {German Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage} is a symphony of smokey, sweetly spiced notes with just a hint of sour for balance.

When I started planning this Oktoberfest series a while back, I had originally intended to post my own recipe for Rotkohl* (rhymns with “ricebowl”) today. But then Mr. B and I went over to visit our old friends Eric and Lurissa** a few weeks ago, where they treated us to a most delicious German feast: sauerbraten, spaetzle, smoked bratwurst, rotkohl, sauerkraut and apple strudel. (I did contribute a pot of Hot German Potato Salad to round out the meal, just in case someone was feeling like they needed more carbs.)

Every bite of our dinner was delicious, but it was the Rotkohl that really got my attention. Each mouthful was a symphony of smokey, sweetly spiced notes with just a hint of sour for balance. No question about it – this was the recipe I wanted to post! Needless to say, I asked for it immediately, and Eric generously shared what I later learned was a genuine family heirloom with me. Turns out, Eric’s Rotkohl is an old Prussian version, passed down from his GrandPa, George Lorenz, whose family came from Breslau, Prussia (now Wroclaw, Poland).

Rotkohl {Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage}

Author George Lorenz {Courtesy of Eric Overby}

Ingredients

Traditional Version

3 - 4 slices peppered bacon cut in 1 inch pieces
1 head thinly sliced red cabbage
1 large red onion thinly sliced
2 apples peeled and sliced thin
2 Tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar or honey
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. of these spices: Cinnamon nutmeg, allspice

Vegetarian Adaptation

Omit Bacon and add:

1/2 cup water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil

Instructions

In a large enamel pot or Dutch oven, sauté bacon until limp but not crisp.
Add cabbage, onion and apple slices and drizzle olive oil or grape seed oil. Toss to coat with bacon drippings. Cover and simmer until cabbage starts to become limp.
Add vinegar (red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar particularly good), brown sugar and remaining spices. Continue simmering, covered ½ hour to 45 minutes, folding over every 10 minutes, the longer you simmer, the better the flavor.
Taste and adjust spices before serving. Really good leftover and reheated.

Recipe Notes

Vegetarian Adaptation: Heat water in microwave. Dissolve bouillon cubes and set aside. Proceed as directed above, beginning with Step 2. Add the bouillon when you add the vinegar.

Like Hot German Potato Salad, Rotkohl may be served hot or cold and is even better the next day!

NOTES:
* I had originally been taught to call this Blaukraut. “Rotkohl” and “Blaukraut”are often used synonymously, but they are really two different dishes, as I learned while researching this post. Rotkohl always has among its ingredients an acid, which keeps the cabbage red, while blaukraut does not, which results in a much bluer end product.

** Speaking of history… when I said “old friends,” I meant it! This is me and Lurissa in the 1st grade. Eric didn’t come to our school for another six years, and it was three years after that before I met Mr. B.

P.S. Sure, I could have cropped this image shorter, but I love my go-go boots way too much to cut them out of the picture! (Some things never change.)

What’s on your Oktobestfest menu?

Easy Apfelstrudel {Apple Strudel}

October 8 By Renée ♥ 7 Comments

Fresh, crisp, and sweetly spiced, this Easy Apfelstrudel {Apple Strudel} is fancy enough for the most elaborate Oktoberfest menu, yet simple enough for any night of the year.

Fresh, crisp, and sweetly spiced, this Easy Apfelstrudel {Apple Strudel} is fancy enough for the most elaborate Oktoberfest menu, but simple enough for any night of the year. | The Good Hearted Woman

[Photo Courtesy of Kendra of Bellezamia]

Last week, after a great visit to Oregon Heritage Farms, I came home with my arms laden with bags of Jonagolds, all set to make something sweet and delicious. And since this is Oktoberfest season, what could be more perfect than Apple Strudel? (Or, as my high school German teacher Frau Müller would say, Apfelstrudel.)

However, making strudel pastry from scratch is talent I have yet to master: the delicate dough must be rolled so thin that you can read a newspaper through it. So while some traditionalists may cringe at the idea of using store-bought phyllo dough, I embrace it. Not only do I love the flaky, paper-thin crunch that the phyllo lends to the finished pastry, but the substitution makes this recipe (nearly) foolproof.

Apple Strudel

Course Dessert

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

6 cups thinly sliced baking apples e.g., Jonagold, Granny Smith*
3/4 cup golden raisins
Zest of one lemon
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup almonds ground
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 to 1 1/4 cups butter melted (do not use margarine!)
12 leaves phyllo pastry thawed (1/2 box)

Instructions

In a small skillet, saute breadcrumbs in 1/4 cup melted butter until toasty. Set aside.
Mix together sliced apples, raisins, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds. (Note: It is important that you do this right before you assemble the strudels, or the mixture may become too juicy for the delicate phyllo leaves.)

To assemble strudels:

Place one phyllo leaf on a kitchen towel and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
Place a second leaf on top and brush with butter again. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
Repeat until 6 leaves have been used.
Spread filling in a 3-inch strip along the narrow end of the phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border on the sides.
Lift towel and use it to help you roll up the strudel. Press the ends down to seal. (I don't worry too much about this - some filling may come out, but it always turns out fine.)
Brush top of the strudel with butter and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs.
Repeat to make the second strudel.
Bake the strudels at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned.

If you look closely at my pictures, you might notice that I roll my strudel both the “long way” and the “short way.” (I prefer the long way though.) It doesn’t really matter: one way, you get a short, fat strudel, and the other you end up with a long, skinny strudel. It’s really just a matter of personal preference.

What’s on your Oktobestfest menu?

Pick of the Season: Apples! {Oregon Heritage Farms}

October 7 By Renée ♥ 5 Comments

The heady scent of fresh apples is in the air, drawing me out to the country once again.

There is nothing like a fresh apple straight from the farm. No mandated chemical wash, no oiling up like little round weightlifting contestants. Just apples – sweet, tart, crisp and clean.

One of my favorite fall produce destinations is Oregon Heritage Farms, a family owned, farm-direct store that offers apples, cider, and fresh local produce from the end of August through mid-November.

Oregon Heritage Farms grows their fruit trees in long, hedge-like rows using a European system known as Espalier. This method has a long history dating back to the ancient Romans, but wasn’t perfected until several hundred years ago by the French, who are responsible for naming the system espalier (a derivation of the French word épaule, meaning shoulder).

I remember many years ago being fascinated as we watched the thousands of apples trees going in, all set in long, carefully cultivated rows and supported by the unique post and wire support system. If you’ve never seen apples grown in this fashion, it is worth a trip out to Washington County just to see it.

Oregon Heritage Farms now grows about 100,000 fruit trees, including ten varieties of apples, as well as Asian pears and a few other fruits.

A perfect way to spend an autumn afternoon with the family, Oregon Heritage Farms offers free apple and cider tasting throughout the season. In addition, weekends in October are full of activities for everyone in the family: hay rides, apple rope maze, jumping apple, and apple slingshot – all $3 each, with proceeds going to benefit the local Hillsboro High School Baseball team. Pumpkin and food sales from the Snack Shack also go towards helping HHS have a successful baseball season!

In addition to apples and fresh flowers, you can find a variety of hand-crafted items in the farm store.

Every year, Oregon Heritage Farms hosts APPLEFEST in early October. This year’s celebration will feature live music by “Get Rhythm” (who doesn’t love a good Johnny Cash cover band?), face painting by Roger, and balloon artist “Not Your Average Joe.” Learn more about APPLEFEST 2014 here.

Oregon Heritage Farms

Many varieties of apples available, featuring Jonagold, Honey Crisp & Gala. Free tasting of apples & cider. Seasonal vegetables & fruits. Country crafts & gifts. Weekend hay rides in October. Annual Applefest, 2nd Sat. in Oct. Fun for whole family.

Directions:
Located 8 miles SW of Washington Square on Scholls Fy. Look for our big red barn & Oregon Heritage Farms sign!

Season:
mid-August – mid-November
Hours:
10am-5pm daily

Website:

22801 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Hillsboro, Oregon
503-628-APPL (503-628-2775)

Disclosure: This post is part of a renewed emphasis on Farm-to-Table, and I received no financial compensation for writing it. I did, however, receive a couple of bags of beautiful apples for free, which I will be highlighting in tomorrow’s recipe post! All opinions are my own.

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin {with Savory Raisin-Nut Stuffing & Pumpkin Gravy}

November 11 By Renée ♥ 13 Comments

Overflowing with the goodness of fruit, nuts, veggies, and whole grains and complete with pumpkin gravy, Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin is the perfect centerpiece to your holiday meal.

Looking for a warm, rich, and satisfying vegetarian main dish for your holiday menu this year? Something healthy that everyone will love? This is it!!

When I got out of college, I had two magazine subscriptions – Mother Earth News and American Songwriter. Which pretty much sums it all up, if you really know me. Anyway, in November sometime around 1986, Mother Earth News [←affiliate link] published a recipe for Stuffed Pumpkin as an alternative to the traditional meat-based holiday fare. I wasn’t a vegetarian back then (nor am I now) and I wasn’t feeding any either, but it sounded good, so I decided to give it try. Since then, I’ve made Stuffed Pumpkin nearly every year as part of our Thanksgiving menu. Over time, the recipe has evolved into something uniquely mine, but (like Mother Earth and American Songwriter today) the original flavor and feel is still there, deliciously down-to-earth as ever.

I usually fix this vegetarian, but it can be easily adapted for vegans. The stuffing itself is the best I’ve ever eaten – infused with savory, pumpkiny warmth and loaded with the goodness of fruit, nuts, veggies and whole grains.

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin

This is the perfect vegetarian holiday main dish!! Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you – this is very easy to make and virtually foolproof.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Holiday

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings 8

Author Renée

Ingredients

Pumpkin & Stuffing

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup butter divided
1 large onion chopped
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small loaf whole grain bread toasted and cubed*
1 large apple chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chopped Brazil nuts
3/4 cup golden raisins
2 eggs slightly beaten
3 cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
1 medium pumpkin 8-10 inches, or 2 smaller pumpkins**
About ¼ cup butter to fill slits in pumpkin

Pumpkin Gravy

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
Drippings from pumpkin
2 cups vegetable stock
4 tablespoons cooked dressing from pumpkin

Instructions

The Stuffing:

In a small bowl, combine the dry herbs and spices (first seven ingredients) and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Sauté onion over until translucent. Add celery and cook 3-4 minutes more, and then toss in mushrooms and cook more 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, dry herb & spice mix, sautéed vegetables, chopped apples, nuts and raisins. Mix everything and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in wine. Add slightly beaten eggs after wine has cooled the mixture. Pour the wine, egg and garlic sauce over stuffing mix and stir. This stuffing may be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
If the mixture seems too dry, mix a little more liquid in: wine, water or vegetable stock all work fine.

The Pumpkin:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Clean out squash. (Cut top like a Jack-o-Lantern.) Slit sides and fill with pats of butter. I usually press it into the slits and smooth it over, and then give the pumpkin a light “butter rub-down” before I put it into the oven.
Bake in rimmed baking dish or roasting pan for at least an hour – it can take up to 2 ½ hours depending on the size of your pumpkin. After an hour, check for doneness by piercing the flesh with a fork. If it is hard to poke, bake the pumpkin for another 15 minutes and try again. (For larger pumpkins, don’t even bother until an hour and a half has passed.)
When your pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes or more before serving.
To serve, cut into pumpkin onto wedges and spoon on stuffing over the top. Serve 8-10.

The Gravy:

If you wish, you can make simple easy pumpkin gravy from the drippings: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium pan. Add drippings from pumpkin. Add 4 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly and cook 1 minute. Pour in 2 cups of vegetable stock and stir to thicken. Remove from heat and add ½ cup of stuffing, breaking up the stuffing with the back of a wooden spoon. Season to taste.

Recipe Notes

Inspired by a recipe in Mother Earth News, circa 1986.

*I used 20 slices of Dave’s Killer Good Seed Bread. Made locally, Dave’s is one of my favorite things. I have used honey-wheatberry bread in the also, and it is awesome also.

**You can use any hollow, sweet squash, or use a couple of smaller pumpkins for a beautiful holiday presentation. (The one pictured here is a Sweetie Pie Pumpkin.) I have used a Kuri squash in the past and it is fantastic!

Vegan adaptations:
Replace butter with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2 eggs = use 1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt or 2-egg equivalent of your favorite egg replacer)