Monthly Archives: October 2024

dessert, food history, recipes

Medieval Fall Treat: Baked Apple Compote

            Apples have been associated with fall and the harvest for thousands of years. Many varieties can be kept in a cool cellar over the winter, but they are at their best when fresh and crisp. In a historical fiction book I’m in the process of writing, Marguerite of France enjoys a variety of apple dishes when she arrives at the English court to marry King Edward I in September 1299. Apple pies already existed, but the pastry crust was not meant to be eaten. It was used as a vessel to cook and store the filling.

            With that in mind, I opted to recreate the recipe in a covered ceramic dish. The apples steam just like they would in a pastry crust, with a lot less effort. Medieval cooks baked apples with cinnamon just like cooks do today, but it wasn’t the only spice. The 14th Century cookbook The Forme of Cury features a recipe seasoned with cinnamon, sugar, ginger, and dates. Presumably the dates balanced the flavor at a time when apples were not as sweet and less sugar was used.

            As strange as ginger and dates sound with baked apples, they’re actually delicious. Minced candied ginger is especially good, creating little bits of aromatic heat. It can be found in many grocery stores with the little bags of bulk spices.

            Like with a pie, the apples take a while to bake, at least 45 minutes, but are worth the wait. They taste a lot like apple pie without the crust. And with only 1.5 teaspoons of sugar per apple, plus a little bit in the ginger, they are pretty healthy too. As far as peeling the apples, I prefer not to. The pectin in the peel helps thicken the syrup as the compote stands.

Ingredients:

  • 4 large apples (I like Cortlands, but any relatively firm, not-too-sweet apple will do)
  • 6 pitted dates, halved and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
  • 4 pieces candied ginger, minced

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Peel the apples if desired, and cut into large cubes, about ¾ inch to 1 inch. If you have one of the tools that cores an apple and cuts it into wedges, that’s perfect. Cut each wedge into 3 or 4 pieces.
  3. Place the chopped apples into an oven-proof ceramic dish. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, dates, and ginger, and stir to combine.
  4. Cover the dish with a glass cover or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. For semi-authenticity, do not stir while baking.
  5. When the apple mixture is soft and aromatic, remove from the oven. Carefully remove the lid. Stir to distribute the liquid collected at the bottom of the dish.

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italian cuisine, recipes, sauce

Using Up the Basil: My Own Pesto Recipe

            As summer fades, so do basil plants. After bringing my plants inside, a fall batch of pesto is in order to use them up. There are a million and one different ways to make it. I like the classic. Adding a bit of parsley or arugula might add some extra flavor, but the basil should dominate, supported by garlic. With those two strong flavors plus parmesan cheese, there’s no point in using expensive pine nuts. Walnuts are a common substitution, giving the final sauce a similar taste and texture. And some recipes even add a little butter along with the olive oil.

            Note that while this recipe uses a food processor, connoisseurs prefer a mortar and pestle. If you have a big enough mortar and pestle and sufficient patience, by all means use it. Either way, smelling your fingers after handling the basil is optional, but highly encouraged. The aroma has a way of sticking, like that of lemon or orange peels.

            Ingredients:

  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • Several springs fresh parsley, if desired (seems to help reduce discoloration)
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, crushed with the side of a knife, and coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup walnuts and/or almonds
  • ½ cup parmesan and/or Romano cheese
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Pasta and/or vegetables, for serving

            Directions:

  1. If desired, place the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, watching carefully, until aromatic. This will only take a few minutes.
  2. Place the basil, optional parsley, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to mince.
  3. Add the garlic, salt, and walnuts, and blend to form a paste. Add the cheese and blend again.
  4. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil through the processor’s feed tube.
  5. To thicken, add more cheese, a spoonful at a time. To thin, slowly add warm water until desired consistency is reached.
  6. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary. Serve as soon as possible with hot pasta and/or vegetables.

            Pesto can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but the surface will darken and brown. This is just a chemical reaction between the basil and the oxygen in the air, and will not affect the flavor. The discoloration can be slowed by covering the surface with a thin layer of olive oil. If the color change bothers you, just scrape off the top layer before serving.

            To get upcoming fall recipes and posts sent directly to your inbox, be sure to subscribe. And if you liked this recipe (I hope you did), I would appreciate if you hit “like.”

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