Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

I don’t think there is any other way to eat applesauce than freshly made with fresh local apples and spiced to taste. I have one of the metal thingamabobby’s that attached to the counter or table edge and you pop an apple on, turn the crank and the handy-dandy thing peels, cores and slices for you! If you ever find one (some New England based yankee gear-type magazines have been known to carry them)

Spiced Applesauce-for the slow cooker

10-12 apples-peeled, cored and sliced (I did enough to completely fill my slow cooker)
1/2 cup apple cider

slow cook on low until soft, a few times throughout the cooking time. When the desired consistency is reached add cinnamon and other desired spices. As mentioned below in my apple crisp entry I love a pinch of speculaaskruiden in with my apples.

This is one of my own recipes, it’s always changing hence the lack of measurements. The spices change too. Cinnamon is a must have but I will also use nutmeg, ginger, allspice or some of my favorite speculaaskruiden.

For the crisp topping, I sometime use ground nuts in the mixture, hazelnuts or walnuts are especially delicious.

Mama Moon’s Apple Crisp

apples, peeled, cored and sliced ( I used McIntosh and Cortland in the crisp in the photo)
lemon juice
ground cinnamon
ground mace
maple syrup, grade B is best
whole white wheat flour
old fashioned rolled oats
1/2c. unsalted butter, cubed

Toss sliced apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and mace. Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2in casserole. add flour and oats into a bowl, work in butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal. pour over the top of apples, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350* oven until bubbly 40-45min (or longer if you like it mushy).

Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions,
2001).

There’s nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the Fall:
the brilliant colors of Autumn make our homes feel deliciously warm and
cozy as the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of grapevine,
and vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous, inexpensive
decorations
Find out how to connect with the abundant bounty and beauty of this
harvest season with these fun, easy tips for decorating with nature:

1. Preserve some colorful leaves. You can iron them between sheets of
waxed paper, microwave them for a few seconds, put them in a solution of
glycerin, or press them between the pages of a heavy book. Then you can
apply them to backsplashes, place them artfully in a vase, mound them
around a pile of gourds or squashes, or even use them as coasters for
your favorite beverages

2. Food is art. Find a local Farmer’s Market or roadside stand and load
up on apples, pears, pumpkins, decorative squashes, nuts, gourds, and
Native American corn. A simple wooden bowl loaded with these treasures
makes an abundant centerpiece. You can parade them in a line on a
mantel-piece or pile them in a basket. What you don’t eat, you can enjoy
looking at.

3. Other treasures. Bring in grapevines to twine along the countertops,
or make wreaths for doors or cabinets (see our article on making your
own Inner Harvest Wreath). If you live in an area where bittersweet is
not a protected plant, harvest some to put in an earthen vase Corn
shocks are traditional to stand beside a door, but broom corn makes a
beautiful and less usual alternative with its graceful russet fronds.

4. Beeswax candles. The amber color and honey-sweet aroma of these safe,
all-natural candles just evoke the golden glow of autumn. As the days
get shorter, it can be a soothing ritual to burn a beeswax candle at
dusk.

5. Echo Fall colors. Bring in the Autumn hues of russet-red, vibrant
shades of orange, deep greens, mellow golds, wine-reds, and vivid
scarlet with cushions, towels, scatter-rugs, or other decorative
accents. My family has a brightly-colored autumn leaf potholder and a
set of pumpkin-shaped mugs that we use with pleasure year after year.
Find the simple treasures your family will enjoy.

6. Try this creative and relaxing Leaf Meditation. Find a perfect autumn
leaf and spend some time really looking at it, noticing the variations
in color and shape. Trace its outline on a piece of paper, then try your
hand at coloring it in with colored pencils, markers, or paints. Slowing
down and taking time to savor the beauty of something as simple and
commonplace as a leaf opens our eyes and hearts to nature’s magical
variety. You may want to cut your colored leaf out and glue it on the
cover of a journal to keep you company throughout the autumn months. Or
do several leaves to decorate your cabinets or walls!

7. Think water. Western European traditions often associate Autumn with
the element of water, since it is a time of deep feeling and flowing
away: birds migrate, trees shed their leaves. Honor this ancient idea
with a bowl of water in a special place. Notice how water evaporates. As
you refill your bowl throughout the autumn months, give a little thought
to your own feelings, and the things that you are in the process of
releasing from your life.

Our first day of Autumn is cold, grey and rainy. After a morning spent out at the farmers’ market I came home to a toasty fire in the woodstove and the urge to make soup. As I poked through my stores I realised it’s lacking a good veg stock so here is an excellent one I recently uncovered in my great piles of recipes. I’m making a hearty barley soup for today anyway and in the slow cooker I’ll have the following…

Vegetable Stock

2 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 - 3 onions, quartered
3 - 4 carrots, thickly sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 apple or pea, quartered
1 or 2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) water

Optional Vegetables or Herbs

Garlic cloves
Leeks, including the tough green leaves
Mushrooms, whole or stems
Parsley including stems
Parsnips
Scallions
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes (in small amounts only or the stock may be too acidic.
Winter squash
Zucchini or summer squash

Scrub the unpeeled vegetables and cut into chunks.
Place in a stockpot with bay leaves and peppercorns; cover with water.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour or more.

Strain the stock through a colander or cloth, pressing out the liquid from the
vegetables. (The remaining solid vegetables make good compost material or can be
discarded.)

The stock will keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, or may be frozen in 1 to 6 cup
quantities.

Note: Vegetables should be rinsed, but there is no need to peel them.
Avoid such strongly flavored vegetables as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant,
peppers, and turnips. Natural food stores and well-stocked supermarkets carry a good
selection of organic vegetable stocks in 1-quart boxes that can be used when time is
short.

Variation: For stock with an Asian flavor, add 4 or 5 quarter-size slices of fresh
gingerroot and water from soaking dried shitake mushrooms.

Yield: 2 quarts

Reprinted with permission from ©2005
David Hirsch The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden , published by Ten Speed Press

1 lb ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup small elbow macaroni
2 cups water
5 tsp. beef boullion
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans (cut in 1 inch pieces-optional)
Parmesan Cheese

Brown beef in large heavy kettle; drain. Add all ingredients except cabbage, green beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add cabbage, green beans and macaroni; bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender. If you prefer a thinner soup, add additional water or broth. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

1 lb sausage
1 large, finely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups hot milk
1/2 ts. nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
chopped parsley

In large frying pan brown and crumble sausage.
Remove sausage and sauté onions in drippings.
In large pot or crock pot, add all the ingredients.
Heat until hot. Serve sprinkled with parsley. Serve 8 to 10.

2 whole butternut squash, pricked and roasted with skin on
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock
4 cups heavy cream
salt to taste
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
fresh grated nutmeg

Peel squash, discarding seeds, reserve pulp.
Sauté onions in olive oil until soft and transparent.
Add squash, garlic and water.
Cook over medium heat for 30minutes.
Add cream and nutmeg.
Remove and puree in blender until smooth.
Add salt to taste.

I have been remiss in sharing recipes throughout the month leading up to the celebration, for that I am sorry. I will include a couple at least for today.

Vermont Apple Soup with Curry

2 Tbs butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 Tbs curry powder
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
sour cream (optional)
chopped fresh chives (optional)

Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion: sauté 4 minutes. Add apples: sauté until apples begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add curry and cook 15 seconds. Gradually stir in stock. Increase heat and simmer until apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer 5 minutes.

(Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before continuing.)

Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top with dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chives.

Serves 4.

by Cait Johnson
Witch in the Kitchen

The autumn kitchen is a place of celebration, a glowing shrine at the heart of our home that announces the harvest season with native corn hanging on the door and corn shocks in all their ragged beauty rustling nearby. Nothing gives us more satisfaction than the sight of a warm kitchen heaped with autumn’s gifts. Deep inside ourselves, where our most ancient memories still live, we feel that winter will find us safe and well prepared.

Suddenly, food is the perfect decoration. Visits to our local farmer’s market become intoxicating adventures, but we need strong arms to carry all the bounty of autumn home! Once there, we’re faced with the classic dilemma: should we eat it or save it to admire? Most of us end up buying more than we can use just for the sheer pleasure of looking at it all season long–fortunately, most autumn fruits and squashes keep well.

Many of us have fond childhood memories of trips to the country in the fall. Nothing tasted better than the crisp McIntosh or Golden Delicious you munched as you drove home, car packed with apples and pumpkins and fresh cider. Making an autumn pilgrimage to beauty–opening your heart to the glory of the trees–can be a powerful experience, and roadside stands offer riches that taste especially sweet because of the extra effort you made to find them.

Mother Earth takes great joy in decorating the world in fall. We can share some of her pleasure–and ally ourselves with her gracious abundance–when we choose autumn decorations and colours for our kitchens. In early autumn, we surround ourselves with dusky burgundies and gold-tinged greens in honour of the orchard and wine harvests. You may enjoy stenciling or painting plump harvest pears or apples here and there, or devising borders of grapes and vines. Some of us can’t resist displaying big bowls of artificial grapes (the real ones don’t last long enough) in all their fruity rubies, plums, and purples: a good fake can be a joy forever. Grapes are perfect little globes of autumn colour, beautiful in and of themselves. But they also gently remind us that the hardships and pressures and bruisings of life help us to give our finest gifts: a cushioned grape gives no wine.

By midautumn, the trees amaze us with their brightness. We can echo their passionate splendour on our walls, doors, or cupboards with splashes of garnet or burnt orange, russet or gold. And here is a simple exercise that will deepen your appreciation of each leaf’s beauty and complexity: choose a single perfect leaf from the many possibilities outdoors. Then, using a pencil, trace around its outline directly onto a painted cabinet or wall. Fill in your outline with the most vivid markers or paints you can find, doing your best to echo the leaf’s vibrant colouration. You’ll find that copying something from nature is a wonderful way to relax a stressed or harried mind. And the finished leaf (which may look surprisingly real) will be an autumn-long reminder of the trees.

There are many other ways to celebrate the trees in your kitchen. You could string some autumn-leaf lights above your sink, or hang a few preserved leaves over the table. (Try microwaving leaves between paper towels for a minute on each side to keep their colour fresh.) The leaf-copying exercise above may inspire you to paint swirls of leaves on the walls. Some of us have been known to scatter and armful of real ones on the floor to soften the harsh corners!

It can be very satisfying to make or find special kitchen decorations as the weather changes. Something as playful and inexpensive as a scarlet and orange maple leaf potholder or a set of apple napkin rings can add an autumn note of brightness to the room and to our meals. Autumn is the time for special family feasts; serving platters, plates, and bowls in autumn leaf or harvest fruit and vegetable shapes will become your celebratory feast companions year after year.

The squash harvest inspires us in the kitchen with shades of bittersweet, creamy pumpkin, and muted greens flushed with orange. Your power place may need an autumn cushion or throw in these delicious colours, or you could pain a harvest still-life on a cabinet, or frame a luscious autumn botanical print and display it on the wall.

In late autumn, the pumpkins and midnight-black of the Halloween season wind a cloak of mystery around the room. By the end of October, the leaves outdoors are mostly brown and scattered. You could echo this new somberness of nature’s colour scheme with umber, chocolate, and sienna along with the traditional orange and black. Earthy colours remind us of the fertile power of Earth; even when she sleeps, fallen leaves become food for the soil.

When Samhain (the ancient name for Halloween) arrives on October 31, your kitchen altar may become an ancestor shrine, with mementos of dead loved ones, along with a traditional jack-o’-lantern, to honour this special day.

For Doughnuts:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening, butter, or margarine, softened

For Icing:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 teaspoons milk

FOR DOUGHNUTS: In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, brown sugar,
baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Add pumpkin,
eggs, milk, and shortening, butter, or margarine; beat with an electric
mixer on low speed till mixed.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with a
1/2-inch opening. Pipe onto 2 greased baking sheets in 3-inch circles.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 minutes, or till golden brown.
Cool doughnuts on a rack over waxed paper.

FOR ICING: In a small mixing bowl stir together powdered sugar and
vanilla. Stir in enough milk to make a smooth icing of glazing
consistency. Spoon icing over doughnuts.

Makes 12 3-inch doughnuts

SOURCE: unknown

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled margarine or butter
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or dried blueberries
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry blender cut in the 1/2 cup chilled margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.
2. In another bowl combine egg, pumpkin, and milk. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough by folding and pressing gently for 10 to 12 strokes or until nearly smooth. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges.
4. Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. If desired, brush tops with additional milk. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Remove scones from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm with Berry Butter. Makes 12 scones.

 - 12 Servings
For Berry Butter: In a small bowl combine dried cranberries or dried blueberries and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain well and finely chop berries. Stir together the 1/2 cup margarine or butter, powdered sugar, and the cranberries or blueberries. Cover and let chill at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend. Makes 3/4 cup.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

1 serving:Calories 252;Fat 16g(Saturated 3g);Cholesterol 18mg;Sodium 321mg;Carbohydrate 24g(Dietary Fiber 1g);(Protein 3g)

Recipe source: Better Homes and Gardens®. Copyright 2002