Duck and Apples

In the process of researching apples and apple picking, I discovered that this is turning out to be an exciting year for the apple harvest. Check out this article in “Midwest Agnet”: http://www.midwestagnet.com/Global/story.asp?S=11142685.

Also, it turns out, today is a big day for apple picking in Boston, Massachusetts. Apparently, with the cooler summer and more rain, apples are abundant, large and juicy. I discovered the same to be true for the apples in Southern Minnesota.

I began this week preparing to write all about apples and took the kids to an orchard.

 

 

If you don’t have a neighbor with tons of apple trees to pick, and you live in Southern Minnesota, check out this website to find a wonderful place to take your family apple picking:

http://www.minnesotaharvest.net/

Other than realizing the children were no longer helping and had instead decided to line the apples up along the road so people could smash them with their car, I had a great time (Sorry, Steve Odegard). The kids climbed trees and Daphne picked a bunch while on my friend, Crystal’s, shoulders. Here is a video of the apple picking day:

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuapclppamU 

 

 

 

I came home with a Rubbermaid tub full of gorgeous fresh apples and a head swimming with recipe ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t sure what type of apples we picked and found this incredible website which helped me to figure it out. It tells you everything you need to know about apples:

 

www.allaboutapples.com/varieties/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claud said, “We have to make Tarte Tatin”.  Once again, illuminating how much I have to learn, I had to look it up. Apparently, two French women ran a hotel and one of them prepared most of the meals. One day, she either cooked the apples too long in the caramelized sugar and decided to put the crust on top, or she accidently put the crust on top. How do you accidentally put crust on top? Their last name was Tatin. The guests loved it and a popular Parisian chef, after tasting it, incorporated it into his menu. The rest is culinary history.

Making Tarte Tatin is very simple. I had everything I needed except for puff pastry. We headed out to the market. At the store, Claud bought duck and we roasted it for dinner that night.  After roasting the duck, we cut the breast off of the bone, intentionally leaving some meat. We then cut the legs and wings off and threw the rest of the bones into a stock pot with water, onions and celery. We let that cook for hours. Meanwhile, Jack, Claud (Daphne’s a vegetarian), and I ate the roasted duck breasts, legs, and wings, with roast potatoes and asparagus. We had full tummies and plenty of leftovers.

The next day, for no reason, I woke up in an unusually aggravated mood and had a list of chores. Claud asked if I wanted to spend the day on the boat. I felt I should do all of the chores, but chose the boat option thinking I needed to get out of this funky mood. We ate lunch first.

 We cut the leftover duck into slices and made sandwiches for Claud and Jack. I placed cold slices of duck over a fresh salad with a raspberry vinaigrette. Then, our friend Scott showed up at our back door and asked if we wanted to come on his pontoon boat. He even sweetened the deal by offering some of his homemade wine. I quickly changed out of my jeans and into a skirt and hopped on the boat with the rest of my family.

Cruising on the boat, listening to Bob Marley and sipping Pinot Grigio, my mood soared. Claud and Jack dove in the water when we stopped the boat. I never get in, so I didn’t even bother getting into a swimming suit. But, this day seemed different. Something magical was in the air: I felt happy and peaceful. I handed my wine to Kathy, Scott’s wife, ran to the other end of the boat and plunged into the lake, prairie skirt, button up blouse, sunglasses and all. I resurfaced to find I lost a lens in my glasses. I must have looked ridiculous. But, it was so exhilarating.  My bad mood was washed away.

After a warm bath, I was ready to get started on my Tarte Tatin. I went to the freezer to pull out the “sheets” of puff pastry only to find, I bought puff pastry “shells” instead. I couldn’t make Tarte Tatin like this. I wanted to make a big one in a skillet. So, I started thinking about the duck stock that had been simmering and opted to make it into duck pot pie instead.

That was a perfect idea because it turned out to be so fantastic.

 

 

I was happy to have picked up the wrong pastry. With all of the duck eating going on, I decided this week was equally about duck.  So, this is a duck and apples story. And, no, that is not cockney rhyming slang. Like the week that was supposed to be all about apples turning into a week about duck: my potentially miserable day turned into one of the year’s best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of days later, I got the sheets of puff pastry and made the Tarte Tatin with Claud and Daphne. Please take a look at a video of the making of the Tarte Tatin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgyL8g6puZY

 

We all loved the Tarte Tatin (well, except Jack who called last week’s recipe, “awful poppel” so I can’t trust his critiques) and thought we would definitely be making this throughout the winter with all of the apple slices I froze. It’s easy, beautiful, and tasty. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tarte Tatin

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hour

1 glass of your favorite wine and slowly sip throughout the cooking (optional)

9 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used McIntosh)

½ C. Sugar

I sheet puff pastry

Take a sip of your wine. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take the sheet of puff pastry out of the freezer and allow it to thaw on the counter for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core and slice the apples. Place the sugar in a skillet on high heat. Once the sugar begins to caramelize (about ten minutes), stir. Once it is a light brown caramel, place the apple slices in the pan in concentric circles. Roll out the pastry dough until it is large enough to cover. Place it over the apples and press it into the sides. Cut a few slits into the pastry. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Place a plate over the skillet and turn it over.

I also found an incredible savory apple recipe for Salmon Terriyaki with apples:

 

Found in a Disney Family Fun Magazine. Salmon in apple teriyaki recipe: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=14141

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duck Recipes

Roasted Duck

1 duck

2 Tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 Tsp. rosemary

½ C. olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees . Clean the duck thoroughly. Place the duck into an oven roasting dish. Rub on the spices.  Rub in the olive oil. Bake 25 minutes per pound.  

When you finish, save the duck fat. Pour it into a jar and put it in the refrigerator. It is excellent for cooking. Use it like butter in the pan. It has a better flavor and can stand a higher temperature.

 

Duck Sandwich

3 slices toasted bread

4 slices duck breast

Lettuce leaves

2 slices tomato

2 slices raw onion

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon mayonnaise

Toast the bread and spread the mayonnaise and mustard onto the bread slices. Layer the other ingredients into two sections with one slice of toasted bread in between (like a club sandwich). Enjoy.

 

Duck Salad

3 leaves romaine lettuce

6 pitted kalamata olives sliced in half

½ C. garbanzo beans

1 Tbsp. pepitas

1 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

¼ C. shredded carrots

2 Tbsp. Rasberry vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Tear the lettuce leaves and put into a bowl, combine beans, pepitas, carrots and cheese. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy.

Duck Pot Pie

1 package of frozen puff pastry shells (6)

6 C. duck stock (Duck bones and meat simmered for several hours with chopped celery, bay leaf and onions. Remove the bones.)

2 C. sweet corn

4 small yellow squash, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

1 C. celery

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp. arrowroot

Cook puff pastry shells according to package directions. Saute  onions, squash, celery, and garlic. Combine these vegetables to the stock and simmer on medium heat. Add the sweet corn.  Add salt and pepper to your liking. About five minutes before serving, pour the arrowroot into a glass of water and stir. Slowly spoon this mixture into your filling to thicken it up. Take the cooked puff pastry shells out of the oven. Cut the tops and spoon the filling inside. Enjoy.

 

Next week: Organic Cheese.