Apple Cake

 It's that time of the year...apples are plentiful and apple desserts are the best! This moist apple cake recipe is written on the back of a stained and worn recipe card...an adaptation of my favorite carrot cake and one that I have been baking for many years. While I'm at it, I usually prepare a double recipe and put one cake in the freezer without frosting. It's handy to pull out at a moment's notice and serve for dessert with ice-cream and caramel sauce. We are in the middle of corn harvest on the farm and the guys like a treat out in the fields every once in awhile. I baked them an apple cake yesterday which they ate on disposal plates, with a plastic fork (and without the flower) but enjoyed nonetheless!

Apple Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups coarsely grated apple
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Combine eggs, sugar and oil in mixer.
2. Add apples.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix .
4. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.
5. Frost with cream cheese icing when cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 brick)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups icing sugar...or until desired thickness

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Apple Pancakes

 It's apple season and I love apple baked goods. We are so fortunate to have a brother-in-law who has an apple orchard in the Okanagan and is so generous with his apples. Whatever variety...they are all good in these apple-iscious pancakes!  This recipe came from a newspaper many decades ago and is an old favorite in our home.

 

Apple Pancakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Stir in apple.
3. Combine eggs, milk and butter;
4. add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Pour small amounts onto lightly greased hot griddle
6. and cook until bubbles form on the surface;
7. turn and brown on the other side.
8. Serve with hot apple cinnamon sauce and whipped cream.

Hot Apple Cinnamon Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup grated apple
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Combine sugar, juice, and cinnamon and boil to a heavy syrup over medium heat (about 5 minutes).
2. Stir in butter and apple...cook another minute or so.

Add some sauteed Mennonite farmer sausage, and call it a meal!

Salsa

 Since there's an abundance of tomatoes and peppers out there right now, I thought I would share my salsa recipe. It's a recipe I got from my sister Kathy decades ago and is a staple at our home. I cook up a large batch in fall and we enjoy it year-round.  This is a zippy salsa; if you prefer yours on the mild side, remove all the seeds and ribs from inside the jalapeno peppers.

• 10 cups tomatoes (peeled, chopped and drained)
• 8 small jalapeno peppers chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green peppers 
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/3 cups vinegar 
• 1 can 12 oz. can tomato paste 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• 3 Tablespoons pickling salt 
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Ladle into jars; tighten lids and process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

*Optional : Stir in 1/3 cup cornstarch diluted in cold water and simmer for several minutes to thicken salsa before filling jars.

Yield: about 6-7 pint (500 ml) jars

This also makes a wonderful, tasty fresh salsa.  Place chopped veggies in a large bowl.  Mix vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and seasonings and add to chopped vegetables. Stir to combine.  Keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.