with summer on its last legs, i am actually happy to see the colors of fall showing themselves here in jackson. i usually get out of dodge around this time of year, so it's hard to say if i've ever experienced a real fall in the tetons, but i guess i will take what i can get. the aspens are turning a gorgeous pale yellow, leaves are falling, and it almost feels like being back east.
shocking, i know. but what is even more shocking to me is how good the local apples i have gotten my hands on are. small and tart, yes. i wouldn't necessarily snack on one by itself, but they are great for cooking up in a sauce, stuffing, or delicious sweet treat. i recently made a batch of applesauce with them since it can be used in so many ways: as a glaze, sauce, in baked goods, or just by itself- it's delicious. and using all the different apples gave it tart, complex flavor.
here's an easy recipe for a quick homemade applesauce:
2-3 lbs apples cored, medium dice
(people say to use granny smith, fuji, or gravenstein , but i don't mind using whatever local apples i can get.)
juice of 1 lemon
cinnamon to taste
water
1 T butter
in a large sauce pot, melt the butter and add the apples, stirring occasionally over medium heat
add the lemon juice and simmer until apples are completely soft, about 20-30 minutes
let the apples cool for about 10 minutes, and push them through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula
season the sauce with cinnamon, or whatever seasoning you want
