Berry Applesauce

Berry Applesauce

Cool fall mornings are here and it is apple season. If you like applesauce, try this variety I found in the book, Vegetarian and More, by Linda Rosensweig. It is easy to make and is healthy and delicious. Try it as a topping for pancakes or waffles!

chopped apples, raspberries and strawberries

Juice

3 T brown sugar

Ingredients:

• 6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
• 1/2 cup mixed berry juice blend
• 3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan, combine the apples, berries, juice blend, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 20-30 minutes, or until fruit is very tender. ( This made our house smell amazing!)

Transfer to food processor and process until smooth. (If preferred, transfer to large bowl and coarsely mash)

Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Although the calendar says September, the weather is still hot and sunny. But yesterday, it rained and was cooler,  and I could see autumn just around the corner. Every year around this time, I am ready for everything "fall" and look forward to soups and stews, and firing up the crock pot!

I did not use my slow cooker for this recipe, although I am sure you could. This soup was fairly quick to put together and was a hit with my vegetarian daughter! None of the ingredients called for anything with gluten, so it worked for me as well. My son, not a mushroom fan, ate leftovers and fresh garlic bread I made to go with this soup. A tossed green salad would also be perfect.

This recipe came from Vegetarians and More by Linda Rosensweig. I checked this book out of the library and liked the optional meat add-ons it featured. I love to cook, but it can prove difficult accommodating everyone's dietary limitations and preferences!

Creamy Mushroom Soup

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 strips vegetable-protein bacon( I used regular bacon, crumbled it for an add-on)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) reduced fat sour cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the broth and potato.
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor.
Blend or process until smooth.

pureed potato/vegetable mixture

Meanwhile, warm 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the bacon.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned.
Transfer to plate lined with paper towels.
Crumble.

Warm the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same saucepan.
Add the onion and garlic.
Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until soft.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the milk, sour cream, thyme, salt, pepper and pureed potato..
Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Top each serving with bacon.

I added 1/2 of a zucchini chopped with the mushrooms.

Enjoy anytime or on a cool crisp fall evening!

You win some, you lose a lot of zucchini!

morning glory

Yesterday was Labor Day and the "official" last day of summer. Yes, it is still hot and humid here , but the neighborhood pool closed and the kids went back to school last week.

I walked around my vegetable garden this morning, looking for any ripening tomatoes, picking more sweet green peppers and jalapenos. It has been a good year for peppers! I have had a surplus of peppers from the single sweet green pepper plant and the two jalapeno plants.

The tomato plants are coming back now after looking pretty sad a few weeks back. There are many green tomatoes on the vine and I picked a light red one the other day. I certainly did not have the volume of tomatoes I envisioned when I was hacking back some of the tomato branches in early summer!

It's a jungle in there!

 The zucchini and summer squash plants were huge in early summer!  I was gloating about the size of the leaves and giving away the extras to friends and neighbors until, of course, the long forgotten squash bug  set up camp! (I did have this problem last summer, but it is amazing how soon I forgot!) According to what I read on the internet, once you see the little critters, it is already too late! But, although I did try the various methods suggested to at least control these insects,

 it was no use. Those silver-backed, armored, mini-tanks, managed to transform  healthy, thriving, green plants to a shriveled, yellow, and wilted mess! (My brother-in-law suggested planting radishes alongside the squash next year to repel the bugs. It is worth a try, since I do not use pesticides.)

space where zucchini/summer squash plants met their fate with the squash bug!

The basil and cilantro grew like gangbusters this summer! I made a lot of delicious pesto ! ( I  added a jalapeno pepper for a little kick) The lettuce fed both our family and my daughter's guinea pigs until mid-August when it could not withstand the oppressive  heat. I recently planted more  lettuce seeds for a fall crop.

basil

I planted snow pea seeds and they have emerged and are growing well. Our spring pea plants did not do as well as last year, most likely because I planted them too late. Along with the lettuce, they are not heat tolerant.

new snow pea plants

I try and take a few photos of the vegetable and flower pots/gardens in late summer. It helps jog my memory next spring when a new growing season is upon us. How did your garden do this year? What were your successes and failures?

Lola...why? just because she is so cute!