The Perfect Apple Picking Day

Out of every fall activity available in the North East, apple picking is my favorite. Of course I chose to wait until the very last minute of the 2008 apple picking season to take the trek outside of Boston. However, Mother Nature did not disappoint. After what seemed like the first of many very cold, windy winter weeks in Boston, we had the most BEAUTIFUL Sunday.


My friend Madeleine and I ventured out to Ipswich, MA to a farm called Russel Orchards to go apple picking. I love apple picking farms - they have fun hay rides out into the apple orchards, pumpkin patches...

... petting zoos, and huge shops full of home made goodness.


First, we picked all kinds of apples: McIntosh, Gala, Cortland, Fuji, Empire, Mutsu & more! One of the best parts of apple picking is sampling the apples. Not all trees are created equal - in my opinion, it is important to sample an apple off of any tree you choose to harvest. Needless to say, we had a good time.


We also visited the pumpkin patch & bought amazing things from their general store. On top of 10 pounds of apples, I also bought home harvested honey, an apple cider donut and pumpkin fudge (which I'm definitely going to find a recipe for - so amazing!).


I promised my coworkers that I would bake an apple crisp to bring in if I managed to make it out to pick apples this weekend. I got the recipe out of one of my favorite cookbooks: The Joy of Cooking. If you don't own this one, you should absolutely purchase it! Here is the recipe for you :)

Apple or Fruit Crisp
From The Joy Of Cooking Cookbook

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready an unbuttered 2-inch-deep 2 quart baking dish. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1-inch chunks:

8 medium apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Or use the same amount of:

Peaches, slightly sugared rhubarb or pitted cherries

Spread evenly in the baking dish.

Combine in a bowl:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white or packed brown sugar (I recommend brown)
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated or ground nutmeg

Add:

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
I used "I can't believe it's not butter - 1 stick

Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. (this may also be done with a mixer or in a food processor, taking care not to blend the butter too thoroughly.) Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake until the topping is golden brown, the juices are bubbling, and the apples are tender, 50 - 55 minutes.

It turned out to be delicious! Here's a pick of it - hopefully I'll get some feedback to share with you after tomorrow :) First come first serve, I have a feeling this stuff is going to go fast!