sample pages - Favorite Recipes of our Apple Hill™ Farms

Favorite Recipes of our

Apple Hill Farms ™

Celebrating 50 Years of Delectable Dishes and Farm-Fresh Ingredients

Apple Hill™ Farms 3

Favorite Recipes of our

Apple Hill Farms ™

Celebrating 50 Years of Delectable Dishes and Farm-Fresh Ingredients

First edition Copyright © 2015 by Apple Hill™ Growers. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by Apple Hill™ Growers P.O. Box 494 Camino, California 95709 www.applehill.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Acknowledgement We may live without poetry, music and art.

We may live without conscience, and live without heart.

We may live without friends.

We may live without books, But civilized man cannot live without cooks!

-Excerpt of poem by Owen Meredith (1831-1891)

The Apple Hill™ Growers 50th Anniversary Cookbook is a unique collection of recipes reflecting the essence of the Apple Hill Farms. Throughout this cookbook, you will experience the culinary heritage of our region.

Our collection is dedicated to the founding families who formed and named the organization in 1964. Our sincere appreciation goes to them for their foresight, creativity and perseverance. They are the foundation for the development of our beautiful region, visited by more than one million tourists yearly. Be sure to browse through the vintage recipe selections and enjoy the time-tested recipes printed in their honor.

A special thank you to our contributing farms and services for sharing their time, photos, and more to the point, their family recipes! Also, we could not have evolved to become the popular locale and tourist destination that we are today without the involvement of our foothill community.

Thank you for your support –The Apple Hill Growers

Apple Hill Farms 3

Contents Acknowledgement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 When the Rooster Crows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 On the Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 What’s Old is New Again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Something Savory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Decadent Desserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 “Easy as Pie” Pie Crust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 From Farmers to Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Harvest Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Guide to Apples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Preserve It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Substitutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Foreword “I can still remember the warmth of my grandmother’s hand as we walked through the orchards and how her grip would tighten so I wouldn’t wander. It was the time I looked forward to each year when the leaves would change and my grandmother would take me to her favorite place. My world was so small back then, but it always seemed to get a little bigger when she took me to the Apple Hill Farms.

Looking back on those visits, I see the Apple Hill Farms as more than just places.

It was where I first discovered how food was grown, where I fell in love with a la mode pies and developed a devoted taste for apple butter. It’s where I established my pride for El Dorado County, the county I grew up in and the gem it contains in the Apple Hill Farms.

My love of these places helped bring me to where I am today. I am proud to be working for a company that has the same values as I do personally. Supporting local agricultural treasures like the Apple Hill Farms helps preserve the memories that I and many others share of such places.

Although there have been many cycles of leaves since those Autumn days with my grandmother, I still smile as I tighten the grip of my hand on my two-year old’s so he doesn’t wander and watch as his world grows like mine did.”

Jill Miller Marketing Team Leader and Community Relations Whole Foods Market

Apple Hill Farms 7

Introduction

By Joan Delfino In 1960 the region now known for Apple Hill™ ranches was a community of farms and orchards just east and north of Placerville, CA, the county seat of El Dorado County. Pears were the dominant crop and the chief source of income for the area. The mountain grown fruit was known worldwide for its juicy, distinct flavor. But all was not well in these Sierra foothills. A disease known as “pear decline” was ravishing the trees. Orchards that were healthy in the spring were dead by fall. Farmers were desperate. With very little or no cash flow, what alternative was there but to sell off the land? Hard decisions needed to be made.

With this dark cloud hanging over their heads, a small group of farmers met at the local school to discuss their dilemma with the Farm Advisor and the Agricultural Commissioner. These two men were committed to saving the area and the farms.

They knew this group of farmers consisted of tenacious, resourceful people. Among the farmers was an aero-space scientist running his late father’s farm, a great grandson of a pioneer that came to the foothills by covered wagon, a West Point graduate and professor, a retired professor at UC Davis. All were hard working and intelligent. All were dedicated to saving their farms for their families.

A plan was developed. Everyone had a few apple trees on their farms; all the farm wives were great bakers and cooks, and nobody knew anyone who could resist a good apple pie. So this little group of unlikely partners decided to ban together and try to entice the good people of the Sacramento valley to come to the foothills and sample their wares, maybe buy a few apples, and enable the farmers to keep their farms until a permanent solution was made.

But how to do that! One of the wives had visited a cousin in Michigan and had been to a smorgasbord of apple desserts put on by the Michigan apple growers. “Why couldn’t we do something like that?” she asked.

Well, they did, and the rest is history.

All the ladies baked and baked and

8 Apple Hill Farms

then trekked to the only level area on the hill to sell their goodies. The men had overturned apple bins and put plywood across them to create serving tables. Radio stations had been called and the local newspapers had been notified. “Well,” they joked, “we can always eat what we have left over.”

Not to worry. They were swamped. The ladies baked until some stoves literally blew up. Regrouping was necessary. And in the tradition of farmers everywhere, the group cautiously decided to form a cohesive association. After much debate, the decision to name the association the Apple Hill™ Growers was voted in. Boundary lines were drawn, bylaws were written, dues were set, and in 1964 the members of the Apple Hill™ Growers displayed their red barn signs and welcomed the public to their farms.

As I said, the rest is history. But the reader should know, as a well-known commentator used to say, “the rest of the story.” The Apple Hill™ Smorgy was held until 1972. By then there were several bake shops and many picnic areas on the hill.

The Smorgy had served its purpose. Now it was time for people to come visit us at our farms. And they did – by the thousands!

Some of the good folks that visited our farms wanted our kind of life and bought farms and land and became Apple Hill™ Growers themselves. These folks have been part of our community and we are proud to have them. Some others thought they would like to be farmers. So they bought farms or land without the commitment it takes to become stewards of the land. Most of those are back in the suburbs. But whichever group they belong to, they know: it takes a very special person to be a farmer, a good farmer. It takes an even more special person to be a farmer’s wife. Ask any farmer.

Apple Hill Farms 9

Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch

Apple Pizza Pastry: Cut in until like coarse meal: 2 1/4 cups flour 1 /2 tsp salt 3 /4 cup shortening Add: 1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water Mix until pastry holds together. Divide into two balls.

Roll and press on to two pizza pans Filling: 8 large Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch apples - granny smith or goldens - peeled and grated.

Stir into apples 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar Spread on to the two crusts Topping: 1 cube butter 1 cup flour 1 cup brown sugar Mix until large crumbs Place topping on top of apple filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is brown and filling bubbly.

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Vintage Apple Hill™ Recipes

Apple Mystery Dessert Ingredients 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 ⁄2 cup melted butter 1 ⁄4 cup sugar

Recipe by Juanita Harris Volume 1 Apple Hill Cookbook

3 egg yolks, well beaten 1 (15 oz.) can evaporated milk 1 cup thick applesauce 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 tbsp. grated lemon rind 3 egg whites beaten stiff

Mix together crumbs, butter, sugar. Reserve 1⁄2 cup mixture. Press remaining crumbs in 8 X 12 inch pan.

Combine egg yolks, milk, applesauce, lemon juice, and rind. Fold in egg whites. Pour into crumb crust. Top with remaining crumbs. Chill several hours or overnight. May freeze for later use.

Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with mint.

Apple Walnut Cobbler Ingredients 1 ⁄2 cup sugar 1 ⁄2 tsp. cinnamon 3 ⁄4 cup chopped walnuts 4 cups slice apples 1 ⁄4 cup water

Recipe by Irene Harris Volume 1 Apple Hill Cookbook

cup sifted flour 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 well beaten egg 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup butter, melted

Place apples in the bottom of greased 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup walnuts. Sprinkle over apples.

Mix dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk, and butter. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until smooth. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Vintage Apple Hill™ Recipes

Eggless Applesauce Cake Recipe by Clarise Larsen Volume 1 Apple Hill Cookbook

Ingredients 4 cups flour 2 cups sugar 3 tsp. soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. salt

3 1 1 2

cups applesauce cup oil cup walnuts cups raisins

Mix together dry ingredients.

Add to dry ingredients. Stir until well blended. Bake in large angel food cake pan at 350 degrees for 1 1⁄2 hours.

Georgia Apple Cake Combine in a bowl and mix 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil Juice from ½ of a fresh lemon 2 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs beaten

Recipe by Geri Hyder Volume 1 Apple Hill Cookbook

Add (will be thick) 3 cups flour 1 ¼ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt Fold in 3 cups chopped apples 1 cups chopped nuts Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan at 325° for 1 ½ hours.

Topping 1 cup brown sugar 1 stick of butter ¼ cup of milk 2 tsp. vanilla Mix in a pan and boil for 2 ½ minutes.

Pour over hot cake. Let stand overnight or until fully cooled.

Harvest Calendar The following information provides a general guideline for harvest dates. These dates can vary by a few weeks in any given year so if you’re looking for something specific it’s always good to call the farms before making your trip to see us. Visit us at applehill.com for more information and a detailed map of the Apple Hill ranches.

Approximate Harvest Dates JAN Lavender SUMMER FRUIT Cherries Peaches Nectarines Plums, Pluots Blueberries Raspberries Blackberries APPLES Gravenstein Jonathon Gala Golden Delicious McIntosh Paula Red Red Delicious Mutsu Empire Red Gold Honey Crisp Pippin Winesap Granny Smith Fuji Pink Lady Arkansas Black Christmas Trees

FEB

MARCH APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

Index When the Rooster Crows Applesauce Doughnuts .........................16

Apple and Cheddar Oatmeal Cookies .103

Grandma Irene’s Blueberry Pancakes ...13

Apple Buttermilk Bran Muffins .............98

Hard Cider Apple Fritters ......................23

Apple Cheesecake ..................................93

Mountain Blueberry Smoothie .............21

Apple Cider Topping ..............................82

Puffed Apple Pancake ...........................16

Apple Cranberry Crisp ...........................99

Sheep Cheese/Asparagus Quiche ..........19

Apple Crepes ..........................................93

Tina’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread ..............15

Apple Hill Cake ......................................92

On the Side Apple Blossom Signature Salad ............39 Apple Pizza .............................................41 Baked Beans ...........................................35 Chef Barsotti’s Apple Cider BBQ Sauce .47 Fall Apple Dip .........................................33 Green Apple Salsa Verde .......................31 Lavender Lemonade ..............................27 Pine Cone Cheese Ball ...........................37 Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad ....29 Spiced Jam Fig Bars ................................45 Something Savory

Apple Mystery Dessert .........................104 Apple Raisin Roll ....................................71 Applesauce Butterscotch Cookies ......101 Applesauce Cookies .............................106 Apple Strudel .........................................83 Apple Walnut Cobbler .........................104 Apple Walnut Upside Down Pie ...........95 Basic Pie Crust ........................................78 Betty Brown Cake ................................106 Big Apple Bars ......................................107 Blackberry Dumplings ............................85 Blackberry Roll .....................................109 Blueberry Cobbler ................................117

Barsotti’s Mexican Pumpkin Soup .........63

Blueberry Lemon Chiffon Pie ................75

Citrus & Red Wine Marinade .................65

Dutch Apple Pie .....................................99

Figgy Pizza ..............................................64

Eggless Applesauce Cake .....................105

Grilled Caribbean Chicken Kebabs .......55

Georgia Apple Cake .............................105

Holiday Turkey .......................................53

German Apple Cake ...............................98

Mid-Eastern Spiced Lamb Meatballs .....51

Grape-Apple Pie .....................................97

Mushroom Pasta with Canadian Bacon.. 57

Hot Mulled Cider ...................................83

Pasta with Smoked Salmon ....................61

Lattice Top Peach Nectarine Pie ............81

Tagliatelli with Garlicky Tomato Sauce .59

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Decadent Desserts

Index Mom’s Sour Cherry Cake .......................77

Preserve It

Nana “Gigi” Apple Pie .........................113

Apple Cinnamon Fruit Roll ..................125

Pistachio Pear Dessert ............................73

LaMancha Chutney ..............................127

Pumpkin Roll ..........................................89

Make Your Own Apple Butter ............129

Quick Apple Bread Pudding ..................91

Red Wine Jelly ......................................123

Sea Salt Caramel ..................................119 Sophie’s Apple Cream Pie ......................69 Sour Cream Apple Pie ............................82

Cooking Guide Harvest Calendar ..................................111 Measurements ......................................133 Quick Guide to Apples .........................114 Substitutions ........................................131

To order additional copies of Favorite Recipes of our Apple Hill Farms or Apple Hill Vintage Cookbooks, visit www.applehill.com/shop

Apple Hill Farms 17

Apple Pantry Farm

r Road ssle Ha

5

Carson Road

50 Fenton

Herriott Vineyards Sm ith Flat Road

57

Schnell School Exit Exit 48 To Sacramento

133

.

38

Starfield Vineyards

Goldbud Farms

44 39

41

Pine Windmiller O’ Mine Farm

Point View Exit 49

a adw Bro

90

Hillside Tree Farm

82

Apple Blossom Farm

Indian Rock Tree Farm

22

Argyres Orchard

Sun Mountain Farm

50

Madroña Cardanini’s Vineyards Pumpkin th r Patch Fudge No Carson Ridge Evergreens Factory 6 Christmas Farm Tree Farm 42

40

Ca rso 86 nR oad

High Hill Ranch

1 Five Mile Rd.

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Legend: H - open year ’round l - open seasonally n - wholesale only for details visit applehill.com

91

47

Bavarian Hills Orchard

11 28

21

30

Ro ad

Fruitrid

Rapetti Farms

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Rd ge

32

56

46

d Jac q u i e r R

Boeger Winery

Smokey Ridge Farmstand Abel’s Apple Acres

26

Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch

Barsotti Family Juice Co.

Ca ny on

Lava Cap Winery

Collina di Mela

37

Kids Inc

N

Bluestone Meadow

25

n Vall Hidde Laneey

Wofford Acres Vineyards

- Apple and Fruit Farms - Wineries - Christmas Tree Farms

Camino Exit Carson Rd. Exit

Apple Hill™ Growers since 1964

Time Out Resort & Spa

17

45 20 Roa d

Apple Ridge Farms

Cab le

.

Rd

23

ParaVí Vineyards

48

Mt. Danaher Rd.

16

18

O’Halloran’s Apple Trail Ranch Bodhaine Ranch

E Pony

Patrick’s Mtn. Grown Berry Farm

xp

ress Trail

Apple Country Christmas Trees

d.

49

50

84

To Lake Tahoe Pollock Pines Exit 57

il e

n rse La

Mill View Ranch

Goodness Orchard

68

89

Crystal Creek Tree Farm

M

Ei gh t

Camino Exit

12

Road

Bolster’s Hilltop Grandpa’s Cellar Ranch

Harris Tree Farm

R ore Gilm

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Carson

14

Drive

24

Larsen Apple Barn Rainbow Orchards

10

Ro ad

92

9

Apple Hill Office (information)

Denver Dan’s Apple Patch

35

Mace Road

Hacienda Orchards

a Vista L

n

8

Mother Lode Orchards

Larsen Drive

Apple

yo

R o ad

Honey Bear Ranch

Bill’s Apples/ Felice’s Dolls

oad ir R Bl a

27

Cable Road

No rth Ca n

Cedar Grove Exit 54

2015 Apple Hill Farms

www.applehill.com Facebook.com/applehillgrowersassociation Apple Hill Office P.O. Box 494, Camino, CA 95709 info@applehill.com 530-644-7692