the novel bakers present~

the apple orchard

 

 

 

"the air smelled of apples, and the orchard hummed with the sounds of bees hovering over the bushels of harvested fruits. the trees were in prime condition, waiting for the workers to arrive. the branches had been pruned in readiness for the ladders, the roads graded smooth so the fruit won't jostle in transport. the morning was cool with a mist hanging among the branches. the sun ripe on the eastern horizon of the rolling hills, offered the promise of warmth later in the day."

"there, his head above the branches, he inhaled the glory of the morning-the redolence on the air, the quality of the light filtering through the mist, the contours of the land and the distant haze of the ocean."

ok, i am a sucker for an apple orchard by the sea story, but the book is more, it is about family and fortunes, both old and new. to be honest i didn't expect to like it this much, it was a fluffy read to tie into my desire to play with apples, but i loved the visuals and soon i was hooked on the story when it took a more serious turn then i expected. all in all it was a good read and i had a fabulous time playing with the 40 pounds of apples i purchased! if you are looking for a tasty autumn read with an embracing story i hope you seek this book out, i never like to talk about story lines, its easy to read a synopsis from amazon, i love to read a book cold and take the journey fresh.

the book is dotted with recipes through out, from apple danish pie with caramel apple topping, to apple chutney and jule cake. not all recipes are with apples, there was grape and rosemary focaccia, two kettle pie and baked hot chocolate. since i have been dining on baked apples for months, i decided to try something a little different today to start off apple week, being a cool day by the sea, i thought it was a perfect time to try mulligatawny soup~

mulligatawny soup

from the apple orchard

chicken

s&p

4 T butter

diced fruits and vegetables, incl

onion

apple

celery

carrot

tomato

bell pepper

garlic

1/4 flour

curry powder

garam masala or make your own...

*1 tablespoon ground cumin

*1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

*1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

*1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

*1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

***Mix cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Place mix in an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place.

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup cream or yogurt

cayenne

my additions~

may thicken with rice, potatoes, garbanzo beans, red or yellow lentils, or put a scoop of rice into each bowl and ladle the soup over top.

instead of yogurt, can be flavored with coconut milk, lime, brown sugar

optional garnishes: cilantro, fresh chiles, toasted coconut, diced apple, plain yogurt, green onions, chopped salted peanuts

perfect with toasted flat bread with hints of olive oil, garlic + freshly minced cilantro slathered about

i kept my soup chunky, added loads of fresh ginger and yogurt, poured over a scoop of cooked rice and topped with cilantro, salted peanuts, fresh cut apples and freshly made coconut.

as a very funny aside i asked my husband to bring coconut home from the store, i was STUNNED when i opened the bag to see a REAL COCONUT! i mean what are the odds of that, in my entire life i have never bought a coconut... i was cracking up and ticked off at the same time, i mean come on... A COCONUT? to his credit he said i assumed you wanted it as a prop... after all our neighborhood has streets like kawaii, maui and kona, perhaps he thought i was a having a luau, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS APPLE WEEK WITH ALL MY BAKING FOR MONTHS!

as his punishment, i said you figure out how to open it, good luck, i doubt we have an axe here. out comes the iphone and in seconds he knew just what to do; look for the 3 dots, find the eyebrows, tap around the circumference. i was SHOCKED! ok, now what, how do we get the meat to taste like the store... 90 minutes later i have sweetened grated and shaved coconut! it did totally crack me up, but it was delicious and i LOVE that fact i have homemade coconut on my mulligatawny soup~

 

i bought 40 pounds of apples in august, i have been baking for months, all this week, and for me, the rest of the month of october, the novel bakers will be celebrating apples, be sure and stop by and take a delicious bite out of fall with us all~

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