Instant Pot Baked Apple Oatmeal

Tomorrow promises to be a glorious fall day, and while outside enjoying the sunshine you should plan to stop by the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market between 10 am - 2 pm on the corner of Agate and 19th Ave. You'll find plenty of fall fruits and vegetables from Camas Swale Farm and pastured meat and poultry from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm. 

Be sure to stock up on fall apples, which are in abundance this mast year. One of my favorite fall breakfasts is a cinnamon apple version of Heidi Swanson's baked oatmeal, which is a delicious hybrid of a porridge and a muffin. The only downside is that it requires early rising to get onto the table. This inspired me to create a version for my Instant Pot, which I could set up the night before so that it cooks in the early morning and need just a minute under the broiler before serving. This can make a nice weekday breakfast treat for rainy days ahead.   

Instant Pot Baked Apple Oatmeal

serves four

1 large or 2 small apples
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 to 4 Tbsp brown sugar (depending on sweetness of apples)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Core the apple and cut into 1 inch cubes. Turn the Instant Pot to sautee, add the butter to the inner pot and sautee the apple pieces with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until they are soft and start to brown. Hit cancel and transfer the apples to the bottom of a 7 inch diameter, 1.5 quart ceramic or metal baking dish that can fit into the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup water to the liner pot, swirl to get up all the butter, and pour over the apples. Replace the liner pot, fill it with one cup water, and put in the metal stand.

2. Whisk together the wet ingredients of 2 cups milk, 1 egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients of steel cut oats, old fashioned oats, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Dump the dry ingredients over the apples in the baking dish and then pour over the wet ingredients, making sure that all of the oatmeal is submerged. Place the baking pan into the Instant Pot on top of the metal stand. Seal the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 40 minutes with a delayed start time so that it will start up about 80 minutes before you plan to wake up.

3. The next morning, turn on your broiler. Turn off the Instant Pot and carefully remove the oatmeal pan. Top the oatmeal with 1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Broil for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the nits burn. Remove and serve with a drizzle of milk or cream.

Apple Sourdough Skillet Pancake

I've been culturing a sourdough starter again, and the pets know that they have competition. This mason jar of microbes can command a lot of my attention.

One of my biggest concerns is how to use up all the discarded starter from replenishing the jar with fresh flour and water. 

A New York Times recipe from Tejal Rao for Cast-Iron Sourdough Pancakes caught my eye. It is essentially a Dutch baby with a tart tartine apple layer. 

I tweaked the recipe based on a number of readers' suggestions, and added maple syrup to the batter rather than drowning it in syrup at the end. It proved to be a big hit and I was glad to have more batter for a second pancake. This is a perfect Mothers Day breakfast dish for anyone who is nurturing a sourdough starter.

Apple Sourdough Skillet Pancake

adapted from NYTimes Cooking Tejal Rao's Cast-Iron Sourdough Pancakes

makes two skillet pancakes

approximately 1  cup (225 g) sourdough starter, unfed
1 1/2  cups (180 g) all-purpose flour (or include some buckwheat or corn flour)
1 1/2 cups (368 g) buttermilk or a combination of milk and whey)
2  eggs
2  Tbsp (39 g) maple syrup 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2  tsp baking soda
2  apples, cut into slices
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

4  Tbsp butter, divided

1. The night before, in a large blow whisk together the unfed starter with the flour and buttermilk. Cover and leave to ferment overnight.

2. The next morning, put a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat at 450 degrees. Core and slice the apples. Transfer the pan from the oven to a medium high stovetop burner. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and put in half the apple slices, sprinkling them with a pinch of cinnamon if desired. Cook for a couple of minutes and then flip.

3. Meanwhile, finish the batter by whisking in the eggs, maple syrup, salt, and baking soda. Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour half batter over the apples and melted butter and transfer the skillet to the oven.

4. Bake for 15 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Remove the skillet from the oven. Place a large plate over it and invert the pancake onto the plate, apples side up. Return the skillet to the stovetop and make a second pancake. Slice the pancakes into wedges and serve warm.

Apple Marzipan Cake and Gingerbread Creatures

2016 has not stacked up to be the most beloved year, but I didn't want to let it slip away without documenting a few personal holiday baking triumphs. Above, from Luisa Weiss' Classic German Baking (a much appreciated Christmas cookbook present), is a towering apple marzipan cake. Infused with almond paste, and with apples both cubed within and splayed artfully on top with a glaze of apricot jam, it evoked powerful childhood taste memories of afternoon outings to elegant German cafes for the ritual of Kaffee und Kucken. The recipe can be found here.

In anticipation of Santa's visit, we had fun making gingerbread creatures, following the recipe from the Joy of Cooking (the classic version). When we ran out of patience for rolling and cookie cutting, we used up the final dough with free form snails, pretzels, and a friendly mole skink, sporting fetching icing spots.

Best wishes for peace and happiness in the new year.

Gingerbread Men 

from Joy of Cooking (makes 2 sheets of cookies)

gingerbread dough
1/4 cup butter
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

icing
1/4 cup confectioner sugar
a few drops of water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Blend until creamy the butter and brown sugar and then beat in the dark molasses. Sift the flour and then resift with the remaining dry ingredients. Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture in about 3 parts, alternating with 1/4 cup water. You may have to work in the last of the flour mixture by hand. 

3. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place them on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. You can combine the scraps and chill in the freezer for a few minutes before rolling out again. When you run out of patience, turn the last scraps into hand-formed shapes like snails. If you like, decorate them with dried fruit such as currents and cranberries. 

4. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, according to their thickness. You can test them for doneness by pressing the dough with your finger. If it springs back after pressing, the gingerbread cookies are ready to be cooled on a rack. 

5. To decorate them with icing, stir the confectioner sugar and a few drops of water together in a small bowl to make a paste. Apply the icing with a toothpick or pipe through a sandwich bag with a tiny opening snipped in the corner. Allow to dry. The cookies will keep for a week or so if stored in an airtight container.

Skillet Baked Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples

The Fairmount Farmers Market may seem like a distant memory on this drizzly November weekend, but you can still stock up on local food at the annual Fill Your Pantry event hosted by Willamette Farm and Food Coalition Sunday November 15th from 1 - 5 pm at Lane Events Center. You can pre-order online now through this Sunday at midnight.

Be sure to stock up on rolled oats or barley flakes for winter breakfasts, such as this skillet baked oatmeal, inspired by this recipe from Heidi Swanson, but with seasonal apples and a skillet cornbread approach to baking. This will add a little cheer to your drizzly mornings.

Skillet Baked Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples

Serves 6

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt
1 large apple
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. To the dry skillet, add 1 cup of rolled oats and toast, stirring, for a couple of minutes until they start to become fragrant and brown. Transfer the oats to a medium mixing bowl, and repeat with the second cup of oats. Next toast the cup of chopped walnuts until they start to become fragrant. Transfer the walnuts to a separate small bowl. To the oats, add the baking bowser and salt and mix.

3. Core the apple and cut into 1/4 inch dice. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, add the apple pieces and cinnamon, and cook, stirring often, until the apples are soft. 

4. While the apples are cooking, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

5. When the apples are soft, turn off the heat under the skillet. Use a spatula to incorporate the oat mixture into the buttermilk mixture and then immediately pour it into the hot skillet on top of the cinnamon apples. Scatter over the toasted walnuts and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for about 35 minutes until the oatmeal has set and the top is golden. Serve immediately. 

Hot Cross Buns

This Easter I decided to try my hand at baking hot cross buns, mostly because I noticed that this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini called for two ingredients I already had fermenting in my refrigerator, bread starter and creme fraiche. I combined these into a wet dough that greeted me in the morning with happy bubbles.

Traditional hot cross buns call for currents, which I knew my daughter wouldn't like (she diligently picks out all the raisons from her stollen slices), but I noticed this BBC Good Food recipe included diced apples and cinnamon, which are always a hit in our household, so I folded some into the dough in the morning.

After the buns had risen, I decorated them with the traditional flour paste cross, following these instructions for making a parchment paper piping cornet, which was remarkably simple. One could also use a sugar icing for the crosses after the buns are baked, but then they won't survive reheating.  

Instead of icing, to give the buns a little sweetness I glazed them with apricot jam. We sampled one to determine that they tasted as nice as they smelled, and are saving the rest for Easter breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns

(adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini, makes one dozen)

for the dough
120 grams (4 1/4 ounces) ripe 100% starter
340 grams (12 ounces) all-purpose flour [if you don't use a starter, use 400 grams (14 ounces)]
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast [if you don't use a starter, use 2 teaspoons]
175 ml (3/4 cup) milk, at room temperature [if you don't use a starter, use 225 ml (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon)], plus a little for brushing
125 grams (1/2 cup) crème fraîche (or equal parts sour cream and heavy cream)
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

for the apple filling
1/2 apple, cored and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the crosses:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

For the glaze:
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Day one: Prepare the dough for overnight fermentation.
In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, starter if using, yeast, milk, crème fraîche, and honey to form a shaggy mass, making sure all of the flour is incorporated. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Mix in the salt. Fold  the dough for 4 minutes -- or set the stand mixer on low speed -- until the dough starts to get a little smoother.

3. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a plate, and place in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.

Day two: Divide and shape the buns for the second ferment, decorate, bake, and glaze.
4. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge, remove the plate, and let rest for 30 minutes; it should have risen moderately, not quite doubled. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

5. Core and dice the apple into small pieces and toss with the cinnamon and ground ginger.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured working surface -- the dough will be fairly sticky, but if you work quickly while it is still cold from the fridge, you will be fine. Flatten it out, dump on the spiced apples, and fold the dough over itself. Fold it several more times until the apple pieces are incorporated. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 90 grams or 3 1/6 ounces each), and shape each piece into a squarish bun (the dough is a bit sticky, just do your best) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of space between them: you do want them to touch as they rise and bake.

7. Cover with a clean, floured towel and let rest for 2 1/2 hours, until they've risen to about 1.5 times their original size.

8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the buns lightly with milk (this will foster browning).

9. Prepare the flour paste for the crosses: in a small bowl, place the flour and water and whisk with a spoon until smooth; it should have a consistency a bit like face cream, spreadable but not too thick. Spoon this mixture into a small paper cone (a cornet) assembled from parchment paper as demonstrated here. Snip the tip of the cone to form a 3-mm (1/10-inch) opening and pipe the flour paste over the buns to form a cross.

10. Insert the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a cooling rack.

11. To prepare the glaze, heat the apricot jam carefully in the microwave, and add a tablespoon of water if it seems to thick. You can strain it if you like, or just avoid transferring apricot bits on your brush. Brush the buns with the glaze while they're still warm. Once cooled, hot cross buns should be split in two horizontally and toasted.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Apple Rings

This past weekend, when the sun was still shining (a distant memory a day later), we had the pleasure of visiting Sweetwater Farm, the major vendor of the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market and source of our Good Food Easy CSA. 

Farmers Erica and Tom had on display an explosion of colorful winter squash, along with rosy gala apples. We got to see their impressive operation of greenhouses that keep them harvesting year round, and their open field with a few remaining summer crops including this ghoulish kohlrabi, that could be easily mistaken for a mandrake. 

All this fall bounty inspired me to roast rings of delicata squash and apples, as a side for a Fair Valley Farm ham. The recipe below gives specific temperatures, but both the squash and apples could be roasted at a range of temperatures, to accommodate whatever else is in the oven, as long as you keep an eye on them.

We had this delicious fall meal along with and my latest attempt at sourdough bread. And as an extra treat, dainty roasted delicata squash seeds, which are a real delicacy as compared to your regular jumbo jack-o'-lantern seeds.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Apple Rings

1 delicata squash
3 apples
a drizzle of olive oil
a pinch of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Slice the ends off the delicata squash and discard. Slice the squash into 1/2 inch rounds. Hold each round flat and use a spoon to run along the interior edges of each disc to dislodge the inner goop and seeds. Save this to roast the seeds. Drizzle some olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Slide the squash discs in the olive oil to coat lightly, and then flip them over to coat the second side. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, use a melon baller or paring knife to remove the stem and blossom ends of the apples. Slice each apple into 1/4 inch rounds crosswise across the core. Use the knife tip to flick away any seeds. Place the apple rounds on a second baking sheet.

3. Use a spatula to flip over the delicate squash discs. They should be golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and put in the baking sheet with the apple rounds. Check everything after another 10 minutes. Both the apples and squash should be soft and the squash should be golden on both sides. Cook for a little longer if needed. When both are done, move them to a platter and layer the apple slices on the delicata squash rings. Serve warm.

Roasted Delicata Squash Seeds

Use your fingers to pry the seeds away from the squash goop, but a little clinging goop is fine. Mix the seeds with a Tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast in a small pan at 350 degrees, stirring after 5 minutes, and checking again every couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Be careful not to forget them because they will burn quickly. Enjoy.

Leftover Oatmeal Apple Sauce Muffins

I was traveling for just a few days this past week, but seemed to miss out on all sorts of important events at home: a valiant loss in an OBOB battle, a dramatic playground fall that required a trip to the nurse's office, and an ambitious, last minute project fair presentation. Even after a short trip, it takes a couple of days to get caught up on the latest jokes, bedtime book story lines, and the status of food supplies.

So after a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast of teff and flaxseed oatmeal, it felt satisfying to roast up a couple of aging apples and use the apple sauce, along with the leftover oatmeal, in a batch of mini muffins to pack as snacks for the week.

I adapted a recipe for banana cereal muffins from Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain, described by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette as "a garbage disposal-style recipe" in the best sort of way. In went our leftover oatmeal, the roasted apple sauce, and even the end of a tub of sour cream. Out came some very tasty muffins, pictured here with my daughter's spelling list from last week, including the words "anxious", "whether", "succeed", "business", and "companion", which seemed to form an accidental poem about the mixed emotions of traveling away from home.

Leftover Oatmeal Apple Sauce Muffins

adapted from Kim Boyce Good to the Grain, described here

makes about 28 mini muffins

roasted apples sauce
2 apples, cored and peeled 
1 tsp butter
pinch of salt

muffin batter
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup soft white flour
1/2 cup red fife flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1. To prepare a small scale, accelerated version of this apple sauce, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel and core two apples and cut each into about 24 pieces. Arrange in a small baking dish, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and dot with about a tsp of butter. Roast for about 25 minutes until the apples are soft and just a bit charred. Mash with a potato masher, leaving it a little chunky. This should make about a cup of sauce. You could also substitute a cup of store bought apples sauce or two to three very ripe bananas, mashed.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffins tins (enough for 28 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins).

3. In a large bowl or a standing mixer, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until very creamy. Mix in the sour cream (or use 2 more Tbsp of butter, as in the original recipe). Mix in the egg, then the cooked oatmeal, the apple sauce, and the vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for about 24-28 minutes for mini muffins, or 35-40 minutes for regular muffins, rotating the pans halfway through, until they are nicely browned on top and a fork comes out clean. Best eaten warm or reheated for a few minutes in a toaster oven.

Purple Barley Salad with Apples, Celery and Bacon

With warmer days and sunnier evenings, dinner salads are in order. This substantial salad, which uses the purple barley from our Lonesome Whistle Farm CSA, was inspired by a recipe from Elin England, CSA member and author of Eating Close to Home. It combines sage-infused barley with cubes of crunchy apples and celery root lightly sauteed with bacon. 

I served the salad on a bed of lettuce and celery fronds with a lemony mustard dressing.

As a final touch, I deep fried some sage leaves in the remaining bacon fat for a crispy, tasty garnish.

Purple Barley Salad with Apples, Celery and Bacon

makes 4 dinner salads

1 cup hulled barley (purple if you can find it)
3 cups water
6 fronds of sage leaves (divide use)
1 lemon (divided use)
1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
1 medium sized celery root
1 firm apple, such as a honey crisp
4 strips of bacon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 small head of lettuce or 4 big handfuls of salad greens


1. Soak the barley overnight. The next day, drain and add 3 cups of fresh water, 2 fronds of sage leaves and a generous amount of salt. Use a vegetable peeler to make a long strip of lemon rind and add this to the pot. Bring the water to a simmer and cook gently, partially covered, over low heat until the barley is tender but still has a lot of bite, about 90 minutes. Adjust seasoning and discard the lemon rind and sage leaves. You can cook the barley ahead and reheat it before finishing the salad.


2. Peel the celery root (reserve any celery leaves for your salad) and chop into about ¼ inch dice. Peel the apple and chop into about ½ inch dice.


3. Heat a skillet big enough to cook the bacon. When it is warm, toast the walnut pieces until they are fragrant but be sure not to burn them. Reserve.


4. Now cook the bacon until it is nice and crisp. Drain on paper towels.


5. Over medium heat, submerge the remaining 4 sage fronds, stem side up, into the hot rendered bacon fat and let them cook for a minute. Rescue them out of the vat of oil by their stems, and let them recover from their adventure on the paper towels. They will crisp up into crunchy treats.


6. Reserve 1 tsp of rendered bacon fat for your dressing, and pour off all but about 1 Tbsp of the fat from the pan. Over medium heat, add the diced celery root and sauté for a minute. Now add the diced apple and sauté for a minute longer. You want these to be flavored by the bacon fat but still have some crunch. Transfer the sautéed celery root and apple to a large bowl. Stir in the warm barley and the toasted walnuts. Taste and adjust the seasoning.


7. Mix up a dressing for your lettuce by combining juice from one lemon, mustard and honey and then whisking in the reserved 1 tsp of bacon fat. Toss your lettuce leaves, and celery leaves if you have some, with the dressing and arrange on four plates. Top each with a quarter of the barley mixture. Crumble a piece of bacon over each mound and top with the deep fried sage leaves. Enjoy warm.

Root Vegetable Latkes

Our CSA from Open Oak Farm provided us with a great selection of root vegetables. Inspired by my friend Elly's cabbage fritters and various Hanukkah recipes, I decided to experiment with root vegetable latkes.

The key to successful latkes is removing as much liquid from the potatoes as possible, which I did by squeezing them in a kitchen towel. The addition of grated carrots and parsnips helped offset the sogginess, and I used panko to bind the batter together with a little extra crunch. 

You need to be patient with these so that they have a chance to cook through. It's best to distract yourself with other tasks like emptying the dishwasher or preparing other dishes. It's worth the wait. The final pancakes were crispy and flavorful with hints of sweet onion, carrot and parsnip among the potatoes. And they tasted delicous with the last batch of this apple sauce.

Root Vegetable Latkes

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
1 parsnip, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
2 eggs
1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs
plenty of salt and pepper
canola oil for frying


1. In a food processor with a grater attachment or using a box grater, grate the potatoes. Transfer the grated potato to a dishtowel over a strainer.


2. Grate the onion, carrot and parsnip.


3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Fold in the onions, carrots, and parsnips. Wrap the grated potato in the dish towel and twist to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir the potatoes and panko into the batter.


4. Heat a griddle over medium low heat and coat well with canola oil. When the oil is hot enough that a test teaspoon of batter sizzles upon contact, spoon out pancakes of batter with a soup spoon and flatten with a spatula. Cook thoroughly until the first side is crispy and brown, about five minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is also brown and crispy. Eat at once with apple sauce, or keep the latkes warm on a platter in a low oven while you prepare the next batch.

Roasted Apple Sauce

I procured a box of these lovely liberty apples from SLO Farm at the Fill Your Pantry event a couple of weeks ago. We go through a lot of apples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but with 20 pounds to use up, we needed to pick up the pace. So I hauled out our apple peeler (another kitchen gadget gift from my mother in law) and got to work on this recipe for Judy Rodger's roasted apple sauce posted as a genius recipe on food52.

The trick is to bake the apples, dotted with butter and covered, until they are soft, and then finish them, uncovered, at high heat that caramelizes the juices. The roasted apples were easily mashed into a sauce that made a delicious accompaniment to waffles for a crowd. And I could imagine them as a nice accompaniment to roasted fowl, if my kids hadn't devoured the remains. We have much to be thankful for this season, not least of which is living in this fertile valley with such delicious produce. Happy Thanksgiving.

Roasted Apple Sauce

Adapted from Judy Rodger's The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

12 apples (3 1/2 - 4 pounds)
2 tsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
splash of cider vinegar (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and arrange snuggly in a baking pan. Toss with the salt, sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.


2. Bake for about 25 minutes until the apples are soft.


3. Raise the heat to 500 degrees. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for approximately 15 more minutes until the juice has evaporated and the apples have started to brown on their tips.


4. Remove the apples to a bowl and mash to the desired consistency. If desired, add a splash of cider vinegar. 

Teff Grain and Ricotta Pancakes with Apple Topping

Suddenly fall is in the air. And the produce offerings at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market this Sunday, from SLO Farm, Sweetwater Farm, and Songbird Farm, will be abundant:

• apples: Gravenstein, Sansa, Akane
• tomatoes: heirlooms, cherries, and San Marzano romas!
• cucumbers, zucchini, beets, eggplants, peppers, string beans
• greens, parsley, basil, garlic
• eggs, honey, pickles

You can also expect fresh and smoked salmon from The Salmon People and locally grown grains and beans from the Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project.

With the morning chill in the air, I decided to experiment with pancakes made with this teff grain from Camas Country Mill. Teff is a fine, protein-rich grain that can be cooked like polenta. I combined two Mark Bittman recipes for polenta pancakes and ricotta pancakes. 

To accompany them, I cooked up our last remaining sansa apple with butter and cinnamon.

The pancakes turned out to be rich and fluffy with an appealing texture and were gobbled up by my initially skeptical daughter, who was not a fan of the results of an earlier experiment with wheatberry pancakes. We can't wait for tomorrow's market to replenish our apple supply.

Teff Grain and Ricotta Pancakes with Apple Topping

makes about 24 pancakes

pancake batter

1/4 cup teff grain

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1/2 cup ricotta

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup flour (I used white, but one could use teff flour to makes these gluten-free)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp brown sugar

apple topping

2 apples, cored and chopped into ~1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turbinado sugar

1. Cook 1/4 cup teff grain in 1 cup of water with a pinch of salt, simmering for about 20 minutes and stirring occasionally until the water is all absorbed. You could do this the evening before and mix it with the ricotta and buttermilk to prevent it from hardening.

2. Prepare the apple topping. Warm a small skillet over medium low heat. Melt the butter, and stir in the chopped apples and cinnamon. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and fragrant. Stir in the sugar and cook for a minute longer. Reserve.

3. Mix together the ricotta, egg yokes, buttermilk, and cooked teff.

4. Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar.

5. Beat the egg whites until stiff.

6. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just incorporated. Then gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

7. Heat a griddle and when it is warm, grease with a little butter. Use a soup spoon to spoon the batter into pancakes. When permanent bubbles form around the edge and the color of the batter lightens on top, flip the pancakes and cooked them for a couple of minutes on the second side. 

8. Serve the pancakes hot off the griddle with the apple topping and a scant dribble of maple syrup.