Caprese Bites and Sweetie's Boat

Do you know how sometimes you take a photo and lose track of it...and then 'find' it weeks later in your digital photos? That happened to me yesterday. I was looking for a photo from early August and came across one that I took during our visit to Redmond, WA to visit our daughter and her family. It's above. The recipe is below.

Kate made an appetizer/starter one evening when we were cooking dinner. It's the perfect summer bite - a Caprese Bite made with a slice of tomato topped with basil leaves and a slice of fresh mozzarella, then drizzled with reduced balsamic vinegar. Make it now when tomatoes are at their peak of availability and flavor in the northern hemisphere.

Caprese Bites
serves 4-5

2-3 medium tomatoes...the best you can find or have grown...sliced, stem end removed
enough slices of fresh mozzarella for each slice of tomato
a bunch of fresh basil
balsamic glaze or about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduced over low heat in a small pot on the stove. Stir often to prevent scorching. It's ready when thick enough that it doesn't run off when drizzled over the bites.

On a plate or board, spread out the slices of tomato. Top each with a basil leaf or two. Top that with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Serve at once.

 

Sweetie had been working this summer on a wooden boat. As usual he has made some changes, including on this one adding a cabin. It's careful work. Each of the think pieces of wood for the hull were steamed and fitted to the ribs of the boat, which took a lot of time. This isn't a finished boat, but it's getting close!

Applesauce and Hand Pies

So much fun to have a bearing apple tree. Sometimes I don't have enough free time to harvest many of them, but when I do, I often make applesauce. My tree is a Gravenstein, a type of apple that turns to mush when it ages...or cooks. The first year we lived here I collected a bankers box (cardboard) of them, planning on making something with them when the weather was cooler. This is because Gravensteins ripen in August, when it is often hot! I left them in the basement and went to get them in October. All I found was a soggy box full of apples that had turned to mush. These are not keepers. They need to be prepared or eaten within a week or so of picking.

So, I made applesauce. Washed the dust off 'em, peeled them, halved them, removed the seed part and the stem and flower ends, then cut each half into about 5 or 6 slices. Into a big pot they went. I think there were about  4-5 cups of fresh apple slices. I put in 1/4 cup water to keep them from scorching and sprinkled on about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. A tablespoon of brown sugar was added, just because. Once covered, I simmered them until they were soft. Once they cooled a bit I mashed them some, but they had mostly mashed themselves they were so soft from cooking.

That's it! I chilled mine and had some for breakfast, but in the evening I made Applesauce Hand Pies.

1 rolled out pie dough circle - I use Pillsbury ReadyCrust and roll it to about 12 inches in diameter.

Cut the circle in half and stack.

Cut each stack into 4 wedges. Try to get them about the same size.

Take the first wedge stack (2 pieces of dough). On one of the pieces scoop some of the applesauce, leaving a 1/2-inch all around that has no sauce. Take the second piece and roll it out a bit to make it bigger. Using a finger you've run some water over, wet about a 1/2-inch all around the outer edge and then place, wet side down, on top of the applesauce wedge, press down all around so it sticks to that 1/2-inch plain dough part.  That seals the applesauce into the hand pie!

Use the tines of a fork to press down gently but firmly all around that 1/2-inch edge to further seal it. Place the wedge, now a hand pie, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Preheat the over to 425 degrees F.

Repeat with the remaining three wedge stacks. You'll end up with four hand pies on the parchment.

If desired, brush a little cream or egg wash on the top of each pie. Cut a vent slash (about an inch) in the top of each.

Bake in the preheated over for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake 10-15 minutes, or until pie dough is golden brown. 

Let cool on a rack until cool enough to eat without burning your mouth. It will smell so good that you'll want to eat it right away! If desired, drizzle with an icing made with a couple tablespoons confectioners sugar, mixed until smooth with a few drops of milk or hot water. You can add another drop, or two, if it's too thick. If you ice it, let the hand pie cool completely so the icing can set. Then enjoy!!!