How do you like them apples?

Phillip K. Dick, the science-fiction writer, said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”  We perceive the world the way our senses and sensibilities perceive it, seeing what we understand and editing out what we don’t.  Learning to garden and forage, I can walk down an urban street and see not only houses, trees, and trash along the street, but chicken of the woods and chicory, wild carrot and endive, Concord grapes, acorns, and occasionally a rabbit.  Would I want to eat a mushroom growing so close to the street, or grapes off the vine climbing the tree that hangs over the stream posted with pollution warnings?  No.  But my eyes have adjusted to a new reality, where this is food, this is a food chain…  I’m still a novice to mushroom hunting, and even mycologists themselves will frequently report they don’t know why mushrooms appear here and not there, now and not then, to paraphrase Michael Pollan’s writings on the subject.  There is so much we don't understand about the interconnected web of life, but it's there regardless.  A butterfly and a tsunami are connected.  We just need the right filter, the visual adjustment, or maybe even a blind-fold so that other senses can awaken.

The industrial food process is anything but transparent, many of us buying foods with metaphorical blindfolds on.  We see the cheap price and don't connect the health and environmental issues later.  A month ago, I picked peaches on a farm because they were the first ones to have them.  It was not an industrial operation, but I felt itchy afterwards.  Perhaps I should have asked what sprays they used.  Then last weekend, the family went to Hill Orchards, which practices Integrated Pest Management.  IPM is not necessarily spray-free or organic, but is a method that uses many natural means first to control pests.  This orchard sets up traps to attract pests to see what they’re dealing with in any given season.  Beneficial insects such as ladybugs, mantids, lacewings, assassin bugs, and the like may be brought in.  Companion planting with herbs may attract these beneficials or deter pests.  Then there are sprays such as insecticidal soap or copper/sulphur to treat fungal diseases.  Rarely will growers who use IPM use wholesale insecticides.  So there we were, picking apples and peaches, grown responsibly.  When it came time to pay, both fruits were actually cheaper per pound than the first farm I picked at.  (Hillside $1.50 vs. "Other" at $2/lb.  I guess chemicals cut into their costs.)

Now how do you like them apples?  I like them in my 8 pints of apple sauce, in apple pie, in apple parsnip soup.  I like my 4 pints of peaches, chicken tangine, and Indian pudding.  But it's not just about the food.  After losing sleep trying to keep up with the canning, I took a peach, felt its fuzz peel away with my fingers, let the juice ooze over me, smelled it, inhaled it.  It was peach, and it was becoming part of me.  The pit, hard as a jewel, when broken open yielded a tiny almond-like seed.  In fact, the two are close cousins.  I smelled the seed, broke it, and chewed it slowly.  I think I may go into the garden blind-folded just to see with my nose.  

I made a pie.  Sent some over to my neighbors who cut up the tree we lost in Tropical Irene.  The logs now line our school garden.  And saved a slice for my minister, for another wonderful sermon and for just being him.  Here’s the recipe:

Vegan Option

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Basic Pie Dough

Taste of Europe

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Prep/Chill: 30 minutes  Makes two 9” double-crust pies

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups vegetable shortening

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. coriander (optional)

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 egg (or 1/4 cup oil for vegan recipe)

1/2 cup water

Sift together flours, sugar, salt, and coriander, if using.  With fork, cut shortening into dry mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, eggs or oil, and water. Combine the two mixtures, stirring with a fork until all ingredients are moistened. With floured hands, mold dough into four balls.  Chill at least fifteen minutes before rolling.  Dough can be kept wrapped in plastic in refrigerator for three days or frozen six months.

Gramma’s Apple Pie

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 - 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg

Dash salt

6 cups thinly sliced, pared tart

apples (Granny Smith or Cortland)

2 tbsp. butter

Heat oven to 425ºF. Prepare pastry.  Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg,cinnamon, and salt. Mix with apples. Turn into pastry-lined pan.  Dot with butter. Put top crust on.  Seal edges and cut slits in top. Cover edges of pie crust with two to

three inches of aluminum foil. Remove in last fifteen minutes of baking

time. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust browns and juice bubbles through slits. (Granny Smith apples may require more sugar.)

Source: Betty Crocker (?)