OK, I know in my last letter I talked about sliding into Autumn…However, depending on who you believe, it may be more of a slip or a slog. According to various and sundry sources, 2021 weather in the Atlantic Corridor will be above average…or below average… or juuuust right. So whether you go by Goldilocks, the Old Farmers Almanac or the tried and tested woolly caterpillar method, it’s generally going to be a crap shoot that you will likely lose. Growing up, my mother was our family’s weather channel. “Open the door and stick your head out…now you know.”
But here we are, better than halfway through September, and you still haven’t opened your sock drawer, have you? ’Cause it’s been flip-flop HOT! It’s also been wet…or dry…depending on what week we’re in. But there is good news. APPLES! I told you I’d get back to them!
Seems that the weird weather pattern will be sending the east coast a bumper crop in 2021. Starting this Saturday, you’ll be seeing all the colors…from granny green to russet red. So, which will it be? That depends. From Ginger Golds to Empires. There are literally hundreds of ways to eat an apple, from munching out of hand to homemade applesauce and every way in between…and choosing the right one for the occasion is a matter of culinary science, with a little bit of luck for good measure.
Here in PA, the Honeycrisp is the clear winner for whatever you’re going for; while the bland but ubiquitous Red Delicious mostly just attracts wicked witches and naive princesses, the Gold Delicious picks up blue ribbons in pie-baking and pie-eating contests across the Keystone state. And there are new contenders coming along every season for whatever your pleasure and for whatever you’ve got cookin’. So, check to see what’s what at Fruitwood Farms and GreenHorn Gardens, and make a plan.
We haven’t even gotten to cider…hard or soft. That takes a whole ‘nother level of chemistry, and some considerable elbow grease in the bargain. Cider was the drink du jour in the colonies, and if you think bending your elbow is all it takes, maybe it’s time for a visit to nearby Bartram Gardens to see how the colonists did things. Back then, cider was safer than the local water, so every family needed a supply; and of course there was always a “forgotten” barrel that sat in the barn fermenting to a fare-thee-well. Medicinal…mmm…maybe. But today, punch-packin’ hard cider, now in bottles or cans, is still the beverage of choice in many regions of our state.
From pies to cakes to apple pandowdy (does anyone make that these days?), we see the apple as American as…well…as apple pie. But actually the apple has had a role in almost every culture since…well, since Eve said to Adam: “Try it. You’ll like it!”
Autumn has colors and pleasures all its own. Chilly days just made for that beautiful hat and scarf set that’s been waiting in your closet. And of course, everything Pumpkin Spice! So give in to this next season. Summer will be back next year.
Don’t forget to set your calendar to Oct 3 for the return of Arts on the Avenue. It’s really happening. Come see, come stay, come shop!
And be sure to read the rest of this LEDC newsletter for all the news in ‘DOWNE not ‘Dale.
And hey! If any reader has a recipe for apple pandowdy, please leave it in the comments. Or make some for me.
Terry Baraldi