Sweet September

When September arrives I immediately think apples and apple cider. I think most of us do while looking forward to a change from the extreme heat of summer. A nice crisp apple is synonymous with the crispness of fall.
I think fall was one of my Mother's favorite times; maybe being born in September had a little to do with it. My mother would just come to life when the apple farms and cider mills went into full swing. Her great love for pork didn't hurt either, she always said that apples and pork were a match made in heaven and I would have to agree.

Apple Cider Stew

1-2 lbs. Pork shoulder (any pork with a good amount of marbling) cut into bite size pieces.
8 large carrots, chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 large onion chopped
2 c. apple cider

Place carrots, potatoes, and apples in crock pot. Add meat and sprinkle with salt, thyme, and onion. Pour cider over meat and cover. Cook on low heat 10-12 hours. Thicken gravy using 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a separate bowl mixed with a little bit of the hot gravy. Put cornstarch mixture back in pot of hot stew and bring to a boil while stirring.

Only Their Names Are Quirky.... Deep Down They Are Very Sweet.

Grunt, Crisp, Buckle, Pandowdy, cobbler, slump the list is as long as centuries of human imagination and the need to create satisfying foods that taste good.
Most of these types of desserts were created out of the need to improvise due to lack of certain ingredients and an abundance of others such as fruits and berries.
The grunts which make a grunting sound as they simmer and the slumps are basically cobblers. Crisps have some type of streusel for crunch and buckles have a cake layer that rises to the top. All of these comforting desserts at one time were considered puddings, a far cry from what we consider pudding today. We all seem to have our favorites usually based on the types of fruits that are used. I tend to lean towards the cherries and the blueberries when it comes to my grunts, crisps and cobblers. My mother prefers apple or rhubarb and my aunt (who is a peach) prefers peach.
Whatever kind of fruit you choose, whether you crisp or grunt or buckle, do it with some flair and make it Ala Mode!

Blueberry Grunt

1 lb. blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup half & half

Drain blueberries, measure and reserve 3/4 cup juice. Combine sugar, cornstarch, butter and reserved juice in large skillet. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add berries and simmer 1 minute longer. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium size bowl.
Beat egg and cream in small bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Drop mixture onto hot berries in 6 evenly spaced mounds. Cover skillet, simmer 25 minutes. Serve at once with yogurt or heavy cream.
You can also use peaches, apples, mangos, cherries, pineapple, rhubarb even grapes in the above recipe.