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Today at Applejack Lane

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Seasonal Sunday

Welcome to Applejack Lane.   With cherries in season during the month of July, Cathy made a special dessert that she saw in the New York Times-Cherry Clafouti.

 Cherry Clafouti

1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) fresh ripe cherries, stemmed and pitted if desired
2 tablespoons kirsch (she did not use this)
6 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar (optional)
1. Toss the cherries with the kirsch and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain over a bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10- or 10 1/2-inch ceramic tart pan or clafouti dish. Fill the dish with the drained cherries.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean. Add the salt and the liquid from the cherries, and combine well. Slowly beat in the flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the yogurt and milk, and combine well. Pour over the cherries, scraping out all of the batter with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the clafouti is firm and puffed. Press gently on the top in the middle to see if it’s firm. If not, return to the oven for five minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. When the clafouti is warm or cool, sift on the powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Serves eight.

Delicious!

From The Garden

Good morning from Applejack Lane.  Last night when I perused the garden, I found our first tomato along with a few cucumbers and peppers! 

So, this is what I have on my kitchen countertop for today.  I'll join Marty  at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.

Grilled Corn

Good evening from Applejack Lane.  My hairdresser, Norman, persuaded me to grill corn this evening for dinner.  It was great!  Since there was only two of us, I just fixed three ears.
First of all, the corn must be young and fresh-an absolute must.  Corn that is too old is just hard and tasteless!  I always sneak a peak in the market to see if it meets the standards that my dad and mom taught me to look for.  And this time of the year, country markets get the best if you don't have your own garden!

Here is what I did.
1.  Peel back the husk, but don't tear away..
2.  Remove the silk.
3.  For 3 ears, I used about 1/4 stick of BUTTER! ( Does this sound like Paula Deen?)
4.  Sprinkle with parsley.  I have my own supply dried from my herb garden.
5.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little salt.
6.  Rewrap the green husk over the corn.
7.  Tie with a string to keep husk around the ear.
8.  Soak corn in a deep pan of water for about 20 minutes.
9.  Grill corn for about 20-25 minutes, turning several times.  The husks will get dry but should not catch on fire.  I put the ears on a second grilling ledge so it does not get too close to the flame.
10.  Remove ears from the grill and discard the husks.  The corn is buttered and seasoned, ready to eat.
11.  Enjoy!

Yummy!

Happy July 4th!

Happy July 4th from Applejack Lane!

Thanks to Willie Ferguson and Jim Chestnut for constructing these metal sculptures for us Stauntonians and visitors to enjoy this holiday and every day!