Dear Customers,
No more arguments about when does summer start – or end! Whether you follow the calendar or social customs, when the pages flip over to October there’s no denying it – it’s autumn! The bulk of our trees around this area are one type of maple or another, interspersed with several varieties of oak. Some trees perennially lose their leaves beginning as early as August and continue on over the next month and a half till the vast majority are barren and brown by the third week of October.
We have a silver maple tree in our lawn, well over 50 years young by now. How do I know this? I remember my dad having it planted in the early 1970’s. Over the years it’s grown larger and statelier as the decades go by. It’s the only shade tree in our lawn and while it begins shedding its colorful foliage in September, it stubbornly holds onto the last of its leaves until almost Thanksgiving! So, every few days, we scrape up what has fallen and either haul it down to the street for Borough pick-up or grind them in the mower! This continues throughout September, October and into November!
One thing that brings a smile to my face, however, is the warmth of a homey kitchen – particularly one that is rife with the aromas of cooking. It is especially pleasant when the temperatures outside are dropping, and the wind is whistling over the foothills. This recipe is the way my mother-in-law, Alice Robbins whips up the most delicious apple crisp I’ve ever enjoyed – and I’ve enjoyed a lot of them!
| 4 cups tart apples, sliced | 1 cup sugar | ¼ cup orange juice |
| ¾ cup all purpose flour | ½ tsp ground cinnamon | ¼ tsp ground nutmeg |
| ½ cup butter | A dash of table salt |
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Mound the sliced apples in a 9”x13” glass baking dish and sprinkle with the orange juice. For the topping, combine the sugar, flour, spices and a dash of salt. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly then scatter evenly over the apples. Bake for 45 minutes, then place under the broiler, watching carefully for a few minutes to crisp up (not burn) the topping.