Recipes for Alice and her Bramble Farm Apples - in Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas

Practical Orchard Quilt Block

 

During the month of May, Quilters' Book Club members are reading and discussing Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas.  Alice Bullock, Mother Bullock, Annie, and Joybell keep busy harvesting apples from Bramble Farm apple trees.  They dry apples and make applesauce, apple butter, and cider and still have apples left.  Quilters' Book Club members offer suggestions for recipes to use all those delicious apples:

 

Member Char says here’s a Crock-Pot dish that serves 4-6 – great for cooler summer cooking!  (Wouldn't Alice have loved a slow cooker?) 

Char’s Smoked Sausage with Cabbage and Apples

1-1/2 pounds smoked sausage, 2" lengths

3 cooking apples, cut in eighths

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar (I use a little less)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup apple juice

1.  Layer sausage, apples, cabbage and onion in slow cooker in the order listed.

2.  Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the apple juice over all. Do not stir.

3.  Cover and cook LOW 6-8 hrs or HIGH 3-4 hours.

May double recipe for 5 qt. or larger slow cooker.

 

Broken Sugar Bowl Quilt Block

 

Member Lisa from Georgia has this to say about her Grandma Miller’s recipe for Fried Apple Pies:

“I was surprised to read that they did not make Fried Apple Pies, which was a very popular recipe in the south for those that had apple trees.

“I used to love going to Grandma Miller's house..step grandma.  We would pick the apples from her apple trees and she, her two twin daughters, and my mom would cook those apples up into applesauce, apple pie filling, and also dry some. 

“We kids begged for the fried apple pies every time we went there. 

“The recipe is really easy and yet I do not have Grandma Miller’s recipe.  She died when I was 16 and too young to know any better than to ask for a recipe.  I do own a quilt she made back in the 30's though.  I was too young and dumb to ask about quilting back then, too, from her.

“But anywhoooo..she always made pie dough for the fried pies until those canned biscuits came out.  Oh, those women of those times loved when those canned biscuits came out.  They could make their fried pies a lot easier.  That's what Grandma Miller did, and we no longer begged for her pies after the first batch with canned biscuits.  No comparison to actual pie dough." 

Lisa’s Grandma Miller’s Fried Apple Pies

1.  So, the recipe is to make a real pie dough. 

2.  Cook up your apples as you would for a pie filling.  Or, you can use canned pie filling, which does work well in these. 

3.  Then roll out the dough into as big of rounds as you prefer. 

4.  Fill with the apple pie filling and crimp the edges. 

5.  Then fry in some shortening on both sides in a skillet until the dough turns golden.

We have a restaurant here in Atlanta, Georgia that has been around for a long time called The Varsity.  It's across the street from Georgia Tech.  They have fried apple and peach pies...just like Grandma Miller used to make.  We would get them there when we were not at her house.  We lived about 1 1/2 hours from her.  We still get our fried pies from The Varsity if we don't make them ourselves around these here parts.  LOL!

 

How, amid all the hardship and constant work, do the women of Bramble Farm manage to bear up and even be cheerful?  What helps you cope with hardships and maintain a cheerful attitude?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Answer in the comments section below.  If you are reading this via email, remember to click the blog title to comment and read the comments of others.

 

By commenting, you are also entering a giveaway for Jennifer Chiaverini's book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  The winner will be announced June 1. 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.