Polish Apple Pie--the Easy Version

It has been a third fall since I started writing this blog and the same third season for apples. And I do not know how it happened that so far I have not posted a recipe for a traditional Polish apple pie (or cake), which is probably the most popular Polish cake. It used to be served as soon as the first ripe apples appeared late in the summer and until the last winter apples were pulled out of the cellar in early spring.
If you ask me, the best apple pie I had was that made by my grandmother. Her shortcrust pastry could win a Nobel Prize in that category (if there were such a category, of course). I still use it to make many different cakes and mostly to make these wonderful small pastries that are on the title photo of my blog. But I believe that her apple cake was exceptional also because there was an endless variety of apples in Poland suitable for all kinds of apple cakes.
Apple cakes were the type of cakes most often baked in my home. It was easy, as in our yard there were growing at least three different kinds of apple trees and all of their fruits were suitable for cooking and preserving. They were juicy or mushy, sweet or sour, hard or soft, but always aromatic and perfect for the fall and winter desserts.
The recipe that I share today is an easy variation of the one my grandma made because it does not require rolling the dough. Instead you grate it on a grater.
We have never used cinnamon in my home for that recipe but since it goes with apples very well, you may add some according to your taste. Apple pie, as always, is great fresh and warm, just slightly cooled down, but this is also great the next day because it tastes very nice when it gets softer.

Polish Apple Pie
(For a 9-inch tin with high walls)
Ingredients:
3 cooking apples, preferably sour, but McIntosh or Golden Delicious can be also used,
1 cup sugar, plus 1 extra tbsp,
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour,
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature,
2 tsp baking powder,
4 medium eggs, separated, a pinch of salt,
1 tsp cinnamon (optional).
Preparation:
1. To make a dough place flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix it well with a spatula.
2. Add to the bowl butter cut into small cubes and working with hands make large crumbles.
3. In a small bowl mix egg yolks and one tbsp of sugar until it becomes pale. Add yolk mixture to the butter-flour bowl and working with hands, as fast as possible, make a smooth dough.
4. Wrap the dough in a plastic foil and freeze for at least one hour, until it becomes hard.
5. Just before baking preheat oven to 375F.
6. Peel off all the apples and grate them on a grater with large holes.

7. Use 1 tbsp of butter to grease the bottom of the 9-inch large baking tin with high removable walls. 8. Take the dough from the freezer and using the large hole grater, grate half of it directly on the bottom of the tin.
9. Beat whites until almost stiff. Add one third of the sugar and beat until it dissolves and whites become shiny. Do that the same with the second and the third part of the sugar.
10. Mix grated apples with whipped whites, add cinnamon if you like it, and spread evenly on the grated pastry.
11. Grate the second part of the dough on top.

12. Place the pie in the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes until the top of the pie becomes gold. Cool down, cut in triangles, and serve.

Endive and Pear Salad

This salad might seem trivial to those who tasted any version of it. But, last time I served it to my friends, it turned out that it was completely unknown to them. It also earned many compliments. It is one of my favorite fall salads so I decided to post this recipe today, as fall is definitely here.

It is easy to make if you only have the right ingredients. The neutral taste of the endive is enhanced by the sweetness of the pear, the strong taste of the blue cheese and aromatic walnuts. Once drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, the salad should be gently tossed. All the flavors infuse and with each bite you taste them blending in your mouth.

This salad can be served as a dinner entrée or, as it is often in France and Switzerland, as a lunch dish, accompanied by a fresh baguette.

Endive and Pear Salad
(Serves four)

Ingredients: 3-4 endives,
1 ripe but not too soft pear,
1/2 cup toasted walnuts quarters,
1 thick slice of Roquefort or any hard, good quality blue cheese,
juice from 1/2 lemon,
2-3 tbsp olive oil,
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. Cut endive diagonally into thick slices and place in a large shallow bowl.
2. Peel off the pear and remove seeds. Cut in four and slice. Scatter on top of the endives.
3. Cut the piece of blue cheese into small cubes and toss on the salad.
4. Finish with walnuts.
5. Make a dressing; in a small bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the salad on top. You can toss the salad gently or serve in layers for a better presentation.
 

String Beans with Peanuts--Something Asian

In the food stores selling exotic vegetables you can spot sometimes beans resembling long pieces of string. They are popular in Asian and African culinary tradition. Intrigued by the look of these beans I bought them once and I have been buying them ever since, especially when they are fresh and green. I like these string beans because they hardly have any seeds, and rather thick, green flesh. They cook pretty fast but it also is easy to keep them al dente. They maintain their nice green color if cooked uncovered.

String beans can be prepared as traditional green beans but I like them most made the Asian way. So far I have tried only one such recipe, with soy sauce and peanuts. Thanks to peanuts the dish is so reach that it can be served alone, especially if you invite your vegetarian friends for dinner. A delicate taste of the beans and the crunchiness of the peanuts are even appealing to my very picky son.

String Beans with Peanuts

Ingredients:
2 lb long string beans,
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts,
3 tbsp soy sauce,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
2 shallots, chopped,
2 tbsp lime juice,
2 tbsp rice bran or peanut oil,
2 chili peppers (optional),
salt if needed.

Preparation:
1. Cook the string beans for about 5-8 minutes (until soft) in a large pot of boiling water with a tbsp of salt. Drain them and wash with cold water to prevent further cooking. When beans are cold, trim the ends off, and cut the beans into the length of match sticks.
2. Crush peanuts or chop them roughly with a large knife.
3. In a large wok or heavy skillet heat the oil until very hot. Add garlic with chopped shallots and fry until gold. Add chopped peanuts and stir them continuously while frying them until gold. Add beans to the skillet stir-fry for about 3 minutes, to make sure they are hot, and stir them to get them coated with peanuts.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the soy sauce and the lime juice over the beans. Add salt if needed. Serve hot alone or with meats.