Autumn Outings-Time for Local Apples!

While I could eat apples anytime of the year, I love getting those first of the season local apples!  At yesterday's farmers market, the Lee Farms family was busy selling their peaches.  I was in line to buy their specialty-apples!

For our picnic today, I poached a few apples in apple juice, with cinnamon, anise stars, nutmeg and orange peel.  I kept them warm in a thermos for a little variety to serve with the fresh cucumbers and tomato and (air temperature) pizza rolls.

Mulled Apples

(Serves 6)

16 ounce apple juice
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Dash ground cloves
2 Star Anise pods
2 wide strips orange peel
1 nutmeg bean
Combine in a pot;  bring to a simmer.

4 apples
Peel and half.  Scoop out the cores.  Poach the apples in the cider mixture until tender, turning midway, about 30 minutes.  

The pizza rolls are delicious hot and cold, and not that hard to make.  Here is the basic bread dough recipe:

Bread Dough

(This makes 12 pizza rolls, 8 calzones, or a pizza for 4)

Combine whole wheat flour, dry yeast (active dry or bread machine) and sugar in bowl of electric mixer with dough hook in place.

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

Slowly add warm water to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.

1 cup warm (125F) water

Add flours, oil and salt to bowl.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl down.

¼ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Gradually add additional flour to the mix, beating on low speed after each addition until the dough forms a ball and leaves the side of the mixer.  Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula throughout the process to combine the flour.

1 cup all-purpose flour

Mist a large bowl (twice the size of the dough bowl) with an olive oil spray.  Turn the dough ball so that all sides are greased.  Cover.

 

Here is the filling recipe:

Pizza Rolls

(12 rolls)

 

Sauté mushrooms, peppers and onion in olive oil for about 8 minutes.
1 ½ cups mushrooms chopped
¾ cup sweet peppers, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil

Add garlic and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.  Empty into a bowl and cool.
2 cloves garlic, minced
Empty into a bowl and cool.

Punch bread dough down.  Turn onto board sprinkled with flour.  Roll to 14 X 8 inch rectangle.  Brush marinara sauce over dough to about 1/2 inch from ends.
3 tablespoon marinara sauce
Sprinkle with all of vegetable-olive mix.

Sprinkle with cheese.
1/2 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded

Fold in short ends of dough. From long end of dough, roll and seal seam.  Cut roll into 12 pieces.  Place cut side up on parchment paper.  Press down slightly and sprinkle with additional cheese.
1/4 cup Gruyere or Parmigiano cheese, shredded

Transfer rolls with paper to a pizza stone preheated in a 425F oven.  (I use an inverted cookie sheet to hold the paper and rolls to carefully slide to the hot baking stone.)  Bake for 12 minutes.  Cool slightly on a cooling rack.

Our picnic today was at New Germany State Park near Grantsville, Maryland.