I love stopping at Morning Glory Farm this time of year. In fact, I have a hard time driving past, because all those great pumpkin displays draw me like a magnet. I usually buy one or two unusual pumpkins or gourds while I’m there; I take them home, arrange them on our back deck, and try to guess how long it will be before my husband notices that our fall decorations seem to be multiplying like bunnies.
Inside Morning Glory, the colorful array of harvest vegetables reminds me of why I love fall cooking. And I’m always mesmerized by the gorgeous apples from Carlson Orchards. Sadly I am allergic to raw apples, but cooking them seems to make them tolerable for me. So I was pretty excited when Abby Dodge sent in her latest Baking Together recipe: Cinnamon Apple Skillet Cake. With the purchase of a few firm-sweet apples like Gala and Honeycrisp, I had everything I needed to make this since the rest of the ingredients were in my pantry or fridge.
The skillet does double-duty in this recipe. First you lightly sauté the apples in it, then you top the apples with the cake batter and pop the skillet in the oven. You also serve the cake straight from the pan, making it perfect for family gatherings and small dinner parties. (So that’s actually triple-duty for the skillet.) The cake is light and airy, the surprise of warm, tender fruit on the bottom is heavenly, and vanilla ice cream makes this dessert darn near perfect.
Since I wrote about the weather last week, I’m sorry to say it is still gray and howling out here (in case those of you off-Island think we’re basking in September sunshine). So I’ve been full-speed ahead with the fall comfort cooking, making baked pasta (with a quickie version of Vineyard Fall Tomato Sauce) and Stuck-at-Home Bean Chili (created during the pandemic) in the last week. My husband said, “Uh-oh. It’s just a matter of time before the first squash soup appears.”
In all fairness, I feel obligated to point you towards this Ginger-Apple-Squash Soup because, well – apples! And it’s really good too.
You could have that with a side of Ginger-Scallion Pork Patties with Sriracha Mayo for your dinner.
Or if you’re entertaining some veg-heads, make the soup and pair it with this Roasted Cauliflower, Frisee, Apple and Walnut Salad. (Apples!)
Start out the evening with a plate of Fresh Figs with Blue Cheese, Prosciutto and Balsamic Glaze.
For those of you who can’t bear to start off squash season with soup, here’s a nice transitional recipe: Lentil Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Simple Citrus Dressing.
You can eat that one for lunch or supper. Then again, you could eat that skillet cake for breakfast, too.
Hey, if you want to learn more about the art of recipe writing, I'll be at the Carnegie in Edgartown on Tuesday, October 3, at 10 a.m. in conversation with Sissy Biggers as part of the Coffee and Conversation series. Would love to see you there!
Happy fall (for real)! See you on Instagram @cookthevineyard.
What's Open, What's Happening
If you're looking to make a dinner reservation or wondering which farm stands and markets are open, visit What's Open on Martha's Vineyard for regularly updated listings.
FOOD NEWS
- Chef Canieka Fleming has moved into The Ritz Café with her new business, The Loud Kitchen Experience. Tuesday - Sunday, 1 to 9 p.m.
FOOD EVENTS
- The Art of the Recipe: Creating Recipes that Really Work, a conversation between Cook the Vineyard editor Susie Middleton and Sissy Biggers, happens Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at The Carnegie in Edgartown.
