The end of our summer. I honestly don’t know whether to jump for joy or curl up into a ball and sulk. My boy starts school next week– first grade. He isn’t dreading school this year– unlike the last two– when he saw it only as a limitation on ‘play time’. That’s not to say that he didn’t love school. He did, once he got there. But he has serious home-body tendencies that can be a bit…difficult to overcome sometimes. Now the prospect of making new friends has him excited. And my baby, Aria, starts the following week in pre-kindergarten. She is so excited. She has Aanen’s previous teacher, whom we all adore. Aria starting school really brings out mixed emotions in me. Joy because I’ll finally get to enjoy an hour or two of quiet each day. Aria is a talker. Nonstop. Really. She’s a relentless, wonderful hurricane. A true sensing extrovert on the Meyers-Briggs scale. The other three of us are the opposite. But even though I’ll get to enjoy some quiet, I’m also a bit panicked. Not having my baby at home reminds me just how fast time is passing. And to add to my melancholy of another season ending, and my kids off to school, I turned 39 on Monday. Time. It just rolls on.
It’s very strange, because it’s not just the days, or even years that are flying past. It’s the decades! I don’t feel 39 years old, but somehow it just happened. I’ll turn around tomorrow and my kids will be off to college. But to be brutally honest, my kids growing up, and me aging isn’t what really hurts. No, the most painful realization is that my parents are aging right along with us. It seems like just yesterday that I’d watch my dad play softball, goofing off on the pitcher’s mound or galloping around the bases like a kid. Strange to think that that was 20 years ago. The fact is, they’re getting older. And while they’re both still doing great and keeping busy, they’re slowing down. Through a daughter’s eyes…I can tell. I know I can’t do anything about it, but I really don’t want the next 20 years to pass as quickly as the last have. I need time to slow a bit, so I can savor every moment with my loved ones.
It feels a bit strange to delve into such deep issues here on a food blog, but there it is. I guess if there’s a tie-in to Relishing It, it’s that working in the kitchen soothes me. It’s my balm, so to speak. This week a kind neighbor offered up her gorgeous apple tree– free for the picking. Aria and I gathered a huge box-ful, which I’ve turned into several apple galettes. I’ve written before here about my love for galettes. They’re perfect in that un-perfect, rustic way. I like my apple desserts with just a hint of cinnamon and not much else. I want to taste the apples. I also like to add a drizzle of icing to apple galettes that I normally don’t with other fruits, since the apples don’t have that beautiful sheen that you get with a berry or peach galette. The icing makes it look so much more appealing, and adds a subtle sweetness. Enjoy!
The Recipe: Rustic Apple Galette
3 cups / 400 grams sliced firm tart apples (from 6 small apples)
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
1 cup powdered sugar with a splash of milk, for the glaze
1 single All-Butter Pie Crust
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Follow the instructions for making the All-Butter Pie Crust. After it has chilled for at least 2 hours, it will be ready for use.
Peel and slice, not too thick (so they bake properly) and not too thin (so they don’t turn to mush) the apples. Place into a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Then add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss again. Set aside.
Roll the pie dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust parchment and rolling pin with flour. Roll the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Place the apples and juices into the center. Place the butter pieces on top of the apples. Gently flip the edges over the apples. Pinch the seams together as much as possible, to prevent leaking while baking. Using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash to the dough. Then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Gently pat down the apples so they are somewhat level– this will prevent the peaks from burning.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the crust is a beautiful golden brown and the apples are tender. Keep an eye on the apples in the final minutes, so they don’t get too dark. Remove from oven and let cool. Mix the glaze to your desired consistency and drizzle over the galette when cool. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Laurie
