Cranberry-Crab Apple Chutney

The hint of color in the trees, the noticeable crispness in the air, the promise of snowfall....and one of the best things about fall, crab apples!

 Some people call me thrifty, or economical, or cheap even.  I can't stand to waste anything, so when the apple tree at Darling Daughter's house is laden with lovely rosy little apples, I have to use them! Lily helped gather the apples.

This chutney is great with fish, or roast pork. If you want to be fancy, you could hollow out mini-pumpkins and fill them.

CRANBERRY - CRAB APPLE CHUTNEY
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup red onions, medium dice
1 cup green bell peppers, med. dice
1 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and diced
1 cup dried cranberries
4 cups crab apples, unpeeled, finely chopped
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup apple juice
½ cup rice wine vinegar
1 chipotle chili, toast and dice very small
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
To taste salt and pepper

In a heavy bottom pan, sauté onions and peppers in the oil until tender. Add ginger and cook for one minute. Add cranberries and crab apples and cook for another minute. Add brown sugar, apple juice, vinegar, chili, sage, salt and pepper and cook until fruit is tender and the sauce thickens. Cool before serving.

Dutch Baby (the best recipe my mother-in-law ever taught me)

A Dutch Baby—basically a cross between a pancake and a popover - is a magical alchemy of a few simple ingredients. This is the naked one I made for breakfast yesterday in all its puffy, buttery glory. This is the small one in the recipe below. I used a deep-dish 10-inch ceramic pie pan.

Serve it with fresh berries and other fruit, preserves or jam, syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, or just a lavish sprinkling of lemon sugar. (1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest  -  stir together in a small bowl).

PAN SIZE                      BUTTER           EGGS            MILK & FLOUR
2-3 qts. (small)                ¼ cup                    3                     ¾ cup each

3-4 qts. (medium)            1/3 cup                  4                      1 cup each

4-4 ½ qts. (large)             ½ cup                   5                    1 ¼ cup each

Directions: Put butter in pan and set into a 425 degree oven. Mix batter quickly while butter melts.
Beat eggs in blender at high speed for 1 minute. With motor running, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour. Mix 30 seconds.  (A hand-held mixer works just as well).
Swirl butter around when melted. Add batter all at once to hot pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes.

Here is Martha Stewart's version, which has an apple filling:
Dutch Baby Pancake