My favorite time of day is cocktail hour. Not only because of the cocktails, conversation and anticipation of dinner, but because of the lighting mood:
Shadows, shadows everywhere
This house in particular has excellent shadows come 5PM
But don’t forget the cocktails!
Dinner tonight did indeed involve bourbon. And cinnamon. And APPLES!
Local Pork with an Apple Bourbon Sauce + Hazelberry Green Beans
[Please read the rest of this post in a Southern colonial’s accent!]
The pork we acquired from the market and it was local, pasture-raised and very tasty.
Matt pan-seared them in a pan of canola oil so they had an excellent crust.
I was in charge of the apple “sauce”. I cut up 2 big apples into slices and chunks and put them in water on medium heat. You just keep letting the water evaporate and adding more until the apples are nice and soft
Pouring in heavy hands of bourbon along the way!
Plus cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. You’ll know it’s ready when you’re ready to eat it!
The green beans were local too
We toasted some whole hazelnuts in a dry pan, removed them and chopped them. The beans were then sautéed in a little olive oil and then stirred with cranberries, hazelnuts, salt and pepper when they were tender enough to eat.
Delicious!
I do declare that food is meant to be enjoyed with alcohol. Seriously, the thought of a glass of water with this meal was so very unappealing. So we cracked open a beer. A taste for me, a pour for him.
If you thought that was the end of the apples, think again…!
Pie For Two
Oh my heavens, two of my very favorites at once!
Matt made an apple pie for two….or one if you’re extra hungry! He sez:
In making this pie, I tested out some Great Harvest recipes, so unfortunately I can’t share the actual recipes with you! However, as an example, I found this recipe which I have adapted below for a pint size pie. You can make this in just about any dish – ramekins, mini soufflés, basically anything that’s glass or ceramic.
The crust for the mini pie was made from 1 full-size crust, cut in half. It was more than enough crust for our dishes (which are about 6″ in diameter). Here’s an adapted recipe:
Pint Size Pie
- 2 c. whole wheat flour
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick cold butter
- 1/4 c. water
- dash o’ lemon juice
Mix the dry ingredients together, and then cut in the butter until it incorporates into pea-sized chunks. Then begin adding your liquids (it’s not a bad idea to use ice cold water) until the dough just barely clumps up. It should still be barely crumbly. Refrigerate for at least an hour before shaping. The whole point of baked goods like pie crusts and biscuits, which are basically in the same family, is that you want the flour to encase little pieces of butter so that when it bakes, you get flaked layers of buttery dough. So make everything cool and keep those hot hands off of it!
To make the filling, just combine all these ingredients together:
- 2 c. thinly sliced apples
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- dash nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Cut the pie crust in half, roll it out, and place in your greased mini-pie container. To grease mine I took an empty butter wrapper and rubbed it around the inside. Place your pie crust in the dish, and working quickly make sure it’s evenly distributed. Pour in the appley mess, and then make your pie topping. We went with a lattice, but you could do pretty much anything. I also like the kind that covers the entire top with just a few slits in it. The internet has lots of videos on how to make a pie top.
Bake at 350* for around 30-40 mins, but don’t be surprised if you have to go much longer. My thought is you should pretty much bake it just until the crust begins burning, especially if you’re using fresh apples because they’ll need a long bake to break them down.
Happy baking!
Before we ate pie, we went on a 30 minute walk!! After all, walking is good for digestion!!
Wish I could say this was the most delicious pie ever, but sadly, it wasn’t. The crust was a bit tough and the filling a bit flat. But it did taste delicious! And the effort that went in was the best!
KERF half
MY GOSH where was the vanilla ice cream!! I almost put my fork down to go buy some on the spot. But I settled for a flute of milk instead.
When round II of this pie crust makes an appearance later this week, there will be ice cream involved!
G’night!
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
OMigoodness. You didn’t just do that. Okay, Kath. I think you are finally convincing me that Autumn is okay with all of these pumpkin, squashes, and apple delicacies.
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
The apple bourbon sauce looks amazing, as does the pork. YUM! And that pie is too cute! 🙂 I want you to make me dinner please. 🙂
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin says
Uhm WOW! I don’t know which looks better – the pork or the baby apple pies!! Makers Mark is one of my all time favorites, but I like it with gingerale in a mixed drink… never tried cooking with it!
Wendy @ Seriously Sassy says
Yeah, that pie is pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Brittany (A Healthy Slice of Life) says
That mini pie is the cutest thing EVER!! Oh I love it and it makes me happy for fall 🙂
The rest of your meal looked pretty incredible as well… Now I’m hungry again! YUM!
Erin says
Yum! I LOVE autumn and this just sums up the reasons — apples and cinnamon. I’ve been making tons of apple products lately to use up my farm finds and applesauce is next on the list. So far: apple pancakes, apple muffins and stewed apples. 😀
Evan Thomas says
I love the dinner/dessert theme. And that is a mighty impressive pie!
Caitlin (EatFeats) says
That pie is adorable! And your apple sauce looks realllly good. I may have to try that because it sounds like I cannot mess it up!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
That pie is adorable!!! It’s super cute AND looks like it tastes amazing too 😉
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
What an incredible dinner!! Living in Virginia… there’s something about eatin’ on the porch with an amazing meal and a bit of booze 🙂 Soooo good!
Nite 🙂
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Such a cute apple pie for two!! Too bad the crust wasn’t 100% there..but like you said, it was still delicious at least!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
That pie is so pretty! It makes up for the taste. 🙂
Tina says
What a fabulous fall meal!!! You guys sure are finding excellent ways to use up those apples. 😀
Kristy @ KristyRuns.com says
Cutest. Pie. Ever. It wasn’t perfect the first time around, but I’m willing to see y’all make a few more attempts to get it juuuust right. 😉 As long as you share your secrets, of course!
[email protected] says
Yep, you’re doing the impossible…making me excited for Autumn! So many Fall foods and flavors in one meal! Beautiful. 🙂
Nancy @ The Wife of a Dairyman says
That is the CUTEST little pie I’ve ever seen! And LOVE the milk to go with it of course:)
[email protected]://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
Love those green beans. That pie is the cutest pie, sorry it wasn’t the best.
Amanda @ The Hungry Wanderers says
I love our OMB glasses 🙂 They’re such a perfect size!
So sad I wasn’t able to come down with Justin this weekend. Hopefully we can meet up some time in October or December when we’re close by again!
Wei-Wei says
Fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall falllllllllllllllllllllll. Oh my gosh. I love fall.
Chelsey says
Yum!!!! How delicious! Your green beans look so “fallish”!
notyet100 says
i always enjoy reading ur post ,they make me feel so happy
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
GORGEOUS DINNER!!! and i did read it with a southern accent too!
Maria @ Kale and Cupcakes says
oh my. I might just need to make the husband and me a similar meal – pork and apple pie??? What’s better than that???
Rachel (Two Healthy Plates) says
That looks like the most amazing meal ever – especially all of the apple parts! That pie is the cutest little pie I’ve ever seen! I want one!
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says
All these apple posts are totally helping me get over my sadness about summer ending and instead I am totally excited for apples and fall 🙂
Colleen says
I love apple season. Your baby apple pie is adorable!
[email protected] says
That pork with that sauce.. looks AMAZING. I love how you are incorporating apples in every dish. Guess you took home alot from the recent apple picking!
Laura (Starloz) says
ohh apples are so delicious & those beans look just incredible.
Ariffa says
ahh how beautiful was your dinner! loovely. I am however sad to report that our dinner twinnishness has come to an end, I had eggs =P
Heather says
aahh! how cute is your pie! love it!
That is als my favorite time of day. we have big windows in our bedroom and in the late afternoon we get great natural lighting in there and I love it!
kate says
Milks a good ice cream substitute but its still not the same!
megs says
love it! What a gorgeous meal.
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
This is the cutest post of all time. Makes me want to drink sweet tea on the plantation!! The apple pie is adorable too 🙂
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
That pie is too cute!!!!
Faith @ lovelyascharged says
This whole post looks FAB! I can’t wait for brown sugar and apple oats!
holly @ couchpotatoathlete says
I love your dinner! It looks lovely. And the pie, even if it didn’t taste the best, looks freakin adorable. I love the basketweave top 🙂
Stacey says
Yummo! Love the shadows and the dinner involving bourbon and apples 😀 The southern accent gave it a nice little twist too!
Alexa @ The Girl In Chucks says
That may, in fact, be the best meal I have ever seen!
Rebekah @ Rebeltarian says
That pie is adorable…too bad it didn’t taste great…
Liza @ Health Nutting says
🙂 That pie is so cute!!! And looks so professional and delicious! I agree, apple pie is intended to be served with vanilla ice cream!
Hannah says
Just so you know, if I ever have kids, I’m calling my firstborn Hazelberry 😀
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
ooooh how wonderful!
And we had pork for dinner last night too! I served with a ‘warm cabbage salad’ cooked with seame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari, lemon juice and coriander. A tasty combination!
Kelsey @ Clean Teen Kelsey says
Your dinners are always so awesome, Kath! That pie is so cute; what a great idea of Matt’s!
katie says
did you use regular whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour? I wonder if using whole wheat pastry flour would result in a lighter crust for you guys.
Kath says
All we had in the house was WW, but I agree pastry would be better!
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
LOL, I imagined the post from that caveat on with the southern colonial accent 😆 Apple goes SO well with pork, YUM! Those chops looked flavorful.
That pie is adorable! Love the weaving on top. 🙂
Jenn
christina cadden says
mmm, it all looks so good!
Krystina says
That sauce and the green beans sound so amazing and autumnal.
Rosie says
Try whole wheat pastry flour for your pie crust. It has less gluten so won’t be as tough as your regular ww crust did. Just my 2 cents… 🙂
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
Sorry it wasn’t the “best pie ever.” There seemed to be a lot of room in the crust. I’m sure he’ll get it right next time. It doesn’t feel like fall yet to me. I can’t imagine cooking apple for dinner. Not quite yet!
Cara Craves... says
That’s the cutest little pie!
Katie @ peacebeme says
Cocktail hour is my favorite time of day too! It’s the only time I can relax (and not just because of the cocktail! 😉 ). I usually skip through a lot of the food pics, but my boyfriend would love this recipe – he loves his bourbon!
erica says
oooh. the apple pie for 2 looks so cute and delicious!
Camille says
That pie is adorable!
You guys always make the most beautiful, gourmet looking meals!
Mad props!
Danielle says
Hi Kath, I love your blog…I was wondering if you had any idea when the 2011 date and location for Healthy Living Summit would be posted? Keep blogging! I check it relgiously : )
Kath says
We haven’t even thought about it yet! Don’t worry – you have time.
[email protected] says
That entire meal looks incredible! That apple pie is by far the cutest pie I have ever seen 🙂 You got me in the mood for some apples, yum!
Katherine says
Yum! That meal looks so insane and delicious. I firmly believe that there is nothing that Maker’s Mark cannot make more delicious!
Lesley says
The pie looks amazing!
Mimi says
I love that shadowy time, but I’m sad to think it will come at 3 p.m., not 5 p.m. in a few weeks! Urg. If you get time, check out my Bondi Band giveaway tomorrow!
Elise says
that pie is so adorable that i’m almost not sure i’d be able to eat it. emphasis on the almost, because i’m pretty sure it’d be gone in the blink of an eye!
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
I would have guessed your favorite time of day to be morning/breakfast/oat time.
What an adorable pie – mmm! fall <3
Marina says
I tried pork with cherries, and dried fruit, and I can’t wait to make this recipe with apples.
The idea with green beans is also amazing.
Heidi - apples under my bed says
dinner = wow, amazing! love the idea of making the apples like that to have with pork
dessert = so so pretty 🙂 shame it wasnt the best, but oh well
Heidi xo
Little Bookworm says
Love the apple pie – it looks great! 🙂
Kori says
Your dinner looks AWESOME, and your apple pie looks so adorable! I also love the shadows. 🙂 I hope you have a fantastic Wednesday!
Gree says
What a great looking meal, I love the addition of the bourbon to the applesauce, I bet it adds a deeper flavor. And that pie was adorable!
Lauren says
This lovely meal makes me crave fall weather! Everything about it just screams autumn to me. I especially love the apple pie for two. I just posted a recipe for individual peanut butter cheesecakes, and there’s just something about a mini pie or cake that makes me happy :).
Simply Life says
wow, that meal looks amazing and like you could easily spend a ton on it in a restaurant – nice work!
Nicole, RD says
Had me fooled…sure looks like the best apple pie ever! What a perfect size 🙂 Cute!!
Kelly says
Did Matt put bourbon in the pie crust? Brad made apple pie once from a Alton Brown recipe that called for apple brandy. I agree with you about the vanilla ice cream. Apple pie a la mode is the absolute best!
Kath says
No, but that sounds amazing
Laura (spokesnoats says
Boy, you two really know how to make every day special 🙂 I am inspired!
Alaina @ The Jogging Concierge says
What a cute little pie! And the dinner looks delicious! I think pork will be on the menu soon 🙂
Yah for fall!!
Astrid says
The little pies just zoomed up to the top of my weekend baking list. I’ve been looking for more 100% wheat recipes for the family and this fits the bill. I use my Vitamix to quickly process wheat kernels into flour and continue on with a recipe – it doesn’t get much fresher. Does Matt grind his own wheat at home?
Kath says
He doesn’t, but I didn’t realize you could make it in the vita-mix. Sure would be fresh1
Astrid says
You’ll need to use the speical dry grinding container for wheat and oat kernels, not the t regular smoothie container…we bought the whole shebang a few weeks ago and I’ve used both containers almost daily for wet and dry purposes.
Mom says
Love the rug! Pie is darling.
Whitney says
I can’t decide which looks better, the pie or the pork. Good thing you ate both!! Apple pies are quite possibly the best part of Fall.
RhodeyGirl Tests says
I was about to say that ice cream would definitely make the pie better, but you beat me to it!
I DID read all of this post with the accent you suggested, and it was just LOVELY, dahling!
Kath says
yay 🙂
[email protected] says
That meal looks amazing. You two are so gourmet! And Matt is the most impressive husband ever 🙂
Sarah @ Sarah's Shaping Up says
You know it’s a legit recipe when there’s Maker’s Mark involved. 😉
Rachel S says
Looks like an amazing meal! I love any kind of cooked apples, so that sauce looks delicious. The mini apple pie is so cute! It’s too bad it didn’t quite live up to expectations. But now you’ve inspired me to start baking with apples again!
Cathy Breit says
Dinner looks amazing..(as usual:)) Just wanted to say that I have a small artisan baking and pastry business…so if you have any questions about pastry don’t be afraid to shoot me an email! 🙂
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
Ah! Your dinner looks so wonderful! And I can tell the produce is starting to transition into the fall. I love it! I love fall recipes!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Your dinner makes me want to start eating pork again! It’s such a perfect fall meal!
Meaghan says
that pie looks amazing! yummm!
diana @ i can eat, can't i? says
hiiii, first time commenting here! your little pie is way too cute to eat it !!! vanilla ice cream would have made this whole thing complete!!
Janna L says
Hi Kath, I am a new(er) reader from Dillon, MT and I was wondering about how you infuse milk into your food routine. I haven’t noticed (at least in the last month) too many milk additions with the exception of the above mention of ice cream and a glass of milk with your pie.
My husband and I drink A LOT of skim milk (sometimes almost 2 gallons a week). He likes his with chocolate syrup – mine goes down the shoot plain and white.
Just wondering your opinion on milk and the benifits of drinking it versus soy or rice (or almond?) milk.
Kath says
Dillon MT!! Are you related to Great Harvest at all? We came to Dillon last fall for our discovery day and we will be back for 3 weeks sometime next year!
I don’t DRINK a lot of milk, but I do cook my oats with it everyday and use it in smoothies or sometimes for cereal. I don’t really drink it because I don’t find it that filling – I’d rather chew my food (just had some milk with a granola bar mashed in for a snack!)
I highly recommend organic/grass-fed milk. I don’t like rice / almond milk because there isn’t much protein in them so they’re more like water to me, but I like their taste OK. Soy is the best comparable to cows milk and I get it on occasion because I like the taste of the vanilla kind. But ultimately cow’s milk (organic) is my choice.
Janna says
Hi Kath (just getting back to you after a mini-vacation) –
I am not “related” to the corporate office for Great Harvest, but I did work at the Great Harvest in Billings, MT for 20 of the best months of my life. I call those the “full” months in my life since we got a free loaf of bread each week and all the left over scones. My favorite breads: Dakota and Cheesy Potato. 🙂 My husband is student teaching in Dillon and I am working with at-risk youth at Youth Challenge Academy. I read your blog every morning after sorting emails in the morning; I appreciate your candor about food and your honesty with portions. As a “once bitten” member of Weight Watchers I know how important portion control is.
Thanks for the info on milk. I know it’s important but I am trying to figure out how to infuse it without just drinking it! you gave me some great ideas!
whitney says
this post is indescribable.
Honestly I say this all the time your food is amazing. I would eat at your restaurant every night.
I’m jealous of your lifestyle’s!!
jamie @ jamelafamela says
that pie looks perfect! I can’t believe that was handmade!
Tammy says
I have tried many different whole wheat pie crust recipes and this is by far THE BEST it is flaky and yummy just like a reg. one – I use Trader Joe’s White Whole Wheat Four – or grind my own any way try it out: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/blueberry-pie-with-a-twist-recipe
I have never used the buttermilk powder 😉
Sana says
That pie must be the most adorable thing I have ever seen! Your house has some really awesome shadows!!
Ryane says
Haha, when you said to read in a colonial southern accent, I couldn’t help but think of this SNL skit: http://www.hulu.com/watch/4109/saturday-night-live-colonel-angus-comes-home
If Matt hasn’t already seen this…. well then it’s a must.
ps. CUTE PIE!
Kath says
OH. MY. GOSH. HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maggie says
Omg. Kath, that little pie. I. DIE.
Ally @ Girl in Her Kitchen says
I am making almost the exact same dinner tonight except substitute the green beans for some slow cooked cabbage! Yum!