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WELCOME TO CLAUDIA'S CULINARY adventures

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October 12, 2010

APPLE berry spice compote sauce


A very anticipated Ricotta PANCAKE breakfast was waiting
to be served up and enhanced by a very special APPLE.



Back in mid-September...these firm, juicy
and attractively crimson colored...
' Redfree ' apples were picked from
one of our neighbourly orchards.

 



I had recently realized that
within our nearby city limits...

... we were actually blessed with stupendous
nearby orchards in Laval, Québec.
I've been in apple abundance heaven ever since.




If you are fortunate to ever get your
hands on these prized apples...
here's a little more INFO on the Redfree:


. The earlier picked ' Redfree ' apple is one of the
rarer apple variety and very worth seeking.
. The original seedling was planted in 1966 in a breeding orchard in
Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.A. at their agricultural experimentation center.
. This pleasantly firm and juicy apple has an off-white looking flesh.
. This variety is an excellent fresh eating apple as well as enjoyed as in dried slices.
. Its balanced mildly acidic and very sweet
characteristics offers a mild surprise to the palate.
. Its slight wine-like (vinous) flavour certainly adds to its particular interest.
. The absolute bonus is the fact that this apple tree is very disease resistant,
hence, no pesticides need to be used or in some very rare cases...
extremely low doses of spraying is necessary.
. Depending on the location the Redfree is grown...
one could easily go picking during a 2 month period...
usually between late July to Mid-September in most North American areas.  
. Once reaching a riper stage...the ' Redfree ' will serve to enhance the flavour
to salads, sauces and adaptable to most baking like pies and cakes.
. It keeps quite well if stored in good cool conditions up to a
2 month period without loss of quality.


Last week, a few of these wonderfully tasty apples had gone a little ripe.
My first applesauce of the season was beckoning to get a chance to
perfume our home as well as enhance some fluffy Ricotta pancakes ;o)


 
Apple ‘ Redfree ’ Berry
compote sauce
yields about 4 cups

Get PRINTER version HERE

INGREDIENTS:
(American / Metric measures)
. 8 medium 'Redfree' apples ** (peeled and cut into medium chunks)
. 1 tbsp. (15ml) lemon juice
. 1 cup (250ml) mixed (frozen) berries
(I used 3/4 raspberries and 1/4 blueberries)
. 1/4 cup (60ml) water
. 1/8 cup (30ml) Agave Nectar (OR any other sweetener of your choice)
. 1 tbsp. (15ml) grated fresh ginger
. 1 tsp. (5ml) ground cinnamon spice *

* In order to make a difference to your applesauce...other SPICES can also be used in very small quantities : Allspice, cardamom, cloves, coriander, ginger, mace and nutmeg.






** APPLE VARIETIES that can be used successfully for applesauce...alone or in combination are the following varieties.  They are classified by my absolute favourites to some very good alternative selections:





... My absolute favourites are: 
Pink lady__Red Free__Liberty
... Excellent selections are: 
Fuji__Golden delicious__Gravenstein__Jonaclicious__Jonagold__Melrose__Royal Gala__
... Other Great choices are :
Brae Burn __CortlandJohnaton__McIntosh__Red Delicious__Regent__Stayman Winesap
... Very good choices also are:
Black Twig__Earligold__Jubilee__Lodi__Honeycrisp__Mutsu (a.k.a. Crispin)__ PaulaRed__Shizuka__Ultra Gold

Please Note: Most chosen apples have been personally tried...and for the rest of the best choices...I referred to this chart.



PREPARATION:
. In a medium saucepan, combine the peeled, cored and cut apples...in addition to the berries, lemon juice and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to the lowest simmer setting.  Cover the pot for about 15 minutes without stirring.
. Uncover the pot...add the sweetener and ginger...give it a quick stir.  Cover pot again for another 15 minutes.
. After this time the apples should have tenderized significantly and reduced the moisture perfectly.  Uncover pot and close heat.  Now, add the cinnamon and stir.
. At this point, you can either have your applesauce mashed or left coarsely textured.
Serving and Storing:
. The applesauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.  It could also be poured into airtight glass jars to be placed in the freezer for up to at least six months.  There's no real need to apply the typical canning process method.



It's time to put it all together for breakfast.



Let's begin with some Ricotta Pancakes * ...
plus a generous slather of Apple Berry compote sauce...
a drizzle of Maple Syrup and lastly topped off with
a sprinkle of slightly roasted sliced almonds.

* For a great recipe on amazing fluffy pancakes...
kindly refer to my instructional post on Yogu PANCAKE Fluffs and
simply replace the yogurt by smooth tasting Ricotta cheese.






Whichever apple you select to make your
very scrumptious applesauce...
make sure you make enough to savour
it throughout many months to come.

Do you have a favourite apple(s) to
concoct your compote sauce delight?



Flavourful wishes,
Foodessa










Other sweet breakfast RECIPES that may interest you:
- Apple - Yogurt rustic cloud pancakes
- Oatmeal Honey Spiced Pancakes
SAMBUCA samba to ORANGE ANIS rustic FRENCH TOAST
baked FRENCH TOAST stuffed with spirited FRUITS

46 comments:

tigerfish said...

Look at the apple tree - flourishing with red little precious and you done them justice by making a luscious sauce.

Reeni said...

I have never seen this type of apple here in NY. It's so ruby red and luscious looking Claudia. And your compote and ricotta pancakes look glorious! I could eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

My Carolina Kitchen said...

I am constantly amazed at how many varieties of apples there are in the world. Great pancakes Claudia. I would love to have breakfast in your home.
Sam

scrambledhenfruit said...

The berries and the apples together make such a pretty sauce! I love mixing several different varieties whenever I make pie or applesauce. That Redfree apple is intriguing- I'd love an apple tree if it didn't need to be sprayed with pesticides!

Monet said...

Just stunning, Claudia! I feel like I'm looking at a piece of art. Those pancakes with that sauce...wow! Can I please have a plate? You are making me want to skip work tomorrow just so I can pick some apples and make this dish. Thank you for sharing!

denise @ quickies on the dinner table said...

I have never seen or even heard of the Redfree but it is a beauty! Love your compote slathered all over those pancakes...

I haven't tried very many apple varieties but the one that stands out for me, for eating anyway, is the Pacific Rose, originally from New Zealand and a cross between the Gala and Splendor varieties.

Anonymous said...

Have loads of apples to make your easy recipe. I just realized that I put the sweetner and spice way too early!
Your photos are gorgeous Claudia. You seem to live in a very plentiful orchard area :D

Ciao,
Francesca

5 Star Foodie said...

This apple berry sauce sounds amazing and just heavenly with pancakes! Wish I was having this for my breakfast right now!

Devaki said...

Dear Claudia - I have never heard of these apples but LOVE the ingredients in this sauce but more than that LOVE the way you've sandwiched the pancakes with it.

This has got to be the best weekend fall breakfast! :)

Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

A Canadian Foodie said...

What a fantastic post!
This is exactly what it is all about! Buying (or picking) local and using the beautiful abundance that surrounds us! I have never seen applesauce with such colour. It is absolutely gorgeous. Bravo! Standing ovation!
:)
Valerie

Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz said...

I have never heard of that variety but it sounds great! I love apple picking and baking with the harvest. Great recipe to put on those ricotta pancakes!

Anonymous said...

Visited several orchards this passed month and have been apple picking several varieties. I've recently discovered the 'Honey Crisp' crunchy crispy and very sweet.
I have never seen or heard of the redfree apples. Would love to try them and now I will look out for them.
Your sauce with berries sounds good. So, I will be making the pancakes adding this delicious apple berry sauce Yummyyyyyyy!!!
Monica

Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

How scrumptious and marvellous apple pics plus sublime the pancakes! They are calling my name :)

Cheers,

Gera

Stella said...

Claudia, I am making these pancakes. I don't know if I can get my hands on apples that nice down here, but I have to make these ricotta pancakes. They look too good, Mamita!
p.s. sorry for being a-wall lately. I don't know if you even noticed, but I did (smile)...

blackbookkitchendiaries said...

this look so divine:) i can only imagine how lovely this taste. thank you for sharing.

Les rêves d'une boulangère (Brittany) said...

Foodessa - wonderful post as always - I mean just look at that delicious stack of fluffy pancakes. Here in Australia (I'm not sure if you do too) we call them piklets because of the size. And I just love piklets after school with a lovely confiture...but topping them with almonds is just genious :D

Faith said...

Apple-season is my favorite time of year! Such pretty pictures of the apples. And this breakfast looks like it's fit for a queen with that delicious apple berry compote!

Claudia said...

Gorgeous post showing us nature's bounty. The ricotta pancakes got my attention! Especially with the red, red compote/applesauce. Apples are an amazement - Mother Nature sure knew what she was doing when she developed those. Honeycrisp are the MN prized apples- so sweet. But all time favorite - a small tart MacIntosh. Eat them by the handful.

Heavenly Housewife said...

Wow, I'd love to get my greedy hands on those apples, they sound wonderful. Alas, my apple trees grow cooking apples, so i cant really snack on them.
The pancakes look amazing! I think I might invite myself over to your house for breakfast.
*kisses* HH

From the Kitchen said...

This looks absolutely divine! I've never seen these apples but I know Lafayette and Purdue intimately! I must make inquiry because I'd certainly like to have them on pancakes on my table!

Best,
Bonnie

sophia said...

I can't exactly say which apple is my fave, bc I only stick to a few kinds that are available in my market, which would mainly just be Fuji and Gala. You're making me drool though, with those luscious apples and pancake fluffs! Ricotta cheese is goddess!!

Pacheco Patty said...

I'm loving your apple berry sauce on those fluffy and perfect looking ricotta pancakes, just a wonderful weekend breakfast. Once again you've inspired me with your recipes:) I'm also thinking about sleeping in this weekend and enjoying a full breakfast;)

Pegasuslegend said...

I saw Ricotta and stopped dead in my tracks, in pancakes, oh these must be light and delicious will have to try, I havent had the pleasure of having these beauty reds either, but wow the pictures have spoke for themselves outstanding gorgeous color! nice post Claudia

sweetlife said...

I love the apple tree pictures, my fav are pink ladys...ricotta pancakes and apple berry sauce are divine, i can imagine feasting on these Sunday morning with a strong cup of coffee....great link also to more fab recipes..have a great weekend..

sweetlife

Chef Dennis said...

you had me at the ricotta pancakes! then you added that apple berry sauce......wow.....I have never heard of red free apples, they sound wonderful, now where can I find them in New Jersey!

nancy at good food matters said...

Hi Claudia---I have never heard of RedFree, but what a gorgeous looking apple. Honeycrisp are favorites, and I like the Jonah Golds, Arkansas Blacks, and Pink Ladys too.

When we teach cooking classes to kids in the fall we often include an apple tasting, and set up samples of a dozen or so varieties for the kids to taste and rate. Such fun! There are over 7500 varieties worldwide!

Beautiful sauce, and I know that you are a pancake expert. Love ricotta pancakes!

Ivy said...

These apples look so beautiful. I don't think we have this variety in Greece but I will google search to see if I can buy some seeds online as I would love to have a tree like that. Your pancakes are making me hungry.

Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron said...

great information on the redfree! i dont think i come across this type of apples but so tempting to try. the apple sauce recipe sounds good! My mind is at the rocotta pancakes! those are just perfect and i love rocotta!

Barbara said...

Gorgeous photos of those apple trees, Claudia! We used to have a yard-full of apple trees when I lived in Michigan. They weren't beautiful and red like these and I have no idea what kind they were, but man did they taste divine!

Your ricotta pancakes look marvelous. And such a lovely presentation with your apple berry sauce!

Anna said...

I'm all about apples right now and those pancakes look fantastic. I just wish I was a morning person so i could whip these up for breakfast. Maybe I'll just have to do breakfast for dinner :D

Anonymous said...

Wish we lived closer to you because we would have begged for tasty fresh apples like the Redfree. We actually had them once while traveling and never forgot the great eating apple it was.
Those pancakes must be amazing because we've been making your yogurt version since you posted:D

You seem to really enjoy bringing us the outdoors and we love it; so keep those experiences coming!
Your friend, Frank

Angie's Recipes said...

I don't think I have ever seen this type of apple before...so special.
The ricotta pancakes look mouthwatering!

Catherine said...

Mmmm, my this looks wonderful Claudia! The entire dish looks scrumptious!
Cheers~

Karen said...

Beautiful photos, of the orchards and the pancakes! Love the compote...Your pancakes look amazing.

Pegasuslegend said...

I came back again just to gaze love this!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

I've never seen that apple here... I bet it is not a European apple. It has such a lovely and vibrant color. I bet this compote taste just divine. A perfectacompaniment to pancakes.

Cheers,

Rosa

Beth said...

Your pancakes look wonderful. I haven't seen redfrees, but now I'll look for them. Thanks for the recommendation!

Marisa said...

Those apple trees and apples are just beautiful--so red! You know I'm crazy cause I'm not a fan of ricotta but I have to say I've had ricotta pancakes before and really liked them! I guess because it's hiding in there! It really does something for the texture and makes them very fluffy. The compote sounds great :)

Anna Johnston said...

Wow Claudia, this one is a keeper for sure. Apple Berry Sauce would go so nicely with Pancakes.., love your pictures too, they tell such a great story.

Barbara Bakes said...

What a fabulous breakfast! I'm wishing I had something plan like that for the morning.

newlywed said...

I love homemade applesauce, and I can't get over the beautiful color on yours!

nazarina said...

You are so blessed with these beautiful, juicy apple tree!May I say, that you reciprocated with the pancakes in a most delightful way?

grace said...

pancakes aren't pancakes without some maple syrup, but your fruit topping is quite enticing. thanks for the apple info, claudia!

Cristina said...

Such beautiful apples with lovely, rich color. I adore breakfast items and these ricotta pancakes look like a delicious meal any time of day for me!

My Little Space said...

Your apple berry sauce sounds absolutely luscious! Hope i can get cheaper berries here. Hmm...mm... yummm... I want a bite right now!
Kristy

Lea Ann said...

What an elegant sounding, delicious looking and impressive recipe. Great photos. Another bookmarked.

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