The Slow Food USA Blog

“Botany of Desire” on PBS

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Tomorrow night, “The Botany of Desire” airs on PBS(check your local listing for channel and airtime).  In anticipation of this, we partnered with the producers of the film to put on an heirloom apple scavenger hunt, and are today announcing our 9 winners. Those who entered were asked to take photos of as many heirloom/heritage apple varieties as they could, including the farm or farmer where the apples were located, and send us their list of apple varieties, their photos, and a recipe for something they made with one or more kind of apple. What a way to celebrate apple season and the work being done by Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) Alliance to identify rare apple varieties, coordinate regional “forgotten fruit” workshops and compile resources on apple diversity!

For a review of “The Botany of Desire,” check out Paula Crossfield’s post over on Civil Eats.

And for beautiful apple photos and some terrific apple recipes form our winners, read on…

First up, Margaret Thorson’s Apple Catsup, made with apples she has been unable to identify but which she calls the Apple Pie Tree.  “The apples are streaked with red, extremely juicy and tart and make the best Apple Catsup,” she says, “Serve this on any roast meat, lamb is especially wonderful.”

  Apple Catsup
6 c apple pulp
1 c sugar
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsps cinnamon
1 Tbsp salt
3/4 c finely chopped onions
2 c cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients, bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes.  Pour into sterilized pint or half pint jars and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Next up, Kim Bayer’s Heirloom Apple Chutney which she makes with apples from Lutz Orchard (at left)  in Southeast Michigan:

Heirloom Apple Chutney
12 C. heirloom green (unripe) tomatoes, cored and chopped fine
12 C. heirloom apples (peeled, cored, chopped fine)
1 whole organic lemon, chopped fine
1 whole organic orange, chopped fine
2 C. brown sugar
2 C. white sugar
1 1/2 C. organic cider
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
8 cloves
3 T. candied ginger, chopped fine
2 C. organic raisins
1 gill Pernod

Bring to a boil, then simmer slowly approximately 3 hours until of an appealing consistency. Makes 5 quarts. Put in glass containers, leaving plenty of headspace, and freeze for the holidays.

Use for mince pies, cookies or muffins. It’s also very good as an appetizer on crackers with organic (Michigan!) goat cheese.

The complete list of winners of the contest are below. Each will receive a copy of the DVD of “The Botany of Desire!”:
Pam Peirce, CA
Myrto Ashe, CO
Amy Boland, MN
Heidi Turner, ME
Kim Bayer, MI
Keith C. Borglum, CA
Margaret Thorson, WA
Donald L. Gibbon, PA