Readers know their cukes!

Thank you, Anna's readers for guessing what I am!

I was all dressed up for Halloween on one of those sunny days
when I was plucked by a gardener in Point Reyes
she was very amazed and gave me to Glen, her friend..........
Little did I know on Anna's blog is where I would end.

I thought I could fool folks by the way I looked
Thought they would not know what I am- and be rooked!
am I a tomato or a pumpkin small?
am I an orange or a lemon tall?

Did you ever know
I can be eaten like a tomato?
and I would be sooooooooo glad-
if added to your healthy salad?

I know how to make salsa sing
bring it to life-make it King!
.....or simply to be enjoyed as a snack-
When hiking, I fit nicely in your backpack.

So.........try as I might to be in my Halloween disguise...
You readers are just way, way too wise........
You are so cool and now have my number-
I am a cucumis sativus.....Lemon cucumber!

My seeds left to grow in the glorious earth
waiting for next season to re-birth
Lets see how I change and what I do
I will dress differently next Halloween! Boo!!!!!

-Jill Casad
Sebastopol, CA

The Crockpot

The Crockpot

The crockpot sat patiently on the shiny clean counter..........
tick tock.
tick tock.
The clock on the friendly counter was her constant companion.

Her senses were finely attuned as she ever so patiently waited and thought.........would I be replaced by a modern steel, new aged designer crockpot that shone as brightly as the refrigerator?

The back doors opened and the scent of fresh Golden delicious apples filled the kitchen- the entire house- the great outdoors.....the county!
Beautiful Golden laughing apples grown by the tree's dear friend,Linda.
The 30 year old tree outside, planted in love and deep respect and strong soil had gifted us one more year.

The crockpot felt each hand carved apple which Anna peeled, fall into her belly..............
the apple cider vinegar drunkened her for the eve
and the ginger and other spices revived her in the morn.
Oh what a night!
Could it be? Oh.....could it be that apple butter is scenting the room? Dancing and mingling is the valley of the moon? YES...........and I, the ceramic old crockpot, was the composer

-Jill Casad
Sebastopol, CA

And another poem from Jill, who wrote it after hearing that I helped Linda make some apple butter in her crockpot. And after that, from the Mutsu apples I purchased at the Farmer's Market, I made yet another batch of apple butter! I was happy to pass some on to a long time friend I met for lunch at Babbo's on Monday as well, fresh out of the crockpot.

You can too!

Apples

The stardust falls upon the apples tonight
as they cling and finally loosen from their roots~ and eventually fall back unto the soil.........

some gently.. and some making a thump as they give up what they have always known
some land where they fell and others roll, refusing to be told what to do
some are darkened and soured by their experience as an apple
some glow in health and ask to be found by a gentle hand as they lay waiting.....
some don't care- they just be in the moonlight and accept what is next.

They come in different colors and no two are the same
different sizes and tastes.........each one unique
They are art and each artist painting one would see different shades,personalities,character
sizes and contrast as the moonlight falls upon them laying in the orchards.

Their sweet smell and taste- the colors they chose to wear as they offer themselves to the deer and bring sweetness to our breath and nourish our bodies. They ask nothing- they just are. they just are apples and the stardust falls upon them tonight.
Like us.......

-Jill Casad
Sebastapol, CA

Ever have a friend through a friend that you feel like you know well because of the connection? My good friend Linda has been friends with Jill, the author of the lovely poem, for many years. When she heard that I made apple butter from apples grown on Linda's thirty year old apple tree, it inspired her to write it, and she gave me permission to post it with my post on making apple butter. And this is a recipe of my mother's, updated for cooking method. Using a crockpot instead of the oven makes it unbelievably simple!

Linda had given me a whole grocery bag filled with beautiful home grown apples. This recipe is very forgiving, and you don't have to be exact. Just peel and dice up all the apples you have. If you have enough, you can fill the crockpot to overflowing as these will cook down. I had enough to fill the crockpot about 80%. Once you have your apples diced, add somewhere between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar. I used 1/4 cup as the apples weren't overflowing. Then you put the lid on, and leave it to cook about 7-10 hours on high, you just need to check from about 7 hours to see when it's cooked down almost all the way. Lift the lid to let the steam out every once in awhile, as you want the saucy apples to reduce. When the apples are pretty soft, use a potato masher to make them into a smooth sauce and continue cooking.

Eventually, your apples will cook down and turn a beautiful red brown. When it's pretty thick, you can add the seasonings. You'll want to taste the apples at this point to adjust the amount of sweetener, sweet sorghum in this case, to your taste. I used 2 tablespoons of sweet sorghum followed by 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon powdered ground ginger. For a big crockpot, you want something like 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ginger. You can adjust the spices to taste too. After adding the sweetener and spices turn the heat down to low and cook another hour or two until it's the thickness you would like to spread. My pot of apples yielded 3 1/8 cup apple butter.

I made this to submit toWeekend Herb Blogging a couple weeks ago, and waited until I've felt better to write a good post. (I hope you are enjoying this!) Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen started this all off a couple years ago, and she generously shares hosting duties with others. This week, Valentina from Trembom - English Version is hosting. The event is all about using unusual herb or plant ingredients, or using one in an unusual way. The unusual ingredient in this apple butter is the sweet sorghum, also called sorghum molasses.

photo credit: iStockphoto

Regular molasses is a by-product of the sugar making process. Sorghum molasses is made to be just as it is, an amber liquid sweetener full of minerals made from a grass. It doesn't surprise me that my mother used this in her apple butter recipe as it is predominantly grown in the south, and she was from Kentucky.

I'm happy to report that this easy recipe turned out just like Mom's -- it was my first attempt at making apple butter so I am doubly pleased. Dad was very excited to remember his sweetheart's creative southern cooking when he tasted it on his toast!