My most recent travels was a whirlwind of sites, smells, and tastes of my childhood. There were early summertime nights spent in Morgantown, West Virginia then traveling south along the Appalachians on the Blue Ridge Parkway into Virginia and North Carolina. I had so much time planned out to sit down and write story after story of all these new recipes I have been creating and recreating back in Hawaii. However, when opportunities came to sit and write in the car or late at night, I felt eager to put the iPad down and just soak it all in.
Either that or just feeling really car sick from the unforgivingly windy roads. The moments that caught me most were the stars, the sounds of a whippoorwill or owl in the distance as I scan along the deep valleys that guide me to the horizons of the mountains of every hue of blue.
Smelling the blooming mountain laurels and rhododendrons, the sound of flowing rivers that I grew up boating with my parents or even the smell of bacon at my grandmother’s house brought back so many childhood memories.
I realized in that moment, like I do time and time again, that being present in every moment has far greater clarity and meaning then any thought or idea I jot down in my journal. Besides, it’s not like I am going to forget that I like my grandmother’s applesauce so much.
We were on our way to visit my dad’s side of the family in North Carolina, as I watched Pilot Mountain become clearer in the distance, I asked if anyone had any funny or memorable stories about my Grandma Betty and her cooking. Nothing in particular came up for anyone, other than the fact that everyone agreed on her thoughtfulness and attention to every detail in the kitchen. This goes without saying that she is a wonderful cook. She literally made (and still does to this day at age 84) every individual Vernon’s most favorite dish of hers. To put this in perspective, there are four generations running through the Vernon family. That’s like 30 sum dishes plus varying desserts like key lime pie, a 5 layer chocolate cake, and most likely a cobbler of some kind. She does all of this in a very small square footage of a kitchen. It’s insane. Like one of us would go without finding anything to eat or God forbid, starve. It’s also wonderful. The plate she puts down in front of you is her most deepest and truest self. A way of showing her love for each one of us. Between her and my mother, I have never questioned where I get my love for cooking and nourishing others. That’s the root of it. The root of why I am starting this blog, the root of why I feel it necessary to dedicate an entire page to Grandma Betty inspired recipes, the root of my hope to spread the curiosity, knowledge, and tools to recreate your most beloved “made with love” dishes from your favorite pastime to support a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle of all different shapes and sizes.
So to kick off the Grandma Betty page of yummnes. Here’s my favorite. Simple, tart, and delicious Granny Smith Applesauce.
Betty Vernon recreated by homecooked.love
Yields 8 Quarts
10 minPrep Time
45 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 8 - 10 granny smith apples
- 1 cup water
- pinch of salt, to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Stevia Leaf droplets
- 3 Tablespoons homemade ghee (optional)
Instructions
- Place peeled, cored, and cubed apples in a large 12-14 quart pot with a fitted lid along with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil.
- When boiling, return heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often to keep apples from burning.
- Once the apples are tender when pierced with a fork and turned into a saucy mess, add 3 tablespoons of ghee (can omit if the taste of ghee isn't preferred) and stevia to taste. Start with 1/4 teaspoon stevia. You don't need much if you like it tart.
- When the flavor is where you like it, remove from heat and mash with a fork or potato masher. Leave some bite size apple pieces for some yummy texture.
- Garnish with lemon zest, cinnamon, clove or leave as is.
- That's it. Easy Peasy.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or freeze for several months.
4 Responses