The Story of an Unplanned Apple Tart. SOLE Food, part 1

 

I am taking part in the Dark Days Challenge, documented at Not Dabbling in Normal, making meals following the SOLE criteria - Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical.

I had a meal planned but it just worked out that I made dessert first!

On my day off, I was driving down to my neighbour's , where I buy my eggs (and had a little chat with an older gent who had also stopped at the roadside cooler and we discussed how good theses eggs were) and a little ways down I noticed an apple tree, still full of late November apples on the side of the road.

I stopped to have a look. They looked pretty good,  so I picked some of these and went on to my next stop, which was a sheep farm to photograph, well, sheep of course, for the Wovember 100% wool contest. After scraping the mud from my boots before I got back in my car (will it ever stop raining?) I had a plan.

(insert random sheep photo for local colour)

It was only a short distance to Whole Circle Farm, where I purchased some  lard and a few other things.

I had the local honey and flour already at home.

And thus, the makings of an apple tart:

Apples - foraged.

Egg for pastry - my neighbour

Lard- Whole Circle farm

Flour  - Hockley Valley 

 Honey - Caledon Honey

And there it is, no recipe, just an intuitive process, just like the "shopping" for the ingredients.

Comments

[Lynda]

Foraged foods: the ultimate in grocery shopping! Loved the post!

[CallieK]

Hi Neighbour!
I am jealous of all of your local resources, especially the eggs! Thanks for all the great links. (but why does the Hickley Valley site have an AB mailing address? Aren't they just up the road from you?)

[Heather]

Oh my, that tart Does look delicious. Now my hot cup of tea, which seemed lovely mere minutes ago, seems decidedly lacking without a slice of apple tart to go with it. :-(

[Jeanne]

Oh -- just when I'd started trying to catch up on my blog-reading -- now I'm going to have to go and get something to eat. Preferably apple tart....

[Xan from Mahlzeit]

I love the foraged apples! I was hoping to forage local grapes this year, but miles of walking produced only about 1/4 cup. Next year I'm thinking about foraging crab apples, to make crab apple jelly (they're too tart for other purposes). Why should the birds get all the good stuff!!?

[Francesca]

if you ask me, so much better than shopping at the grocery store and following a recipe! I always improvise when I cook, but I'm not confident or intuitive enough to improvise when I bake (except for bread).

[flowtops]

Ain't you lucky to have all these producers nearby?

I've amassed local produce mostly from my grocery shop venting farmer. He's very good at connecting people who grow interesting vegetables, fruits and more.

As he does all the leg work, I'm a bit lazy as to collecting. I just drive to his shop ;-)

Nicki