Martin's Hillside Orchard

Explore the Orchard

Apple Cobbler

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Mee-o-mi  Who would have thought that our favorite peach cobbler recipe would work equally well for apples?  Well, know that we think about it – why wouldn’t it?

Just peel and slice apples thinly and use those instead of the peaches. Wonderful!

Love that crust it forms on the top. Reminds us of crust that you’d see on those fried hand pies from back in the day, but these aren’t fried. That makes them healthy for you, right?

This is the type of dessert that is better the second day to allow flavors to develop.

For those with sweet tooth, top with a bit of caramel and whipped cream for a treat that tastes like a danish with cream filling.

Coleslaw with Apples

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Use a chopped apple to liven up coleslaw. The crunch of the slaw provides nice balance for the heavier tailgate fare such as barbecue and brats. Be sure to use a red apple and you can call it Husker slaw 😉 

  • No fuss no muss – Purchase one of those prebagged coleslaw mixes and add chopped apple.
  • From scratch – Try Norma’s Coleslaw Recipe

Norma’s Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Slaw
    • ½ medium-sized Nappa cabbage
    • ½ cup chopped onion
    • ½ cup chopped red pepper
    • 1 chopped sweet/crunchy apple (e.g., Gala or Jonathan)
    • Dash of lemon/lime juice
    • ½ cup slivered almonds
    • 1 T butter
  • Dressing
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup mayo
    • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper

Directions:

  • Chop cabbage, onion and red pepper and toss together. Chop apple and sprinkle with lime/lemon juice before adding to salad mixture. (no peeling required).
  • Whisk dressing ingredients together in separate bowl and mix into slaw.
  • Toast almonds in butter on stovetop and add just before serving.

Suggestions/Comments:

  • We tried increasing the ratio of yogurt to mayo but found that if you go with more yogurt it can add a bitter taste. We settled on a half and half mix and found that worked well.
  • Make ahead and refrigerate overnight, just hold off on adding the toasted almonds until you serve to keep them from getting soggy.
  • Thanks, Norma! 

Raspberry Tea

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raspberry teaWhat a refreshing drink!

We used raspberries frozen from last year. Forgot that when berries are frozen they tend to compress a bit so probably ended up using more berries/juice than recipe called for.  But, what a lovely color. Not quite Husker Red, but close.

We figure this recipe might be a good option if some of your picking assistants with those little hands tended to smush a few berries.  This works well whether berries are smushed or not.

Edith’s More-Please Raspberry Pie

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You’ll need about 1 quart (4 cups) of raspberries for this pie.

Recipe adapted from the French Strawberry Glace Pie in the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book from the late 1950s.

We made our pies in 3″ diameter pans. Maybe we’ll call them raspberry tarts. They are soo cute!!!

Crust

1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 to 1/2 cup margarine

4 oz cream cheese

Filling

1 quart raspberries

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Edith’s secret: Use a graham cracker crust instead of the baked pie shell in the original recipe. We simplified even more and used a store-bought graham cracker crust.

  • Home-made Crust:
  • Mix crumbs and sugar. Blend melted margarine into mixture. Press into pie pan on the bottom and the sides. I do not bake this crust. I use margarine because it makes the crust softer. Cool in the refrigerator.
  • Soften 4 oz. of cream cheese. Spread on the bottom part of the pie shell. Return to the refrigerator.
  • Filling:
  • Wash and drain 1 quart of raspberries.
  • Simmer together about three minutes (1 cup of the raspberries and 2/3 water.
  • Blend and add to boiling mixture.(1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp. cornstarch and 1/3 cup water).
  • Bring to a boil stirring constantly and boil 1 minute. Let it cool down.
  • Put 2 ½ cups raspberries in the pie on top of cream cheese. (These raspberries you are using for the pie must be drained thoroughly. I put mine on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels. Water left in the little cup shape of the raspberries will make the crust soggy).
  • Pour the somewhat cooled cooked mixture on top of the fresh berries. Cool completely.

Serve with whipped cream and a few raspberries on the top.

2018 Season

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We’ll be open Aug 25 through the end of October.

We won the game of Dodge Ball with the hail and the apples are beautiful.  Check the fall u-pick timeline to find out when your favorite apple varieties are ripe for picking.  We can’t wait to see you at the orchard!

Pesky bugs – We seen more than our share of mosquitoes this fall.  Some days they are bad; Other days they aren’t an issue. Kind of hard to predict. Please bring along bug spray so you are prepared either way.

 

New this fall:

  • Open one evening a week – Thursday evenings until sunset
  • Entry fee is $4/person. Fee counts toward $3 of u-pick fruit when you check outsunset at the orchard
  • Jams & jellies, a first for us!  (available beginning Labor Day Weekend)
  • More food options on weekends – pulled pork sandwiches
  • Enhanced picnic area so there is plenty of shade for all
  • Birthday party offering
  • Open Columbus Day!
  • New “knock your socks off” apple (mid-October)

Unfortunately, no peaches this year. The super cold temperatures around New Years took out this year’s crop but the trees are fine. Storing up all that sunshine so they can produce a great crop next year.

Here is link to our weekly newsletter. Archives of this season’s newsletters can be found here.

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