Fall Menu: Apple Crisp, Peppered Pork, Family Hash Browned Potatoes, Veggies and Dip, & Flat Breads

As you can see from the almost empty dish this is the BEST Apple Crisp recipe ever!

We had a near calamity this week when the spare refrigerator in the garage froze some of the items stored there.  Be it because I had not opened the door enough, as the manufacturer averages, or it just hiccuped I will never know.  The end result is I need to use up some Johnathan apples stored there.  I am making my late Mother-in-law, Mary Lou's apple Crisp for dessert to be topped with vanilla ice cream today.  It is the best Apple Crisp I have ever eaten.

This is about a 4 pound pork shoulder roasted and ready to slice.

I saved a good bit of money on the purchase of a bag of pork shoulder roasts this week and have all but one tucked away in the freezer.  (Our butcher buys bags of 2, 7-8 pounds each and cuts to size and wraps at no additional charge.)  Happily the purchase netted out to just under $2.00 a pound on the total purchase!  This peppered pork shoulder roast will be delicious served today and also in flat bread sandwiches later in the week.

Crusty and delicious family hash brown's.

Always a winner my Mother's hash brown potatoes are never left over!  They are munched to the last bite without fail!  Plus they are oh so easy and are not of shredded potatoes but chunks of crusty bits instead!  Just peel and boil until tender quartered potatoes, drain, season, and brown in hot oil using an iron skillet.

The Peppered Pork Shoulder and Flat Breads are my adaptations of recipes from Amy Theilen from the Food Network.  I have enjoyed her recipes on the Midwestern Table.


Ingredients for Apple Crisp:

10-12 apples peeled and sliced, I like Jonathan's or Golden Delicious
1/2 C. water
pinch of salt
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. flour
2 t. cinnamon*
12 T. cold butter

Peel and slice the apples into a 9" x 12" baking dish and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Sprinkle with salt and toss.  Pour the water over the apples.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Cut the cold butter into dice sized pieces and toss into the flour mixture.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly.  Distribute the "crumble" evenly across the top of the apples and bake 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.  Yield 12 servings. 

*Recently I was contacted by a reader extolling the virtues of "real" Ceylon cinnamon.  I have long used Vietnamese cinnamon but am always willing to try new things.  I was running low on cinnamon and needed to reorder so today I am trying this new product in the apple crisp for the first time. This was not given to me, there was no discount, I am not being paid or given any consideration for trying this product and will be reporting my families reaction truthfully, as well as my own!  We all liked the cinnamon.  It has a softer aroma and I am glad I purchased it.  However, I do not prefer it to the Vietnamese cinnamon.  I do like it as well though, just not better!

These turned out beautifully and were delicious.

Ingredients for Flat Breads:


3/4 t. active dry yeast
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
3 1/4 C. bread flour


Combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 C. lukewarm water in a small bowl and let the yeast bubble up and proof.

Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl and add 1 C. lukewarm water, the oil, and the salt.  Add 1 C. of the flour and whisk until smooth.  About like pancake batter!  Switch to a wooden spoon and add the rest of the flour beating as you go until you have a soft dough.  Rub the dough with a little more oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it rise at room temperature until doubled, about an hour.

Punch down the dough, transfer it to an oiled plastic bag and let it proof in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Heat the grill or griddle over high heat.  Generously oil a baling sheet.  Divide the flat bread into 8 portions on the baking sheet.  Press the dough into thin rounds, about 8" in diameter.

Grill the breads over medium-high heat,  closing the lid after putting them on or covering with a lid.  The flat breads should take about 2 minutes to cook turning once.   I kept them on wire racks in a half sheet pan covered with a tea towel on the back of the stove until serving time.  Yield 8 flat breads.

Boneless Roast Peppered Pork Shoulder.

Peppered Pork Shoulder Roast:

1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
3 1/2-4 pound pork shoulder roast
2 T. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 stick melted butter
5-6 cloves garlic chopped
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. chopped fresh thyme
2 T. bacon drippings or oil

To give the pork roast a quick cure mix 1 t. sugar and 1 t. salt together and and rub all over the roast.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Blot the roast dry.  Rub the crushed peppercorns into the meat.  Reserve what does not stick to the meat for the marinade.

Heat a small saucepan and melt the butter over med-low heat.  Add the garlic cooking until the butter begins to bubble.   Add the vinegar, thyme, and remaining pepper and remove fro the heat.

Heat an oven proof skillet large enough for the meat over high heat.  Add the drippings or oil and brown the meat on all sides.  Turn off the heat.

Drizzle the meat with the marinade rolling it to coat all sides.  Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.  Remove and baste.  Then roll the roast to it's side and roast another 10 minutes before repeating this process at 10 minute intervals for about 50 minutes.  Then insert a meat thermometer.  The meat is done at 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer is placed at the center of the roast.  We prefer our pork a bit more well done so I leave it until 160 degrees.

The roast was lovely eaten in folded warm flat breads.

Remove the roast to a platter and let it rest at least 10 minutes before slicing thinly.  Yield 10-12 generous servings.

Many times we round off our meals with raw vegetables and homemade ranch dip.  Again a family favorite.  Here is the link for the dressing mix.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-best-homemade-ranch-dressing-recipe.html