Where the Apple Trees Are

There are those things in our lives that we take for granted. Things that surround us and we barely notice as we walk by. We go on with our lives and as we grow older and move away, we feel this void. We cannot pinpoint what it is, but we feel anxious as though something is missing. A void and a longing.

For me that feeling comes back every late summer and into autumn when I dream of the apple trees of my childhood.



I grew up surrounded by natural beauty. Raw, tangled, mossy, glistening natural beauty. River streams lined with beech and hazelnut trees, fig trees on the side of the road, blackberry bushes poking through the schoolyard fence, wild apple trees that belong to no one and to everyone -- treasures everywhere.

I never really appreciated this until I moved away and realized that not many have experienced such wilderness around them. Today, living in Florida, I feel all these elements are a luxury in life and so hard to come by.



"You cannot imagine how much I miss seeing these trees" I mentioned to my dad as we were driving around the countryside. I sat on the passenger seat while Miren napped in the back. "I know exactly where to take you" my dad replied. Five minutes later we pulled into Uxarte Sagardotegia right outside of town. It is an old farmhouse turned cider-house and restaurant. The owner's wife was actually my kindergarten teacher so we know the family well. Their property is filled with different varieties of apple, pears, and hazelnut trees. All the cider is pressed right on their property from the apples in their backyard. It is remarkable.

Late August is the month of pink apples. Row after row of trees with red apples glistening in the afternoon sun -- such a beautiful sight. The Reinetas, which are actually my favorite baking variety, come a bit later in September, but they were already ripening.

We walked around amongst the trees. Miren who had just woken up jumped out of the car and ran towards the field. She knew exactly what to do and didn't waste any time. She sat on the grass surrounded by apples -- she smiled like a kid in a candy store.



That same evening we visited my uncle Javi. The sun was setting and his sheep were out in the pasture for one last feeding. All the little cousins had gathered that afternoon. While they played, I took a walk alone to the apple orchard -- almost storybook scenery. Pink apple trees in the middle of a sea of dandelions, wild mint, and other wildflowers. "I could live right here -- in this same spot" I thought to myself.

I picked some apples for us. I had ideas of what to make with them, of course. I wait for this moment all year long. Back at my parents, I baked a roasted apple and prune cake with yogurt and olive oil -- a slight variation of this one. My brother Jokin was craving our childhood cake and how could I say no, right? the cake was gone that same night.



Since we returned back to Florida, I have been obsessed with apples. Impossible to find the heirloom varieties that we had back home, but still very excited about them as they are the first fruit of autumn.

I cooked a carrot and apple soup flavored with cumin, coriander, and piment d'Espelette I brought back from our trip.

Also a shaved fennel, apple, watercress, and hazelnut salad with scallops and a simple vinaigrette flavored with hazelnut oil.

But of course, what I was excited about was what I was going to make for dessert. I baked an apple cake from my upcoming book, which is great every time. Also from the book a clafoutis, and my latest obsession, roasted apple and brown butter madeleines.



I roasted the apples in a little bit of butter, sugar, and vanilla beans until tender and then pureed it into thick applesauce. This goes into the madeleine batter along with brown butter and hazelnut flour.

I baked them in batches so we could enjoy them warm out of the oven with a little dusting of powdered sugar. I cannot wait until I make my next batch.



Carrot and Apple Soup with Cumin and Coriander

Serves 4 to 6

2 tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled and diced
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
3 sprigs thyme leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 to 1/4 tsp piment d'Espelette
2 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

In a stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the apple, thyme, salt, cumin, coriander and piment d'Espelette. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes ot until the vegetables are tender. Puree with a blender. Add coconut milk and adjust seasoning if needed.

Brown Butter and Roasted Apple Madeleines

Makes 20 large madeleines

Roasted Apples

3 small Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 tbs natural cane sugar
1 tab unsalted butter

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish. Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes until the apples are soft and slightly caramelized. Puree them in the food processor.

Brown Butter and Roasted Apple Madeleines

7 tbs (100 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (70 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup (35 g) quinoa flour
1/4 cup (25 g) hazelnut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional. makes the madeleines keep more of their volume when baked)
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs (125 g) natural cane sugar
1/2 cup (140 g) roasted apple puree

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat until milk solids start to brown. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the superfine brown rice flour, quinoa flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until light and thick. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Add the brown butter and roasted apple puree and mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the batter. This will ensure no skim forms on top.

Chill the batter for 2 hours. Spoon the batter into greased madeleine pan. Chill this pan again while we preheat the oven.

Preheat oven to 425F. Bake madeleines for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not open the oven during the first 10 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

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Where the Apple Trees Are

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The Last Days of Summer

I have always said that September is my spring.

As summer comes to an end, I feel a tremendous sense of beginning. Excited for new things to happen and the year to unfold.



We spent our last days in the Basque Country exploring. Little corners of the world that only my dad knows well. Remote villages, a river stream lined with fig trees, or a field filled with wildflowers where we spotted a few leftover poppies from spring. These are the places where my dad feels at ease and loves to share with us.



In the nature preserve of Pagoeta, we saw the first signs of autumn as maple trees were beginning to turn colors. The skies were bright blue and leaves burnt orange. Jon followed my dad's footsteps with a wooden stick in hand looking for mushrooms and picking wild strawberries. "Aitite, can you tell me the tales of fairies and mountain giants?" Jon asked. Stories that my dad tells to him at night, before bedtime. He listened in awe as we walked the forest.

We picked wild blackberries in Urkiola and ate them with yogurt panna cotta that I made for dessert.



During our visits, my parents' home becomes a gathering place. We sit tightly around their kitchen table, elbow to elbow, eating course after course. For one of our last meals, I cooked a risotto with russulas my dad had found and red kuri squash I brought back from our trip to Iparralde. "This is so good!" my brother shouted -- nothing makes me feel better.

For dessert, a simple galette with mirabelle plums, white nectarines, and red currants. It was gone in minutes.



We also picked apples, figs, and peaches from my uncle Javi's garden. We took a walk around the property with him as he talked about his passion for gardening and pastry, his day job. "This has been a strange growing season" he said "Tomatoes have not done well, yet chestnuts are already opening up". Indeed. All the chestnut trees were full of bright green, prickly cocoons. Some even open -- a sign of things to come.

Back at home I made a apple, prune, and yogurt cake, similar to this one. The last days of summer would not be the same without an apple cake.

No, they would not.



Red Kuri Squash and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 to 6

4 to 5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1/2 medium red kuri squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced wild mushrooms (we used the russulas we picked)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup txakoli or any dry white wine you like
1/2 cup finely grated Idiazabal or Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Begin by heating the chicken stock over medium heat. Keep it warm until ready to use.

In a stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the diced red kuri squash. Stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the rice and stir it well so all the oil and flavors coat the rice. Add the txakoli or dry white wine and cook for 30 seconds until alcohol evaporates. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Then proceed by adding another 1/2 cup of stock. Continue to cook the risotto storring constantly and adding more stock as needed until rice is cooked al dente, about 18 minutes.

Off the heat, add the grated Idiazabal and parsley. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

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The Last Days of Summer

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Iparralde - the French Basque Countryside

It feels so good to be home. Fresh air, green mountains, and soft sandy beaches.



I am still in the thick of my vacation with my family in the Basque Country, but I wanted to pop in and say hello. I have captured over 1,000 images and I thought you would like to see some from a trip we took to Iparralde last week -- the French Basque Country.







Despite current political divisions, the Basque Country (Euskal Herria) is made of seven provinces, four of them in Spain in the south (Hegoaldea) and three in the north in France (Iparraldea). The Basque language is spoken throughout and that is why we call it the Basque Country.



When I was a little girl and before all European borders disappeared, going to Iparralde was a very exciting adventure. Only an hour drive away, we had to carry our passports and a completely different currency. We looked for products that we couldn't find back home and indulged in the supermarket aisles.







Last week we decided to take a trip to Donibane Lohitzun (St. Jean de Luz) and Espelette, where the famous peppers come from. We packed some food, but we knew we would find most of what we would need for our picnic in the farmers' market that happens every Tuesday.



We purchased local sheep's milk cheese and yogurt, artisanal bread from Etchart, charcuterie, mirabelle plums, berries, and more. As we expected, the old pedestrian streets were crowded with tourists. We ate amazing ice cream at Txomin and macarons and gâteaux basques at Maison Adam, then headed to the beach where we leisurely ate our bounty while we watched people come and go.







In the afternoon, we drove to Espelette. I was so excited for the burst of color that awaited us. The buildings are covered with hanging red peppers that are dried to make the coveted piment d'Espelette that I love.



Green hills surround the old town where herds of sheep graze. There was a light mist of rain that afternoon and it smelled of the Basque Country I remember from my childhood. A certain nostalgia and mysticism.







Last week I also taped a new episode for cooking show Robin Food, which will air in November. I cooked a risotto with wild mushrooms and clams, as well as a plum and red currant galette. I think you will like it. We certainly did.



I was also extremely lucky to eat at three-star Michelin restaurant Martin Berasategui and two-star Michelin Mugaritz. I will have to tell you all about it. What an opportunity.



I am in awe and inspired.







The kids are having so much fun playing with their cousins, visiting family farms, and running around in the open spaces. Weather has been unpredictable, but I welcome it. I love summer rain.



And so we will be here one more week. I will return with more images and stories, but for now, I must go.



The park awaits us.

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Iparralde - the French Basque Countryside

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