Yesterday began with a red sky and ended with red apples.

My VW Beetle loaded to the roof with apples, to be precise.

It had been a while since the kids and I took off on a "mystery day" adventure so yesterday we loaded into the car on a secret field trip. We landed just a few miles from home at our local organic apple orchard.

(And yes, Lupine wore an apple dress to the orchard not knowing we were going to the orchard. Life is funny sometimes.)

We met another homeschooling family there and spent the afternoon picking, visiting, nibbling, climbing, and playing among the trees.

As the morning sky hinted there was rain. But not a lot. Just enough to keep us picking fast.

We brought home 3 1/2 bushels that we'll can as sauce (and maybe a bit of pie filling this year, too) and lots to store for fresh eating until well into winter.

And like we've done every year for as long as I can remember, we had apple crisp and homemade ice cream for dinner.

Because some traditions are too delicious (and sassy) to quit.

The crisp I made was based on this gluten-free, vegan gem with a few mods (my version follows). We topped it with a dreamy raw milk honey ice cream that I need to make again tomorrow.

We gobbled it all up too fast for photos. I guess that means I'll have to make them both again. Very soon.

 Egg-free, Gluten-free Apple Crisp Recipe

• 10-12 smallish medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• dash apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
•  1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Crisp Topping

• 1/2 C coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1 1/4 cup gluten free oats or chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup almond flour or any ground nut or seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Process

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Generously butter a 9×13 baking pan.

Chop apples and toss with apple cider vinegar. (Lemon juice is just as good.)

Add coconut sugar, tapioca flour, and cinnamon and stir to combine.

Transfer apples to buttered pan, then (without washing mixing bowl) combine all crisp toppings in bowl.

Top apples with oaty buttery goodness. (Crisp topping.)

Bake for 55 minutes or until apples are tender and topping has become lovely and toasty brown.

Honey-Vanilla ice cream

We used raw milk, raw cream and raw honey, but use whatever milk and honey you have. As long as you use good quality ingredients you'll have a devastatingly good ice cream. Smashingly good. Wicked good. You get the idea.

And the recipe couldn't be easier.

Ingredients

• 1 C milk
• 1/4 C honey
• 2 C heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Process

Heat milk in a small saucepan until quite warm, but not hot.

Stir in honey until dissolved.

Add cream and vanilla, taste for sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter ice cream heat 1/2 cup of your cream/milk/honey mix and add additional honey. In the unlikely even that it's too sweet add a bit more cream.

Chill your ice cream mixture until cold, then churn in your ice cream maker.

Enjoy!

 

Originally published in 2014.