Elizabeth Barrette
Samhain is the dying time, a holiday of death at the end of the growing season. Autumn is at its height, the trees red and gold in their slowly falling leaves. The orchards, having given up their fruit, prepare for the long winter sleep.
Pork Roast
Traditionally, pigs were slaughtered at Samhain, making pork a traditional feast food. Many cooking apples ripen in October, and root vegetables are available then. These represent many aspects of death, rebirth, and earth.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4–6 hours
Servings: 5–7
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup apple butter
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon pink salt
1/2 teaspoon red peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pork loin roast (4–5 pounds)
2 red apples, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sweet marjoram
Into a slow cooker, put 2 cups apple cider, 1/2 cup apple butter, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1 bay leaf. Cover and turn on low.
Grind together 1/2 teaspoon pink salt, 1/2 teaspoon red peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Rub the spice blend all over the pork roast. Put the pork roast in the crockpot and cover.
Rinse, core, and slice 2 red apples. Rinse 2 carrots and chop them into chunks. Rinse 3 celery stalks and chop them into chunks. Cut the root end off the leek. Slice the white part and as much of the light green as you can before it turns tough. Add all the cut produce to the crockpot, distributing it around the roast.
Over the top, sprinkle 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon sweet marjoram. Cover and cook for 4–6 hours until vegetables are tender and pork starts to fall apart.
Autumn Orchard Crumble
Apples and pears are the quintessential fruits of autumn. They mingle beautifully in this Autumn Orchard Crumble. Warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger reflect the fire-colored leaves of autumn and counteract its cold weather.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 40–50 minutes
Serves: 8
butter
flour
2 firm cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Fuji)
1 soft cooking apple (like Jonathan or McIntosh)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 firm cooking pears (like Bosc or Anjou)
1 soft cooking pear (like Bartlett)
2 tablespoons ginger chips or minced candied ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup quick oats
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, sliced (1 stick)
(For a gluten-free version, replace the all-purpose wheat flour with a gluten-free flour. For a nut-free version, replace the sliced almonds with sunflower seeds or pepitas.)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a pie plate or large baking dish. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour into the pie plate. Tilt and tap the pie plate to move the flour around until it coats the whole inside.
Wash and pat dry the apples. Remove the stems and cores. (If you like your pie apples peeled, do that now, but it’s okay to leave the skin on.) Slice the apples thinly, but not so thin that the slices break easily. Put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon juice over them and toss gently to coat the slices.
Wash and pat dry the pears. Remove the stems and cores. (If you like your pie pears peeled, do that now, but it’s okay to leave the skin on.) Slice the pears thinly, but not so thin that the slices break easily. Add them to the bowl of apple slices. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon juice over them and toss gently to coat the slices.
Add 2 tablespoons ginger chips or minced candied ginger, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1 tablespoon tapioca starch. Toss gently to coat the slices. Pour the fruit slices into the prepared pie plate and spread them out. Mound them slightly in the center and make sure that the outer edges stay below the rim of the pie plate, leaving room to add the crumble topping later.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
To the flour mixture, add 1 cup quick oats, 1 cup sliced almonds, and 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal. Stir to combine.
To the flour mixture, add 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar. Slice 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) into the bowl. Use a butter cutter to combine the ingredients in the bowl. It helps to have a table knife to run between the tines of the butter cutter and knock loose the packed butter. Keep going until the mixture is loose, dry, and crumbly. The butter should be down to pea-sized bits.
Use a soup spoon to put the topping over the fruit, starting in the center and spiraling outward. Keep an eye on the amount so you don’t run out of topping before covering the whole surface. When you get to the outside edge, put the spoon on the rim of the pie plate and tilt it inward to avoid spilling. If there is topping left over after covering the surface, look for any empty or thin spots in the topping and deposit the extra there. Otherwise, just distribute it evenly over the top.
Bake the Autumn Orchard Crumble at 350ºF for 40–50 minutes until done. The crumble topping should be toasty brown and crisp, not wet. The fruit should be bubbling around the edges of the pie plate, and it should feel soft when a toothpick is inserted into the middle of the mound. If the topping seems to be browning faster than the fruit is softening, you can make a tent of aluminum foil to minimize further browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe makes about 8 servings. Because a crumble dessert has no bottom crust, you will need to serve it with a spoon, not a pie server. Popular additions include vanilla or ginger ice cream or frozen yogurt, caramel sauce, ginger syrup, cinnamon syrup, or gingersnaps.
Pomegranate Punch
Pomegranate is the fruit of death, as apple is the fruit of life, celebrating both in this liminal time. Warming spices of ginger and cinnamon contrast with the cold beverage.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: freeze ice cubes 4 hours
Servings: 13
pomegranate seeds
water
4 cups cold pomegranate juice
4 cups cold ginger beer (strong)
3 cups cold apple cider
1 cup cold cranberry juice
1 tablespoon pure cinnamon extract
Fill an ice cube tray with pomegranate seeds. Pour water over the seeds. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
In a large punch bowl, mix 4 cups cold pomegranate juice, 4 cups cold ginger beer, 3 cups cold apple cider, 1 cup cold cranberry juice, and 1 tablespoon pure cinnamon extract. Use the strongest ginger beer you can find, so it still has flavor when diluted. Serve over pomegranate ice cubes.