Fair Food

I went to the Great Geauga County Fair -- and if you know anything about fairs, you probably know it's all about the food. Or at least partly about the food. Fried food, primarily, but if it isn't fried it's probably sweet. And sometimes it's both.

And, it's about food competitions.

First, food to eat... and no shortage of it fried.


Battered-dipped Oreos and the now-traditional fried Twinkies, all in one spot. Yetch. But you gotta get a kick out of the concept.

And yes, I indulged in some fair food. You have to. It's part of going to the fair. (More about fairs, fair geeks, the Great Geauga County Fair, and fair rules here. Oh, and fair needlework here).

Next, on to the competitions.

Preserves.


Baking.


Baking-related: a new twist on the gingerbread house... a pretzel and graham cracker house.

Not to be missed, all the veggies:




And finally, the veggie critters. I've never seen them at a fair before but they're the epitome of county fair. And they made me laugh.

I love fairs. I love the food at fairs in all its forms. And I love to cook, eat, dance, love!

Apple Blueberry Crisp

This recipe just happened -- I brought home a peck of apples from the orchard down the road, looked in the fridge at the blueberries leftover from our last visit to a local grower, and decided dessert was in order. Pie? not enough time to make a crust (and too lazy). Crisp? Yes -- easy to throw together, quick to bake. So throw and bake I did.

For a change I thought to write down measurements in case it turned out well. And I'm glad I did! This dessert turned out great -- the blueberries and apples played off each other well, neither drowning out the other; the cardamom is a delicate touch that brings out the flavors of the fruit; it's just the right amount of sweetness, enough to tone down the tartness of the fruit without having sweetness dominate; the touch of maple lends a bit of complexity; and the topping is the perfect amount of crunch, with neither too much sugar nor butter, and not so much topping that it seems cloying. So, not to break my arm patting myself on the back or anything, but this is a true keeper!



APPLE BLUEBERRY CRISP

Ingredients:

fruit:

• 3 c. peeled, sliced tart apples (I used MacIntosh but any tart apple would work)
• 1 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. flour
• 4 cardamom pods worth of seeds, seeds removed and lightly crushed
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

topping:

• 1 c. oats
• 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. softened butter
• 1/4 t. cinnamon

Method:

For the fruit mixture, combine apples, sugar, maple syrup, cardamom seeds, flour, pinch of cinnamon, pinch of salt; mix well. Add blueberries and mix gently. Pour into greased 9" square baking dish.

For the topping, mix the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fingers. Crumble topping over fruit.


Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and the topping is brown.

Enjoy!


And part of that enjoyment is to cook, eat, dance, love!

Heirloom Tomato

An heirloom tomato purchased at a local farmer's market, variety unidentified. Sweet and tender and delicious!