Happy Monday! What a weekend we had…  to say it was a busy weekend would be an understatement but it was so much fun.  Saturday started with a visit to the house, three truck loads of junk to the dump, checking out the temporary driveway (woo hoo!), followed by a “PEI Spud Run for children”.  We entered both turkeys (our kids) as part of the Marathon Weekend.  It was a good time despite the weather which was very cold and rainy.

On to the Food

Earlier in the week we finally made it to the apple orchard.  It was a a great time where the kids loved it and the weather was very nice.  We came home with a big bag of cooking apples (Cortland) and eating apples (MacIntosh).

Here are a couple of shots in the orchard followed by a killer apple pie – compliments of Mama Zesty’s super pie crust recipe.

Topped with some homemade whip cream or even just plain Vanilla ice cream – a great dessert.  Actually I had a slice of this for breakfast…. Do you think that is a bad thing?

Ingredients

• 6 Apples ( Peeled and Sliced)
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Cup Butter
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Tbsp. White Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees and Pre grease your pie plate (this one was a 10 inch)
2. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, butter and salt then cut in together.  Once cut in, add the water slowly mixing with a fork.  Do not over mix and do not make it too wet.
3. Cut the dough into two equal parts and then roll out fairly thin.
4. Place the bottom layer of the dough in the pie plate.
5. Add sliced apples sugar and nutmeg ( sprinkled on top.  Add the top crust and cut three steam holes in the middle.  Once the top is in place, use a fork to crimp the edges of the pie to ensure it doesn’t come apart.
6. Brush some milk on the top crust and bake for about 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The big tip here is not to over work the dough.  If you want a flaky crust, keep your paws off as much as possible.  Just add enough water to combine the flour butter mixture and that is it – otherwise it will be stocky and hard to roll out.

On to the Race

As I mentioned on Friday, Mrs. Zesty was running in a half marathon this weekend.  A few people were sending her well wishes and asked for an update so I thought I would fulfill the request.  Overall the weather was nice but it was fairly cool with a stiff breeze.  Janet did extremely well.  Her time was 2:13.46.  I am super proud of her! Me, the kids along with the in-laws provided support every step of the way (via car).  Great Job J!  Mrs. Zesty is below on the right!

Here is a shot of Zesty Jr. and Mrs. Zesty at the Spud Run on Saturday.

Well that was a post somewhat all over the map but I hope you enjoyed it and have a great Monday.  I will be back in the morning for another riveting write up.

Take care

zesty

I am pretty excited to share this recipe with you today! These rolls are dead easy, will be the talk of the dinner table and come with some history. On PEI, there is a very popular lobster supper restaurant that bakes these fresh rolls all day everyday from which this recipe has been adapted from.

As you can tell from the ingredients below, these rolls are very wholesome and traditional. No additives, no extras – just plain old fashion goodness.  You are going to spend most of your effort on the kneading.  Not that these are intense to knead, however you will want to put forth the effort to ensure the quality.

Ingredients

• 8 Cups Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 1/2 Packages Quick Rise Yeast
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil ( Olive Oil )
• 3 Cups Waters

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Add yeast to dry ingredients; mix well.
4. Add remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
5. Add dry mixture to wet ingredients; mix well and knead ( about 5 minutes).
6. Let set for about 10 minutes.
7. Cut dough into small ball pieces and begin kneading them and shape them into the pan.
8. Let rise 60-75 minutes or until they double in size – cover with tea towels to keep them warm and moist.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
10. Brush tops with butter once removed from the oven.
11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Place your dough to set in a warm place to yield better results.  I like to put mine on top of the pre heating oven.

Well there you have it!  A pretty simple roll with lots of flavor and tradition.  Give this recipe a try, I am sure you will like it.  Try it fresh from the oven, topped with butter or dipped in your homemade stew.

Have yourself a great Wednesday and I look forward to sharing some more recipes with you.

Take care

zesty