Week of 10/16/2000

Skillet Choucroute with Potatoes
Simple, quick and hearty!

8 oz. kielbasa sausage (cut in 1/2 inch diagonal slices)
1 small onion, sliced
1 1/2 Tbls. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 cup canned beef broth
1/2 cup drained deli sauerkraut
12 oz. red-skinned potatoes, halved, thinly sliced crosswise

Cook kielbasa in large skillet over medium-hi heat until sausage is beginning to brown and some fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. If using low-fat sausage, add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil, before adding onion. Add onion and thyme. Cover and cook until onion starts to soften, stirring once, about 2 minutes. Add apple juice, broth and sauerkraut. Mix in potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 2; may be doubled easily. Serve with assorted mustards and pumpernickel bread.

Pumpkin Apple Bread
Make extra...this disappears quickly!

Topping:
1 Tbls. all-purpose flour
5 Tbls. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbls. unsalted butter, softened

Bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
a 16 oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

Make the topping; In a bowl blend the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Preheat the oven to 350û F. and butter two loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 3. Into a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. In another large bowl whisk together the pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until the mixture is combined well, fold in the apples, and divide the batter between
the pans.

Sprinkle the topping evenly on each loaf and bake the loaves in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 45 minutes, remove them from the pans, and let cool completely. The breads keep, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, chilled for a week and frozen for 1 month. Makes 2 loaves.

Maple Syrup Pie
Rich and silky in texture...

1 prepared pie crust
1 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (preferably dark amber)
2 tsp. unsalted butter, melted

Accompaniment:
Unsweetened or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350û F. Prepare pie crust and fit into an 8-inch glass pie plate. Trim excess dough and crimp edges decoratively. Place in refrigerator until needed.

Whisk together brown sugar and eggs until creamy. Add cream, syrup and butter, then whisk until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell.

Bake pie in lower third of oven until pastry is golden and filling is puffed and looks dry but still trembles, 50 - 60 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature (filling will set as pie cools).
Serves 8.