Just Down the Road a Piece...Day 342

Who knew? Who knew that just down the road there exists a small local apple farmer who grows heirloom apples....some seeds dating back to the 1700's?

Who knew that there exists a farmer who picks apples when they are ripe on the tree, (by actually eating one) and not a moment sooner? Who knew that there exists a farmer who can grow apples in New England with a very minimum of pesticide?

Who knew that another local baker just down the road a piece buys their apple cider to make the most AMAZING apple cider donuts you have ever had? And the most INCREDIBLY delicious apple pie you have ever tasted?

Who KNEW????

Not Me.

Not until LAST NIGHT.

Can you believe it?

Last night our Saturday Night Supper Club (SNSC) met for our semi monthly dinner. Our mission statement for our group includes learning cooking techniques from one another..and part of that includes cooking our four course dinners at the host's house.

(Appetizer course, salad course, dinner course, dessert course)

Our friends John and Lisa were assigned the dessert course, and began apologizing almost the moment they arrived at the door....we "broke the rules" they said; we "BOUGHT" our dessert, they said.

Shock....gasp..huh...you did what???

I'm teasing. We are all good friends, and it doesn't really matter...really..REALLY!

Really.

Life has a way of getting in the way of fun, sometimes...doesn't it?

We teased them most of the night, though anyway...ha ha ho ho..snicker snicker.

John kept telling us Just wait until you eat this apple pie! It's better than homemade! It's homemade by a local baker! The apples are from the wonderful Applebrook Farm just down the road!

Ya, ya John...I'm sure they're....

Say what???

Did you say an apple orchard down the road?

When he brought up the apple cider donuts, it was all I could do to not ditch the SNSC and run there immediately.

Just kidding, sort of.

Well, the rest is as they say, history....It truly was the best apple pie this side of the Mississippi. I think maybe this side of the moon.

The worst part was admitting that John was, indeed, right.

Just kidding again, John!

But....

This morning found me, Jim and Beth (another SNSC devotee) screaming down the road toward those

APPLE CIDER DONUTS AND APPLEBROOK FARM.

It was everything John said and more.

From the friendly golden retriever named Duff who greeted us at the car, to the "cold weather" store in their living room, to the owner who mans the cash register and invites us to sample any apple, to the other displays of cookies, breads, honey....mmm-mmmm.

Imagine the smell of hundreds of apples, with a hint of cinnamon and a dash of nostalgia.




And the donuts?

They were every bit as good as the apple pie.

Do you see the bag below?...that one full of apple cider donuts? The ones slightly crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, with a cinnamon sugar coating?

No?

I don't either.

We ate them all before the camera came out...sorry.

Thank you, Lisa and John, for NOT cooking last night.

From the tips of our cinnamon-sugar crusted fingers to our full little donut filled bellies.
(Insert contented sigh here)