The goldenrod is yellow, the corn is turning brown, the trees in apple orchards, with fruit are bowing down. (Helen Jackson)
The old apple tree that stands at the edge of the forest is bearing its usual ample autumn supply of cedar-rusted apples, but the deer don’t know or care that the apples are of the wizened, wormy, gnarly type; they love’em, and will go to great lengths to get them off the tall branches of the unpruned tree. Nor do they care that Hank and I are watching them from the front porch; it’s apple time! I imagine that they’ve dreamed of this all winter and summer, and now it’s time to party!
And I can understand. What can compare with the fresh, crisp crunchy sweetness of an apple straight off the tree. Maybe the apple pudding my Cajun in-laws used to make? Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it:
Heat 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in a bit of water), 1/4 cup butter, and 1 cup of water, cooking over low heat until thickened; pour into sprayed baking dish. Stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, 2/3 cup brown sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup milk, and 2 1/2 cups sliced apples mixed with 1/3 cup or so of brown sugar. Add mixture to baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. (if you’re not a Cajun or a deer, adjust the sugar to taste. And it’s better after it’s cold and aged for a day.)