Morning Glory Farm’s Apple Brandy Cake

Knowning where our food comes from is one of the most important issues when shopping for it. Not only the location, but who harvests it as well and the energy that’s being up into it. Know your butcher, your baker, your farmer; being in the food industry, we all need to respect the fact that others are trusting us, because what’s more important than consuming and nourishing ourselves with good for you foods?  Today we celebrate National Food Day and throughout the web you’ll find post about it. What is Food Day?

It’s time to eat real, America. On October 24, 2011—and on the days and weeks before and after—thousands of Americans will gather in schools, college campuses, farmers markets, City Halls, and state capitals to talk about what’s right and wrong with our diets and whole food system and how to fix them.

Food Day will be October 24—in 2011 and in years to come. Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. We will work with people around the country to create thousands of events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals.

6 Food Day Principles: 

• Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
• Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
• Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
• Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
• Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
• Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Morning Glory Farm, in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard is a must-visit farm when you’re on the Vineyard. There aren’t Alpacas (for those, head to the Alpaca Farm in Vineyard Haven), but the amount of gorgeous, locally harvested produce is worth the visit, plus delicious baked goods made fresh daily. It can’t get any better! Well, it actually can: you can eat your purchases on picnic tables sprinkled around the property, getting your daily Vitamin D from the special Vineyard sunshine.

Farmed by Jim and Debbie Athearn since 1979, they are the biggest vegetable producers on island, with amazing seasonal produce. My favorite? Their sweet corn, specifically the Bi-color Sparkler! Right now the front of the greenhouse is decorated with hundreds of pumpkins, making it a perfect fall backdrop.

While at the Edgartown Library, I stumbled upon the book “Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha’s Vineyard” by Tina Miller with Christie Matheson. In it was a recipe for Macoun Apple Brandy Cake. Although I couldn’t get my hands on Macoun Apples, I got a variety of crisp apples from Morning Glory Farm and decided to test out this apple cake. It’s such a simple recipe, no mixer needed and the results are perfect for coffee or tea time, or as a late night snack. It has apples, so it’s definitely a health food!

Apple Brandy Cake
“Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha’s Vineyard” 
by Tina Miller with Christie Matheson

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 buttermilk
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1 large egg, whisked
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 9-inch pan.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together to aerate them.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. 
4. Add the wet to the dry and stir until blended. Fold in the sliced apples. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. 
6. Preheat the broiler and for the brandy topping, whisk sugar, brandy, butter and egg.
7. Pour immediately on baked cake and broil until golden brown. 
8. Serve warm or cooled, with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

When you make this cake, you’ll notice the ratio apples to cake batter is 2:1. Since the amount of apples is almost double of the amount of batter, it is more like a rich custard laced through moist apple slices then cake. 

Want to do more than just read a delicious apple recipe? Head on over to the links below and share the Food Day love!

• Check out the Food Day Store and do some early holiday shopping for friends and family
• Make a monetary donation to support the Center for Science in the Public Interest

 Get some real food recipes from renowned chefs like Dan Barber in their Food Day Recipes link, or better yet, get to know Cafe Terra a little more with her Chocolate Coconut Bars below (gluten free and ready for Halloween!) Like Cafe Terra on Facebook here and follow her on Twitter @CafeTerraBlog