In our October/November 2016 issue, cookbook author and adventurer Beth Dooley introduced us to locally connected hard ciders and shared a recipe for Pork Roast with Apples and Rosemary in Cider Sauce. Here are two additional ways to use locally made hard ciders, provided by Beth.
Cider-Braised Red Cabbage & Apples
Serves 4 to 6
This simple side dish is great with the pork roast or on the holiday buffet table. It’s delicious warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 lbs. red cabbage, trimmed and shredded
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1/2 c. hard cider (pick your favorite)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Melt the butter over medium in a large, deep skillet, saucepan or casserole. Add cabbage, onion, apples and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring until the cabbage is glossy, about 3 minutes.
Add the cider, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or more, until the cabbage is tender and the apples have fallen apart. If the mixture dries out, add a little more cider. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the cinnamon stick before serving.
Sweet Potato & Apple Mash with Ginger
Serves 4 to 8
When cooked this way, the sweet potatoes and apples retain their chunky texture. Ginger root is easy to grate with a cheese planer. Sprinkle a little chopped candied ginger on top, for extra zip.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large apple, peeled and diced
- 1 c. hard cider
- 1 c. sweet cider
- 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated (or use more to taste)
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger for garnish
Instructions
Put the sweet potatoes and apples into a large pot and add enough hard and sweet cider to cover; stir in the ginger.
Cover the pot and set over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes and apple chunks are very soft, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Smash in the butter with a potato masher until the mix is chunky and thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with crystallized ginger.