Apple Tart from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY, by Lawrence L. Rettig

Have some apples to use up? Try this delicious apple tart from Gardening the Amana Way, by Lawrence L. Rettig.

Apple Tart

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups peeled, sliced apples
1/3 cup apricot or peach jam, mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
Extra milk and sugar

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder and cut in butter until crumbly. In another bowl, mix egg with milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Knead gently on lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover and chill one-third of dough. Pat remainder on bottom and up sides of a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Arrange apples over pastry. Top with jam/sugar mixture. Roll remaining dough into ten-inch circle and cut into strips. Arrange lattice-style over apples and tuck in edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for forty-five to fifty minutes.

Wreath Week (Victorian Wreath)—from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY

It's wreath week at the Bur Oak Blog! This week, we'll be showing you how to make different wreaths for this holiday season, so be sure to check out all of our posts. You may need a glue gun, a small hammer, and an awl. The final wreath we'll be doing is the Victorian wreath from Lawrence L. Rettig's Gardening the Amana Way.

Victorian Wreath

Materials: 12-inch diameter straw wreath base, three dark purple velvet bows with lace edging, three plain white lace bows, small purple straw-flowers, green velvet leaves, pine cones (I used white pine), dried double baby's breath (it's showier than single-flowered).

Directions: Arrange bows and attach to wreath with glue or pins. Attach pine cones, stem side down and evenly spaced, with glue. Glue strawflowers to base, primarily around the inside of wreath. Glue leaves to base, with base of leaf tucked in under flower, using two or three leaves per blossom. Fill in with baby's breath. If you prefer, you can substitute any color of your choice for bows and straw-flowers.

Wreath Week (Angel Hair Wreath)—from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY

It's wreath week at the Bur Oak Blog! This week, we'll be showing you how to make different wreaths for this holiday season, so be sure to check out all of our posts. You may need a glue gun, a small hammer, and an awl. Today's wreath is the angel hair wreath from Lawrence L. Rettig's Gardening the Amana Way.

Angel Hair Wreath

Materials: 12-inch diameter straw wreath base, angel hair, white bows, small gold bells, small gold angels, stringed gold pearls, dried lavender sprigs or other fragrant herb (optional).

Directions: Attach the dried lavender sprigs or other fragrant herb to the wreath with wire pins. Remove angel hair from packaging and tease it by pulling it apart both lengthwise and widthwise until it thins to the point where some of it is see-through. Attach one end of the strand to side of wreath with wire pins and work your way around wreath, anchoring angel hair to base with pins as you go. Strive for a billowy, ethereal effect, but try to keep the basic round shape of the wreath so that it doesn't look lopsided. Weave pearl string over and under hair and around the back of the base, attaching with pins as you go. Glue bows, bells, and small gold angels to base.

Wreath Week (Santa Wreath)—from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY

It's wreath week at the Bur Oak Blog! This week, we'll be showing you how to make different wreaths for this holiday season, so be sure to check out all of our posts. You may need a glue gun, a small hammer, and an awl. Today we'll start with the Santa Wreath from Lawrence L. Rettig's Gardening the Amana Way.

Santa Wreath

Materials: 12-inch diameter straw wreath base, dyed club moss (Lycopodium clavatum), styrofoam 1-inch thick, 18-gauge floral stem wire, floral wire pins, wrapping paper, tiny bows, assorted small Santas. You may substitute small-needled evergreens, either fresh or artificial, for the moss.

Directions: Begin by arranging the Santas on a flat surface until you find an arrangement that you like. Start with the larger Santas and fill in with smaller ones. Transfer Santas to wreath base, gluing each one in place with your glue gun. Wrap small blocks of Styrofoam with wrapping paper and decorate with bows. Fill in spaces around Santas with packages, leaving some room to add the moss, and attach with glue gun. Attach small overlapping bunches of moss to the wreath with floral wire pins. Push pins firmly into base to hold moss in place. If pins are difficult to insert, use a small hammer to tap them tightly into the wreath base.

Apple Tart from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY, by Lawrence L. Rettig

Have some apples to use up? Try this delicious apple tart from Gardening the Amana Way, by Lawrence L. Rettig.

Apple Tart

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups peeled, sliced apples
1/3 cup apricot or peach jam, mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
Extra milk and sugar

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder and cut in butter until crumbly. In another bowl, mix egg with milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Knead gently on lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover and chill one-third of dough. Pat remainder on bottom and up sides of a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Arrange apples over pastry. Top with jam/sugar mixture. Roll remaining dough into ten-inch circle and cut into strips. Arrange lattice-style over apples and tuck in edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for forty-five to fifty minutes.

Poppy Seed Dressing for Spinach Salad from GARDENING THE AMANA WAY, by Lawrence L. Rettig

Fall is approaching, but that's no matter for hardy greens like spinach. Try your next salad with this dressing from Gardening the Amana Way, by Lawrence L. Rettig.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 cup salad oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Spinach

In blender at medium speed, blend all dressing ingredients (save the spinach) until mixed. Dressing will be thick. Drizzle on spinach as desired. Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator. Stir well before using. Makes about one and one-half cups.

Amana Pickled Ham recipe

The University of Iowa Press is making Easter preparation easy for you this year by providing an Easter ham recipe from Lawrence L. Rettig's Gardening the Amana Way. Now all that's left to worry about is where to hide the eggs!

Amana Pickled Ham
4 cups cubed ham
1 large sliced onion
2 cups water
1 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients and let stand at room temperature for four hours, then refrigerate.

Bon appétit!