My mum – caribbean food  home cook extraordinaire – makes a demon apple pie. With a ‘melt in your mouth’ short crust pastry case covering tangy, tart bramley apples which in turn are sweetened with cane sugar, and flavored with essential caribbean spices : cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

The synergy of pastry, apples, and sugar for me is perfect.The smell of the spices divine.  Inevitably I am always sent into a salivating frenzy, and once baked I can never get enough.

No matter where I go to eat, I avidly scan the menu to see if they serve apple pie for dessert. I’m disappointed every time.

Whenever I get the urge I have to make one.  Such a simple recipe, such a wonderful, satisfying taste.

On the 15th January 2010 I tweeted:

‘I have a taste for hot spicy apple crumble, but it must be homemade – so now to the kitchen…ciao everyone.’

One of the replies I received was from Dawn at  @Vanillakitchen
She said simply:

‘spicy apple crumble? you best share that one’

So here it is:

Recipe

My Caribbean Food Spicy Apple Crumble

For the filling:

1kg Peeled, and sliced cooking apples of your choice(I prefer Bramleys for that wonderful tartness)
60g Brown cane sugar
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Ginger

1 tbl spoon water
2 tbl spoons Ginger Wine (I prefer Stones Ginger Wine)

For the Crumble:

200g Plain Flour
50g Oats
80g Butter (make sure it is at room temperature)
100g Brown Cane  sugar

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees centigrade,(around 350 degrees Farenheit)

Method

Place the flour and oats in a large mixing bowl, then roughly chop and add the  butter.
Lightly rub the butter into the flour and oats using your fingertips.
When it has all been incorporated add the sugar and combine with the other ingredients again using your fingertips for best results.

Put aside.

Put the apples, wine, sugar and spices in a large enough pot and cook very gently on a low heat until the apples have cooked down and are soft and translucent.
Spoon the apple mixture into a pie dish.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly on top of the apple, lightly spreading it out with your fingers.
Cook for aprox 30mins or until the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm or cold, with cream, or ice cream.

My Caribbean Food Spicy Apple Crumble – Enjoy:)

Love, Laughter, and Food for All
Angeli x

(photo courtesy of Rockaberry)

It’s a luscious leafy Caribbean Food green vegetable, found in the Caribbean and Asia. It grows easily in the summer without much fuss, in the same way as chard or spinach, and is bursting with minerals and vitamins.

Some even swear that it’s a natural viagra!

One autumn, when I was a young child, my dad brought back some seeds from the Caribbean and decided to plant them to see if they would grow.  We ceremoniously followed him into the garden whereupon he raised his hand magestically in the air like a priest about to sanctify a marriage. He freely scattered the seeds around the garden, like throwing confetti at a wedding, with wide circular arm movements. Some landed in the warm, fertile, soil while others landed on the barren path.

The following summer Callaloo had been given birth everywhere.

Like unruly excited toddlers, callaloo had invaded every nook and cranny in the garden. They giggled with the poppies, played hide and seek with the sweet corn, others danced and swayed lazily in the sunshine as if at party.

Actually, Callaloo is very ordinary looking, and could easily be mistaken for a garden weed if you didn’t know what to look for. There is no defining smell, and it’s charming, more-ish, taste is hidden away to be discovered, like a honeymoon kiss.

Once harvested, cleaned and cooked, the tantalising aroma with its melt-in-the-mouth taste, is sublime.

Try this simple Caribbean Food recipe with spinach, sorrel, or chard if you can’t find callaloo. As it has to be made quickly, you need to have everything ready so that you have no interruptions.

RECIPE

2 medium sized tomatoes
2 medium sized shallot onions
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (you want the strongly flavored one with the tiny leaves).
1clove garlic
red scotch bonnet pepper to taste
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly crushed black pepper
approx 1 tablespoon of oil (I use Sunflower oil)
approx 1 tablespoon of water
Approx 1/2 kg Callaloo

Cooking time = approx 10mins

1x Ciabbata loaf or French loaf

METHOD

chop the tomatoes into quarters
Thinly slice the onions
Thinly slice your scotch bonnet pepper
wash your thyme.

Put a medium sized saute/frying pan on a medium high heat, add the oil and heat for a few seconds.
Next add your onions and the thyme and saute until the onions are soft.
Now add your tomatoes, cook down until they are soft too.
Add your scotch bonnet, garlic and water. Cook for a minute or two.
Now when everything has come together, add your callaloo, and allow it to wilt down into the tomato sauce, using a wooden spoon/fish slice to turn the mixture.
After a few minutes everything will have melded so you can now take the pan off the heat.
Add your salt and black pepper to taste.

Now for the Bruschetta

Take the bread and cut into thin slices.
Toast or grill until crisp on both sides.
Rub one side with cut garlic.
Arrange on a plate and  spoon on the callaloo mixture.

Now Enjoy!
Callaloo, Love, Laughter, And Food For All