The autumn chill in the air, a bevy of apples at our local farmstands, and the soon-to-begin filming of “Little Women” in the center of town make this the perfect time to make one of Louisa May Alcott’s favorite apple desserts, apple slump. It’s also known as apple pandowdy, costar of the 1945 hit song “Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy,” and it consists of baked apples with a biscuit-like topping. Recipes for both apple slump and pandowdy abound on the Internet, and whichever you choose to bake, in the words of the song, it’ll “make your eyes light up” and “your tummy say howdy.”
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road
Pick-your-own McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Northern Spy, Cameo, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Rome, Ida Red, Mutsu, and Red and Golden Delicious apples; some varieties may be limited, and new ones could be added by the weekend; check Facebook daily for variety updates. Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Golden Delicious, Gala, Empire, Northern Spy, Cameo, and Jonagold apples available in the store. Brookdale Fruit Farm’s winter squash, including butternut, acorn, and blue Hubbard available in the store. Brookdale’s pumpkins of all sizes, gourds, and Indian corn are available outside the store (to the left) along with Massachusetts-grown chrysanthemums. Freshly made cider doughnuts on weekends.
Christa’s Mountain View U-Pik
53 Willard Lane
Pick-your-own Macoun, Fuji, Royal Empire, Granny Smith, Fortune, and Ida Red apples. Goldenrod and purple loosestrife raw honey in #1, #2, and #4 glass jars; return washed jars to Willard Farm Stand for cash back.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road
Pick-your-own Mutsu, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Empire, Macoun, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, and Granny Smith apples. At the stand: Honeycrisp, Macoun, Fuji, Gala, Cortland, McIntosh, and Ruby Mac apples, along with Doe Orchards pumpkins and gourds.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, garlic, eggs, and raspberry jam available at the stand. All fruit and vegetables are certified organic.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue
Pick-your-own McIntosh apples. Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold, Roxbury Russet, Baldwin, and McIntosh apples are available in the store. Red Bartlett pears and plums are also available in the store, along with tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), lettuce, broccoli, peppers (bell and hot), eggplant, carrots, kale, beans, beets, parsnips, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and Yukon gold and purple potatoes. Pumpkins available outside the store. Freshly made cider doughnuts daily; wagon rides to the pumpkin patch for pumpkin picking on Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road
Red Norland, Green Mountain, and Yukon Gold potatoes, winter squash, including butternut, buttercup, delicata, acorn, carnival, red kuri, and blue Hubbard. Pumpkins, including pie pumpkins and mini pumpkins, gourds (large, small, and weird), Indian corn, hot peppers, and ornamental edible pepper plants. Bicolor corn was still available when the paper went to press, but frost is predicted in this area later this week, and it would finish off the corn for this season.
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted. Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
