SOUTHERN CAFE STEWED APPLES

"We always liked apple pie, apple crisp, apple dumplings, and apple brown Betty, but we hadn’t encountered side dishes of stewed apples until we ate in the South. The ones we had in our Virginia breakfast were a revelation, and since then we have come to appreciate fully the luxury of tender, long-cooked apples as a great companion for pig meat — country ham, pork chops, even barbecue — and especially as a sweet balance for bitter greens or tangy green tomatoes on an all-vegetable plate."

4 tart apples (Rome or Granny Smith), cored, peeled, and sliced into chunks no larger than 1 inch
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well and cook at a low simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender but not falling apart.

Serve warm or hot.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Two for the Road: Our Love Affair with American Food by Jane Stern; Michael Stern
Copyright © 2005 by Jane and Michael Stern. Reprinted with permission by
Houghton Mifflin Company.