The migration of geese and an apple treat for the occassion

This week has been gray, rainy and even a bit drab. What made it unique was that right over our house and in the fields around us gathered hundreds of Barnacle geese. There were a few White-fronted and Bean geese in the mix. It was a real cachophony of sound and when they all took off to circle in the sky and to land a few minutes later, the flutter of the wings sounded as if an airplane took off. In past years they have flown over with only a few stopping to feed. This time our address was in their navigator and we even got some residue on the windows as a souvenir.

As you can probably imagine the event raised the interest of bird watchers and hunters (the Barnacle geese are protected). We actually had a bit more traffic on our country road. They would drive by slowly, peering out of the windows with binoculars do a U-turn and creep by again. But I really can’t blame them. I did the same thing!

The following recipe is perfect for those gray days of fall and best of all there are two ways to do it depending on what your schedule demands. The first version is a Crock Pot version.

Peel and slice 1 kg/2 lb of apples. (I prefer to use Granny smith, they keep their shape better)

Place the apple slices into your slow cooker along with 50 g/1.8 oz of butter, the juice of half a lemon and a generous 1 dl or 1/2 c of brown sugar. Sprinkle a little cinnamon to taste. Turn your cooker on low and set the timer for 2 hours. Stir once while cooking. Before serving whip 1.5 dl/0.6 c of whipping cream until fluffly. Fold in 1 dl /1/2 c of turkish youghurt and 3 tablespoons of sugar or to taste. This recipe works great for those on a gluten-free diet.

The slow cooker version is great if you are having company over. It can be prepared a couple hours in advance freeing up your time to enjoy your guests.

Version 2: This version is slightly different in texture even if the ingredients are identical. Place all of the ingredients above (except for the cream and turkish yoghurt) into a wok. Wok the apples for a few minutes until the brown sugar and butter caramelizes and the apples have slightly softened. Do not overcook. Serve with the whipped cream-turkish yoghurt mixture. Enjoy!