Dried Cranberry, Apricot, and Fig Stuffing

(recipe from Bon Appetit magazine)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups chopped onions (about 1 pound)
2 cups chopped celery (4 to 5 stalks)
1 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 2 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram
1 cup (or more) vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup diced stemmed dried figs
6 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old pain rustique or ciabatta bread with crust
6 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old cornbread
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and celery.  Saute until tender, about 12 minutes.  Add apples and all herbs.  Saute until apples just begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  (DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead.  Transfer to medium bowl, cover, and chill.)

Mix 1 cup broth and dried fruit in bowl.  Let soak at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets.  Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total.  Transfer to a very large bowl and cool.

Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.  Stir vegetable mixture into bread.  Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend; whisk in broth and dried fruit mixture.  Add egg misture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry.  Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish.

Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

(I made this for Thanksgiving dinner 2017 in Vermont with Sage and her parents.  It was tasty, and a big hit!  You can make it using regular bread for all 12 cups, but the cornbread adds a bit of character.)

Apple Pie with an Olive Oil Crust

(recipe from Vegan Pie in the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, via Bust magazine)

For the olive oil double crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup olive oil, partially frozen (see first step)
4 to 8 Tbsp. ice water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Wax paper for rolling

For the filling:
6 cups peeled Granny Smith apples, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 lbs.)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch salt

For the topping:
2 Tbsp. plain almond milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Crust directions:
About an hour before starting to bake, place the olive oil in a thin plastic container.  Freeze until it's opaque and congealed, but still soft, like the consistency of slightly melted sorbet.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt.  Quickly add the olive oil by the tablespoonful, cutting it into the flour until the mixture is pebbly.

In a cup, mix 4 Tbsp. of ice water with the apple cider vinegar.  Stir 2 Tbsp. of this mixture into the dough with a wooden spoon, adding more water gradually until you form a soft ball.  Don't over-knead the dough!

Divide the dough into two balls and press them into inch-thick disks, then place each between 14-inch long sheets of waxed paper.  Roll each into a circle about 1/4-inch thick, using a rolling pin.  Fit dough into the pie pan, letting the excess hang over the edge.  Place both crusts in the fridge until ready to use.

Filling directions:
Preheat the oven to 425F.  Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat the apples.  Add the filling to the prepared pie shell.  Cover with the top crust, pinch edges together, trim excess dough to about an inch, and crimp.

Brush the top of the pie with almond milk, then sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.  Make five slits in the middle of the pie to let steam escape. 

Bake for 25 minutes, then lower heat to 350F and bake for 30 to 35 more minutes, slipping on a pie-crust shield if the edges get too brown.  Place on a cooling rack and wait about 30 minutes before serving.

Pineapple Papaya Salad with Dried Apricots and Coconut

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay)

1 medium fresh pineapple (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
1 large papaya (about 1 lb.)
2 medium barely ripe bananas
1 large tart, crisp apple (such as Granny Smith)
12 halves dried apricots (about 3 oz.), chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup flaked coconut

Slice off both ends of the pineapple, then cut the pineapple in half crosswise.  Holding the flat side of one pineapple half against a cutting board, use a sharp knife to slice off the peel in a downward motion toward the board.  Peel the other half.  Cut each half into lengthwise quarters and slice off and discard the tough core portion.  Cut the quartered pineapple into small, uniform chunks.  Place the pineapple in a large mixing bowl.

Cut the papaya in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  Peel the papaya and chop the fruit into uniform pieces about the same size as the pineapple chunks.  Add the papaya to the pineapple in the bowl.

Peel the bananas and chop them into small uniform pieces.  Core the apple and chop it into bite-size pieces.  Toss the bananas and apple with the pineapple and papaya.  Add the apricots, orange juice, and lime juice to the bowl and toss.  Transfer to a pretty serving bowl.

Place the coconut in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the coconut is uniformly tan in color.  Immediately remove the coconut from the pan, sprinkle it evenly over the fruit, and serve.