Susie's Baked Apple

This recipe is one we make with field trips and you can do at home as well. Experiment with different cheeses to really delight your mouth. Enjoy!

Susie’s Microwave-Baked Apple

Ingredients you will need:
One medium-sized apple per serving of your favorite variety
1 ½ tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 pecan halves, chopped (optional)

Equipment you will need:
An apple corer (or carrot peeler)
Measuring spoons and a measuring cup
Microwavable bowl or plate
Waxed paper
Hot pad

Ready to begin? Let’s go!

1. Have an adult, with the corer, carve a hole in the center of the top of the apple about halfway through the middle of the apple. Make the hole about as deep as your pinkie finger and as wide as your ring and pinkie fingers together.
2. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecan pieces.
3. Put half of the mixture inside the hole in the apple.
4. Place the apple in a small microwavable bowl and cover the bowl loosely with the waxed paper.
5. Microwave the apple on high for 1 ½ minutes.
6. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bowl. (Make sure you use a hot pad or have an adult help you. The bowl will be hot.)
7. Take off the waxed paper and spoon the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture into the center of the apple.
8. Return the bowl to the microwave uncovered for 25 seconds.
9. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bowl. (Remember to use the hot pad or have an adult help you.) Doesn’t it smell so yummy?
10. Serve the apple with a slice of cheese, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or glass of milk!

Galas in the Canyon: You're Invited!

That's right, folks! We're having a gala for the Gala apples! Gotta make room for more apple varieties and the Gala apples are ready for you to take home.

$10.50 for a 20 lb box (and we pile it high), first come, first serve!

While you're here, take home some Warren Pears which are just perfect for eating in lunches. They're a firmer pear and will stand up to the jostle of backpacks or briefcases. My favorite way to eat them is sliced up after dinner or as part of the main course. Try this recipe and see if it doesn't delight the senses and make your family happy!

Chicken and Pear Salad
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 pears, cored and sliced
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup radishes, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon peel

1. Preheat grill to high. Place chicken on hot grill and gook for about 6 min; turn and grill for 6 more minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. While the chicken is cooking, in a medium skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring lightly. Remove seeds when they are golden brown (about 5 min).
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled chicken, pear slices, cabbage, radishes, green onion and sesame seeds.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, thyme and lemon peel; mix well. Pour vinaigrette dressing over chicken and pear salad; toss well. Serves 2.

Check back for the latest news or sale or just come on out to the Ranch...we'd love to see you and our dog Lady always is up for company!

Field Trips at the Ranch

Come and enjoy a wonderful fall field trip at our 100 year old apple ranch.

• Learn about what happens to our apple trees during all four seasons.
• Discover what amazing creatures live and roam in our canyon.
• Become an expert apple taster.
• Sip our fresh pressed cider.
• Listen to some amazing stories about the Love Tractor and the young girl who grew up on the ranch.
• Explore in our beautiful garden.
• Meet our famous dog Lady.
• Delight your family and friends with a fantastic treat after learning to make a baked apple in the microwave.
• Buy some apples to take home to your family and remember your amazing day at the ranch!
  

To reserve your field trip day call Susie at 805-595-2376. Field trip times are:

• Mornings ~ 10:30-noon (morning field trips may bring a sack lunch and eat in our gardens until 12:30)
• Afternoon ~ 1-2:30 p.m.

The History of the See Canyon Fruit Ranch

The See Canyon Fruit Ranch, whose lovely grounds today attract such a variety of visitors (apple lovers, Sunday drivers, wedding guests), has a long local history. The original owner, James Brown, fought for the Union during the Civil Ware against the Confederate army that included his own brother. Afterward, he moved to New Mexico where his wife gave birth to a daughter, Rose. Some years later he and his family headed for California, picking up two Colorado farm hands on the way. One of these hands, George Mann, was eventually to marry Rose.

First, however, James Brown purchased the See Canyon property on July 6, 1894 from W.C. Rutan and named it the See Canyon Fruit Ranch. The ranch remained in the family for one hundred years before it was finally sold in 1994 by his great grand-daughter, Margaret. Over time, the family tried growing many different crops, finally concluding that the canyon was too cold for strawberries. Walnuts and peaches did better, but the land proved best suited for apples grown from old original trees and other heirloom varieties which he and his descendants planted. They also raised bees and harvested honey, and in fact the original "honey hut," now a small house, still stands on the property.

In time Rose and her husband George inherited the land from James Brown. They had two daughters but lost one of them, Gertrude, when she was still quite a young woman. The other, Mabel, married Roy Sherlock. In 1921, the ranch was passed on to this new young couple, who owned it until 1936. Like her grandfather before her, Mabel had but a single daughter, Margaret.

During those years, Roy worked his fields of peaches and strawberries with horses and a plow. His team, however, finally got too old for such heavy labor and he decided to replace them with a tractor. He found one for sale in San Luis Obispo and took his daughter Margaret with him to see it. There, Margaret met her future husband, tractor-owner Tom DeVaul, for the first time. Tom personally delivered the tractor to the ranch and their courtship began shortly thereafter. The tractor that launched the romance is now displayed prominently at the entrance to the old apple barn.

See Canyon Fruit Ranch visitors can presently purchase many of the original apple varieties planted by James Brown's descendants. For example, the Ranch sells Golden Delicious, Winter Banana and the Pearmain. Perhaps best of all, visitors can simply sit on a bench with a cup of fresh cider and take time to enjoy the years of handiwork that went into the building of this peaceful family homestead.