The leaves are finally turning from yellows into vivid reds and oranges. With a clear blue sky and warm weather, it is the perfect time for apple picking in New England. This weekend, I set out from the city on a 15-minute scenic drive to Dame Farm in Johnston. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a pastoral landscape and headed up a dirt road, ready to grab some large bags and set off. When we arrived, the woman running the apple stand gave me a small bag and was reluctant to give over the large bag that I was sure I'd easily fill. It took some prodding before she explained her reasoning. The apple stand at Dame Farm only takes cash and the farm has too often experienced the following problem: Overzealous customers, filled with the joy of getting back to their agrarian roots, pick too many apples. These modern-day Americans aren't carrying much cash and aren't able to pay for what they've picked. Luckily, I was armed with $40 in cash (and eventually spent a total of $18 for 12.5 Lbs. of apples). With some convincing and talk of my plan to make green apple tarts and applesauce, I had finally convinced the woman running the farm stand to hand over the large sized bag for my apples. The trees at Dame Farm are planted relatively close together, so the apple picking adventure was over before I knew it. The trees were practically exploding with cranberry colored apples, and green apples that hid, camouflaged by the leaves. The tarts came out better than I dreamed. They are best with fresh whipped cream, which is easy to make. If you are interested in picking apples in Rhode Island, visit the RI Department of Environmental Management to find the farm nearest you. Whether you pick your own or buy apples at the store, you can make the tarts yourself at epicurious.com. Here's a Slide Show of the day: [slideshow=apples,450,300]Apple Picking: Pay for what you pick at Dame Farm
- By Michael McCann
- Posted
The leaves are finally turning from yellows into vivid reds and oranges. With a clear blue sky and warm weather, it is the perfect time for apple picking in New England. This weekend, I set out from the city on a 15-minute scenic drive to Dame Farm in Johnston. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a pastoral landscape and headed up a dirt road, ready to grab some large bags and set off. When we arrived, the woman running the apple stand gave me a small bag and was reluctant to give over the large bag that I was sure I'd easily fill. It took some prodding before she explained her reasoning. The apple stand at Dame Farm only takes cash and the farm has too often experienced the following problem: Overzealous customers, filled with the joy of getting back to their agrarian roots, pick too many apples. These modern-day Americans aren't carrying much cash and aren't able to pay for what they've picked. Luckily, I was armed with $40 in cash (and eventually spent a total of $18 for 12.5 Lbs. of apples). With some convincing and talk of my plan to make green apple tarts and applesauce, I had finally convinced the woman running the farm stand to hand over the large sized bag for my apples. The trees at Dame Farm are planted relatively close together, so the apple picking adventure was over before I knew it. The trees were practically exploding with cranberry colored apples, and green apples that hid, camouflaged by the leaves. The tarts came out better than I dreamed. They are best with fresh whipped cream, which is easy to make. If you are interested in picking apples in Rhode Island, visit the RI Department of Environmental Management to find the farm nearest you. Whether you pick your own or buy apples at the store, you can make the tarts yourself at epicurious.com. Here's a Slide Show of the day: [slideshow=apples,450,300]
