Rustic Apple Pie with Apricots and Figs

By Cait Johnson, Managing Producer, Care2 Green Living.
I love eating my daily health-promoting apple in a slice of warm,
homey, not-too-sweet pie. But when you add plumped-up dried apricots
and figs to the mix, along with an extra dose of anti-inflammatory
spices, the healing properties of the humble apple increase
dramatically. This is one of my favorite recipes, partly because its
so simple to make: its called a "rustic" pie because you fold the
crust up around the filling to make a freeform tart, just like my
peasant ancestors used to do. When you taste it, youll see why I
think of it as total apple pie Nirvana.

8 dried apricots, chopped
8 dried figs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (optional)

2 tablespoons butter (or oil, if you want to make a vegan version)
4 tart, crisp apples, cored and coarsely chopped
Your preferred sweetener, to taste (see dictionary of natural
sweeteners; Annie recommends Sucanat
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dough for 2 pie crusts

First, make the spiced apricots and figs: boil one cup of water in
a small saucepan and add the apricots, figs, and spices. Simmer gently
for 15 minutes, then remove fruit with a slotted spoon. If youre
really hungry, you can forget all about the pie and just eat this,
with a little lemon juice sprinkled on top. Its divine.

Preheat oven to 375F. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed
skillet and add the apples, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with sweetener
and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are beginning
to soften, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add stewed apricots and figs,
stirring gently to combine.

Roll out pie crust dough into a large circle and place on a baking
sheet. Spoon filling into the center of the crust, then spread it out,
leaving a 6-inch border of crust all around. Gently fold up the crust
toward the middle, overlapping as you go, leaving some of the filling
showing in the middle.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden
and filling is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving. May be
served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Serves 8 to 10.
HELPFUL HINTS: You can vary this recipe in so many ways: use raisins
instead of figs, dried pears instead of apricots, or add walnuts or
pecans to the apples.


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