Column

Q. The leaves on my red leaf and butter lettuce plants are riddled with holes. On a closer look, I’ve found these light green- colored worms feeding on the plants. How can I prevent these critters from eating my salad before I have a chance?

Ans. This small, light green worm is called a Looper. The adult lays its eggs during the morning hours that hatch into the worm. They’re active now through the spring. Besides lettuce, they feed on cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, collard, and many other cool season vegetables. Loopers complete the potential for a year round cycle of worm problems in Bay Area vegetable and flower gardens.

During the summer months, you’ll find the large Tomato Hornworm. These worms are often called caterpillars. It gets its name from the curved protrusion on the end of its body. Budworm is found on the buds and/or the open flowers of petunias, geraniums, and flowering tobacco. A caterpillar, looper, hornworm, or budworm is the larva stage of a specific type of moth. They have only one purpose, and that is to eat. After feeding on the plants they drop to the ground and go into another stage of their life cycle. Eventually, they emerge as adults.

It’s recommend to inspect the host plants often and treat the problem early on. Spinosad is the recommend control when a large number of worms are present as they kill on contact. They’re also easy to control with Bt but you have to be persistent with several applications. Bt is best applied when just a few worms are present. When ingested the critters get a fatal case of the stomach flu. Hence they continue to feed for a few more days. Spinosad and Bt are both a non-toxic and organic solution for edibles and non-edibles. They are available at most garden centers under many different brand names, so ask the nursery professional for the products at your favorite garden center.

Q. What causes the deep cracks on the surface of my Beefsteak Tomatoes and why do they take so long to ripen?

Ans, The cracks or depressions along the face of a tomato are a physiological disorder called Cat Face. It is very common in many of the Heirloom varieties as well as with old standards like Beefsteak. There’s not one absolute cause of Cat Face, but several factors do increase the risk of the tomato disorder such as inconsistent temperatures and genetics. We don’t find this problem in the newer hybrid varieties as breeding has eliminated the problem. There are two types of Cat Face. One produces cracks radiating from the stem end down the fruit while the other forms concentric circles around the stem. There is no recommend solution for this physiological disorder. They are still very edible even with this problem. Beefsteak is the latest ripening tomato variety in the Bay Area. It’s not unusual for them to ripen in September, depending on the summer temperatures.

 

Buzz Bertolero is Executive Vice President of Navlet’s Garden Centers and a California Certified Nursery Professional. His web address is www.dirtgardener.com and you can send questions by email at dirtgarden@aol.com or to 360 Civic Drive Ste. ‘D’, Pleasant Hill, Calif. 94523 and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Buzz.Bertolero

 

 

In my job as a wardrobe stylist and personal shopper, I’ve heard it a hundred times:  “I hate my clothes; my closet is so boring!” And even before I’ve seen the wardrobe, I can predict what’s there: solid neutrals. Bottoms are khaki, black, white and denim. The tops are grey, white, black and brown. The jackets, sweaters, dresses and shoes …everything is neutral.  Of course it’s boring, what else could it be?  So, what’s a girl to do?  Four simple words: Color, texture, pattern and shine.

This season, you’re in luck. Beautiful clothes are plentiful—just waiting to exhilarate your soul and energize your spirit.

Color:  With luxurious colors in the fall 2013 palette, spicing up your wardrobe is easy (Photo #1). All shades of purple, red, blue, and green and are “IN”, so instead of another white blouse, try something in cobalt blue!  Use your neutrals as a starting point, and then add accent colors to your outfit for POP. (Photo #2)

Texture:  For the tactile individual–you know who you are because you touch every item on the rack while shopping—texture is everything. Texture adds richness to a wardrobe, so fabrics like tweed, silk, lace, leather, chunky wool, cashmere, fur, as well as embellishments like quilting, brocade, embroidery, feathers and fringe will make you feel like a member of the jet set. (Photo #3)

Pattern:  “Pattern-phobes” fear clothing with patterns because they think that a solid color will be more versatile. And, to a certain extent, that’s true. The only problem is that now we’re back to square one—a boring wardrobe. This season, fall floral, hounds tooth (Photo #4), plaid, stripes and animal prints are abundant, and if you’re not sure about a print, you can always give it a try on a smaller scale, like a handbag, scarf or shoe, for example. If you like patterns so much that you dare to do what many designers are showing, and that’s combine patterns (animal print and plaid, for instance) in one outfit, then to you I say, “You are a bold and brave fashionista!”

Shine:  Once worn for evening only, sequins, metallics, grommets and studs are now encouraged daytime wear. My current obsession is mirrored silver metallic oxfords from Bass & Co. (Photo #5). I think they’re fun and sassy, and will look great with jeans and colorful pencil pants. Think “Ellen,” but shiny!

Now, go shopping, incorporate the wonderful trends this season, and take your wardrobe to the next level.

For style tips and trends, subscribe to Carolyn’s blog at C2style.com/blog.

The movie “Casablanca” was released 70 years ago. I have seen it at least once each year since then, which means two things. 1) I am very old, and 2) I should probably make better use of my time. I am unashamed in my regard for that flick. I am sure there are those who don’t understand the regard that flick has for movie fans, so what can I do except feel sorry for them. People will say that they see something new every time they see it. I don’t, which is just fine. As you have always, done please indulge me. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

1. Guarded (Peter Lorre) assures Rick (Humphrey Bogart) that the Letters of Transit are valid by stating they are signed by whom?

2. Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet) owns the rival saloon/black market in Casablanca. What is its name?

3. Rick is reported to have run guns in the 1930’s for which country?

4. The first time we see Rick in the movie, what is he doing?

5. Where does Rick hide the Letters of Transit?

6. A young bride prevails upon Rick to allow her husband to lose at roulette, so that they can go to America. From what country do they come from?

 

Ah, the change of seasons; those astronomical thresholds at which the Earth’s position, in terms of its rotational axis, change in relation to the solar ecliptic plane. In “non-geek-speak,” the different seasons are determined when parts of the Earth change from being tilted more toward, or away, from the sun. The cycle of spring becoming summer; summer turning to fall, leading to winter and returning, once again, to spring, is something we are all familiar with.

While these transition points have names and approximate dates (summer solstice, June 21^st; autumnal equinox, September 22^nd; winter solstice, December 21^st, and vernal equinox, March 21^st) the entire cycle is, for the most part, a gradual process of change.  Regional weather patterns and temperatures change, as do the accompanying cycles of plant and animal life.

Of all the months, October seems to be the month when we feel the change of seasons most abruptly. The air becomes crisp, leaves turn quickly, and our activities tend to move more from outdoors to indoors.

Every civilization, past and present, has recognized the impact and significance of the change of seasons; some, so much so, many constructed religious beliefs around it. People have worshiped the sun and the earth and have attached spiritual meaning to the change of seasons. The fact that we mark the dates of the solstices and equinoxes is, in large measure, because these have been, and are still, dates of celebration for many cultures and religions throughout the world.

In my faith, the Earth, sun, and the rest of the universe for that matter, are merely parts of creation. They are to be appreciated, to be sure, but not worshiped. To my way of thinking, the seasons are something different: they are the clear words of God, speaking to us about change and hope and renewal, offered to us as proof of His very existence.

I reach out this month to anyone in pain; be it for a loss, or illness or anything else that threatens to steal your joy in life. Please, consider the obvious change in seasons as God’s personal message to you: He is real. He cares, and has shown you a way back to joy.

…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

–Romans 1:19-20

 

Selling your home comes with many decisions. How do we get the most for our home? Should we repaint? How much furniture should we leave in our home, if any? In my experience, the homes that sell faster show a potential buyer the possibilities of how a room can be designed. The potential buyer often has trouble visualizing a space when it is empty. Just having a few of your furniture pieces laid out can show the scale of a space and you save on moving expenses by not having to rent a large storage container.

De-cluttering your home is the first task when working on selling. Remove an excess of family photos from shelves and replace with books and small accessories you may have around the house. Clear off desks and counters that may be the storage place for your documents and mail. While these items are important to you, you don’t want potential buyers or “lookieloos” flipping through your papers. If you are in the market to paint and have a lot of bold accent walls, pick a neutral color for the whole home. When buyers are looking for a home, unfortunately pops of color on the walls can be a huge turn off. Paint is an easy fix, so spending the money to paint will allow buyers to see the home’s beauty and not fixate on the wall color.

Furniture pieces also need to be scaled down and rearranged. A living room should be comfortable and elegant to distinguish it from the family room. Create an inviting seating arrangement that complements the space, and be sure not to over decorate—less is more when staging a home. Lighting can play a huge part in showing the beauty and romance of a room. Bring in floor and table lamps for ambient lighting and dim any overhead lights if possible. Beds in bedrooms should be simple and elegant. Think “clean hotel look” when arranging bedrooms—everyone loves the ides of coming home to a retreat. Creating clean but livable spaces when selling your home is key. Contact a designer to get a jump start on your staging project for the most bang for your buck!

By now, anyone who has read more than two of my articles knows that I am a sentimental softy perhaps born in the wrong era. I work in technology, but close my eyes and see the 20s. I see coal-fed trains cutting through the center of town across the sandlot where boys with big cuffs and t-shirts play ball. I see deep-welled Ford pick-ups with wooden running boards hauling milk in lead bottles. I see long counters with stools populated with people sipping straws while they peer at the man in the lab coat and bowtie pulling the handle of the soda spritzer. I see hand-turned cylinders spinning larger cylinders of ice and rock salt. I open my eyes and taste that ice cream, here and only here.

Part of me feels like I have been looking for Lottie’s since my own contingency of friends in the 80s would go the Wilders house on our block and take turns spinning the ice cream. Little did I know that Deb Phillips was doing the same thing in Los Angeles.

Lottie’s is owned by Deb Phillips and Ceaser Angobaldo, and like so many of the places I find to write about, was established on the foundation of passion. “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.” (Thanks Dad. Great advice)

Lottie is Deb’s maternal Grandmother and the exact person that belongs in the “happy place,” I see when I close my eyes. She baked, that’s what she did. Then she taught her daughter, and then she taught her granddaughters. The best part is, it stuck with all of them. The girls are all involved in food—be it preparation or education, they have not strayed from Grandma’s lesson.

After some time in the culinary program at DVC (the reason that we got her from LA), Deb realized that she needed something more focused than “food” preparation and eventually found herself at Penn State University, taking a short course on ice cream; learning the technical and machine side of the business. On April 23, 2013 she opened her doors in Walnut Creek and began to share her life’s passion with consumers.

Here’s why I choose Lottie’s. I have never considered myself to have a sweet tooth. I don’t seek dessert. I will pass on cake more often than I will accept it. I bought Blowpops from the ice cream man instead of popsicles; however I have a need (not desire) to visit Lottie’s on a regular basis and my wife and child help reap the benefits.

They make everything just past the counter, on-site, every day. They pasteurize their own ingredients, right there. They cook their own praline peanuts and toffee right next to the batches. This is why they make only four or five flavors daily.

One thing they do that will not be seen, and not be talked about but will allow the consumer to understand why, on quick inspection, their scoops may look smaller than the competitors’, is they literally pump less air into the process. Trust me, this matters! What we get in return is flavor that will (it did for me) blow minds! What else we get are people without a sweet tooth changing their song for the first time in their lives.

When I look at a plastic, never-been-changed flavor board that says “ginger ice cream,” I usually get a mammoth scoop of something that has a faint suggestion of something ginger, deeply buried. But when I look at the hand written (that day) chalk board at Lottie’s that says “ginger,” the hair stands up on my arm and I seriously have to ask myself if I’m ready for this.

Deb says it best: “When you narrow the focus within, you can be infinitely creative.”

Lottie’s Creamery

1414 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Phone: (925) 472-0723

 

There won’t be a parade down Market Street for the Giants this month. In fact, as of this writing they had a good chance to be the first team since the 1998 Marlins to finish last in their division the year after winning the World Series. How did this happen? The Giants returned all their core players besides Aubrey Huff and Ryan Theriot, and they both were minor contributors to the 2012 Championship. And that may be the problem.

In pro sports these days if you stay the same you’re probably losing ground. Yes, centerfielder Angel Pagan got hurt, but he’s just one player and not enough of a difference maker to cause the steep falloff this season. Instead, let’s examine the top players who played most of both seasons with the Giants and see if we can understand what happened.

Matt Cain

Basically, Cain went from being an ace level pitcher to a replacement level player making $20 million. Injured in August, Cain was 8-8 with a 4.43 ERA for 2013 compared to 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA last year.  Tim Lincecum The Freak has been on a downhill slide ever since he signed a two year, $40 million contract after the 2011 season. This year, even figuring in the no hitter he had on July 13 against San Diego, Lincecum has delivered a below replacement level performance. He is 18-28 over the past two seasons with an ERA of about 5.00.

Pablo Sandoval

The most important stat about Sandoval, his weight, is only available as an approximation, but suffice to say the Giants are concerned enough that manager Bruce Bochy called him out publicly earlier this season. His performance has suffered in a measurable way. A .297 career hitter who in the past has delivered seasons where he hit .330 and .315, Sandoval this year is hitting .270 and is operating at only about one game above replacement level.

 Buster Posey

It may not be fair to compare Posey to a season where he was declared the 2012 MVP, but it shines a light on the decline of his teammates as his RBIs, basically a function of his teammate’s ability to get on base ahead of him, have declined about 30 per cent. His batting average is also down about 35 points.

Barry Zito

What is it about pitchers who draw $20 million annual salaries from the Giants? Everyone’s favorite whipping boy since he signed with the Giants for $126 million over seven years before the 2007 season, he has reached epic lows this year, especially on the road. Away from AT&T Park this year in 13 games totaling 49 innings he is 0-8 with a 9.25 ERA. Opposing hitters are hitting .401 against him (in other words every hitter is Ted Williams in his best year) and slugging at a .600 clip (.500 is considered excellent). The good news is that Zito’s contract is up at the end of the season. The bad news is that the Giants owe him a $7 million buyout of they don’t pick up his $18 million option.

It will be interesting to see what the Giants do for the 2014 season. They have Cain and Posey signed for the next five years but otherwise are relatively flexible. The farm system is barren at the highest levels as the result of deals to aid recent pennant races that led to two World Series Championships in the last three years. Their choice seems to be rebuilding slowly through the draft or spending big bucks on free agents while hoping their core players rebound.

After an unprecedented run the last three years, the party at AT&T Park may be on hold for a while.

 

Campanile: a bell and clock tower

             One of the most historic, visible and all-encompassing landmarks in the Bay Area is most certainly the Campanile, on the University of California, Berkeley campus. It is one of the most enduring and well-known structures in Northern California.

The Carillon

Inside the tower is a musical instrument called a carillon. The carillon is a set of bronze-cast tuned bells that are cup-shaped in construction. They are attached to a keyboard with levers and wires to activate a metal clapper inside the bells. The performer or carillonneur, or a more contemporary title – carillonist, can alter the intensity of the sound by the force applied to the key. The carillonist usually plays the keys by a loosely closed fist. The keys, that are stick-like, sometimes called batons, are arranged like a piano keyboard. The large and heavier bells are usually played with the foot-pedal keyboard.

The smallest bell weighs 19 pounds and the largest, called “The Great Bear Bell,” weighs 10,500 pounds. Some of the larger extant carillons can weigh as much as 100 tons. Obviously, the structure that houses the weight of these bells must be very strong and massive.

Sibyl Marcuse, in her book, Musical Instruments, defines a carillon as “A set of tuned bells hung dead, i.e. stationary, in a tower or church belfry played from a keyboard, automatically by clockwork or by an electrically controlled pneumatic mechanism.” The difference between a carillon and a bell-chime is merely one of compass; any set of bells of more than one and a half to two octaves is considered a carillon.

“In the 15^th through the18^th century carillons became extremely popular and achieved a high degree of perfection in the low-countries of Belgium, Netherlands and northern France. In the 19^th century they spread to England and then to America,” according to the Harvard Dictionary of Music.

The Campanile

The proper name of the Berkeley Campanile is Sather Tower, named for its benefactress, Jane K. Sather. She gifted the tower to the university in 1914, along with the first set of 12 bells that are still housed today in the Campanile. The bells are inscribed with Sather’s name and year of the gift. She also gave the university the classic ornate gate that is named for her husband, Norwegian-born banker, Peder Sather. It is the formal south entrance to the campus, called Sather Gate.

Sather Tower is a Campanile designed by John Galen Howard, founder of the College of Environmental Design, to resemble the Campanile di San Marco in Venice, Italy. The tower is 307 feet tall. At this height it is the third highest bell and clock tower in the world. On the eighth or top floor, is the observation deck that houses the enclosure for the keyboard and foot pedals of the Carillon. When one goes up in the elevator to the observation deck ancient fossils and other artifacts can be seen on various floors. The fossils are from the Department of Integrative Biology and include many from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.

Berkeley Bells

The bells were first installed in October 1917. The delay was due to World War I. The original 12 bells were not enough to play many tunes including The National Anthem. It took many decades to remedy this dilemma until, in 1978, the class of 1928 decided to make a gift to enlarge the carillon to 48 bells. The new carillon, with the 12 original bells, was installed in 1979.

Another generous gift to the university came about in 1983. Jerry Chambers, a member of the class of 1928, and his wife, Evelyn, (and the class of 1928) gave an endowment for the enlargement of the instrument to 61 bells making it a fully chromatic five-octave concert carillon. With the endowment for the instrument, money was set aside for two practice keyboards and a full-time position for the university carillonist, who is presently Jeff Davis. The entire carillon program is funded by the Chambers endowment.

The UC carillon program is reputed to be one of the most active and complete programs, not only in the United States, but in the entire world. The instructional program offers both private and group instruction through the department of music. There is a professional staff and four artist performers plus advanced student performers.

You can hear the carillon performances daily on the Berkeley campus. For performance schedules, admission prices and other information, go to http://visitors.berkeley.edu/camp/

Go hear for yourself the beautiful sounds of this historic and famous carillon at UC Berkeley. It is well worth a visit to the campus and I’m sure you will enjoy hearing this wonderful musical treasure.

 

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville

Community Band.

Baggage, we’ve all got it. Sometimes we push it down so deep, we almost forget about it. It’s the kind of thing that comes out when you’re sitting on the sofa with a sibling at 2:00 AM. Whether you call it baggage or just history, it’s there. In some ways we are who we are because of it…or in spite of it. None of us are a clean slate.

Lisa (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a successful business executive who has gotten used to being alone but doesn’t like it very much. Abandoned by her birth parents, she then spent most of her life being raised by Stanley (S. A. Griffin). Stanley was her abusive foster father who never really loved Lisa after her adopted mother died. One day Lisa is on an important business trip and gets a call that Stanley has died. At first she doesn’t feel much. She goes about making arrangements and visiting the grave almost by rote, but she comes home exhausted and finds her pet fish dead as well. The dam bursts and Lisa releases years of emotion in racking sobs. Lewis (Christian Slater) is taking another of his nocturnal walks and looks up to see Lisa through a window. Christian is so moved by her grief that he follows her to work the next morning, finds out her name and delivers a beautiful arrangement of flowers to her office. Lisa has a boyfriend (Josh Brolin) who is just as self-absorbed as she is and their relationship is primarily one of convenience. Mary becomes obsessed with finding out who sent the flowers since her boyfriend didn’t, and goes on a mission to find the giver. She eventually finds Lewis and a relationship begins.

Lewis has baggage of his own. He owns a florist business…for a reason. He loves to deliver his flowers just to see the happiness on the faces. Of course, as in any good romance, Lewis is not a schlock. He is educated and had been very successful in another life, the self-absorbed life he lived before his own tragedy. He understands Lisa.

Bed of Roses is a beautiful story about letting go and living. It’s one of my all-time favorites in the romance category even though it was released in 1996. Mary Stuart Masterson and Christian Slater are both amazingly talented. They are also believable because they are a bit quirky, and relatable because they’re not necessarily considered two of the Hollywood “beautiful people.”

So when the weather starts to turn chilly and a fire in the fireplace sounds appealing, make some popcorn and curl up on the sofa for a wonderful evening of entertainment. It won’t knock your socks off but it just might let you have some pleasant dreams.

My hope is that you’ve all found someone in your life in which you can trust your “baggage.” As always, I invite your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

 “In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.”                                                                                                                                      William Somerset Maugham

When days are short and you suddenly recognize that unmistakable chill in the air, it’s too late to mourn the passing of summer. Instead, appreciate the moment. Embrace autumn with a rustic apple crisp. (Food can solve all kinds of problems. Trust me.)

This fruit-laden concoction is favored by both rookies and experienced bakers, as it provides all the comfort and goodness of homemade apple pie with none of the accompanying angst. Sweet, heady aromas wafting through the house will make you forget those days at the beach. Consider it a cheap form of aromatherapy.

In other parts of the country my choice of apple might be limited to the ubiquitous Granny Smith; and there would be nothing wrong with that. When grown and stored properly, these apples are pleasantly tart and hold their shape during baking. But since we live in the heart of several renowned apple-growing regions, it’s easy to add complexity of flavor and texture to the filling by mixing things up a bit. Along with that old reliable Granny, I might add a jumble of other varieties lurking in my refrigerator: Golden Delicious, Gala, McIntosh, Jonathan, and Pink Lady are all proven winners. I’ve found that a crisp can be a very noble ending for any aging apples losing their “snap,” and therefore less appealing to eat out of hand.

There’s a good reason this is a seasonal dessert. Have you ever bought a supermarket apple in the summer? A mealy, flavorless specimen that was waxed to a high shine, trucked in from another state (or hemisphere), and then held for months in cold storage? It takes only one lackluster bite to realize you’ve made a big mistake. One must wait for autumn to buy apples at their sweet, crisp, tree-ripened best. Just follow your nose at the farmers’ market to revel in this fruit’s perfection. And you’ll understand why poor Adam didn’t have a chance.

Apple crisp is designed to charm the palates of all ages and–although you may not want to advertise this fact to certain people–actually boasts some nutritional value. So think outside the box–there is no reason to limit crisp consumption to dessert-time. Crisps are the perfect little something to enjoy alongside a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea, or an ice-cold glass of milk. Since crisps are so easy to serve, they’re always a good idea for potlucks and buffets.(If you want to get fancy for company, divide the mixture among ramekins and bake individual portions.) And on the off-chance there is any around the next day, leftover crisp makes a darn fine breakfast…straight out of the refrigerator!

Homey creations like this have very few rules; so as long as you use good, flavorful apples, you’re home free. In a hurry? You can even forgo peeling them. And if the spirit moves you, toss a handful of raisins, dried cherries, chopped dates or dried apple slices into the filling prior to baking.A sprinkling of finely grated fresh ginger or citrus zest is also good. I generally use only a whisper of cinnamon, but feel free to amp up the spiciness to your standards byusing a bit more, with or without a little added ground ginger, cardamom, cloves, or grated fresh nutmeg.

This ispretty much perfect as is, but you can certainly add your own special flourish with a dusting of powdered sugar over each serving. For guaranteed oohs and aahs, serve with a big spoonful of Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, whipped cream, or ice cream. There’s no reason kids should get all the treats on Halloween.

 Apple Crisp with Toasted Walnuts

For the crisp topping:

1 cup California walnut halves and pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (regular or quick-cooking oatmeal)

1/2 cup (packed) light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

For the filling:

6 medium-to-large apples(2 1/2 to 3 pounds), preferably assorted varieties

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of the apples)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or other 2-quart baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Spread the walnuts in a pan and bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool; then chop finely.
3. To make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the walnuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to blend. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a large fork, work in the butter, tossing and mixing,until it forms small, irregular pieces. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
4. To make the filling: Place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4-inch thick, tossing the slices in the lemon juice as they are cut.
5. Sprinkle the sugar, flour, and cinnamon over the top of the apples; then toss gently to mix. Scrape the apple mixture (and any accumulated juices) into the prepared baking dish. Crumble the cold topping mixture evenly over the apples. (Do not pat it down or press it into the apple mixture. You don’t want this to end up being a dense, compact topping.) Bake until the topping is golden brown, the filling is bubbly-hot, and the apples are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM, or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com. This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.