The tart and delicious Gravenstein is my favorite apple. Unfortunately availability is very limited beyond Sonoma's west coast because they don't travel well. Before the monoculture of the grape swept through Sebastopol and its surrounding countryside, Gravensteins were everywhere. The highway leading to town is still called the Gravenstein Highway. The end of July will celebrate the Gravenstein festival, even though it's hard to find a tree anymore. Still, I am lucky that I have a few of my own. But if you can't get Gravensteins, you can use any tart apple that you would use in a pie. I tweeked the classic tarte tatin with the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, tiny rum soaked currants and roasted walnuts. I used my mother's pie crust which is buttery and flaky.

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