If ever there’s a time to buy local, this is it. Apples, pears, corn, melons, zucchini, beets and pumpkins are being harvested at area orchards and farms right this minute. Locally grown fruit and vegetables don’t have to be picked unripe and hard so they can be shipped. They can be picked at the peak of flavor and sold the same day. Also, local growers can sell less familiar varieties that don’t ship well. Terry Gram, owner of Arrowhead Orchard in Paris, grows 30 varieties of apples. “The Cortland, an old-time favorite, is not a good shipper because it bruises easily,” Gram said. “The Cortland is good for diabetics because it’s low in sugars. A lot of diabetics like to use it for their baking.” If you’d like to enjoy the taste of baked apples but don’t have the time to make a pie or apple dumplings, consider baking whole apples in the microwave. Just core the apples, fill the centers with brown sugar or fruit preserves, place in a pan with a half inch of apple juice, and cook on high for about four to five minutes. If you have more time, try baked apples with a streusel filling, which is made from oats, brown sugar and pecans. Right now, Gram is harvesting McIntosh, Jonathan, Empire, Gala and Golden Supreme. “The Golden Supreme is about like a Golden Delicious, but comes in a month ahead of the Golden Delicious. A good keeper, good for eating and baking,” he said. “Another old time favorite is the Northern Spy, a green apple with a red blush. A lot of the old-timers like the Northern Spy for their pies. It’s got kind of a tart taste to it, but in a pie, it’s just right, that sweet-tart taste.” Another use for tart apples is an apple pizza. Brush pizza dough with olive oil, then top with fresh spinach, thinly sliced apples, shredded Mozzarella, crumbled Gorgonzola and shredded Parmesan. Apples pair beautifully with cheese. It can be as simple as putting a thin slice of apple on a cracker and topping it with a slice of Cheddar, then melting the cheese in the oven, or serving apple wedges around a cheese ball instead of crackers. (Tip: To prevent the apples from browning, which can happen in just five minutes, dump them into a bowl of water with fresh lemon juice -- about 1 tablespoon of juice per 1 cup of water.) Instead of chips and dip, try apple wedges and dip. Fans of Thai flavors may enjoy a peanut butter dip made with hot sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce. For kids, mix peanut butter with raisins and honey. The clever folks at the Michigan Apple Committee developed a hearty autumnal recipe that roasts apples with root vegetables such as yams, parsnips and potatoes. When soft, the vegetables are drizzled with a balsamic and thyme vinaigrette. Perfect as a vegetarian entree, or as a bed for sliced pork or poultry. Also from the Michigan group, a side dish of cooked apples gets a boost from whole-grain Dijon mustard. Sautéed onions and apples, mixed with mustard and sugar, are served with roast pork. Once the harvest season ends, keep your apples fresh and crisp with this advice from Gram: “The new frost free refrigerators take the moisture out of produce. That’s why apples get mealy -- the moisture is taken out,” Gram said. “Put the apples in the crisper in the fridge, then put a damp rag over them. Keep the rag damp. They’ll stay crisp.”
ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD APPLE RELISH 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each 3 tablespoons rosemary leaves 4 cups unpeeled, thinly sliced red apples 2 cups thinly sliced onions 2 cups apple juice 2 tablespoons coarse ground Dijon-style mustard 1 tablespoon sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tenderloins with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cook in large skillet on medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Rub tenderloins with rosemary leaves. Place on flat rack in baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until internal temperature of each tenderloin reaches 160 degrees. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook and stir apples and onions until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in apple juice. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard and sugar. Slice tenderloin and serve with apple-onion mixture. Suggested apple varieties: McIntosh, Empire, Gala, Jonagold, Northern Spy. Yield: 8 servings. Per serving: 301 calories, total fat 13 g, cholesterol 75 mg, carbohydrates 21 g, sodium 152 mg, fiber 3 g, trans fat 0 g.
BAKED APPLES WITH CINNAMON CHIP STREUSEL 4 large Golden Delicious apples 1/4 cup quick oats 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup pecans Pinch salt 4 tablespoons cold butter 1/3 cup cinnamon chips 11/2 cups apple cider 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oats, brown sugar, pecans, salt and cold butter in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse about three 4-second bursts until it becomes crumbly. Transfer to medium bowl and stir in cinnamon chips. Set aside. Peel a 1-inch strip from the top of each apple. Using melon ball tool, scoop out cavity in each apple, leaving bottom intact. Fill each apple with cinnamon chip streusel and place in baking dish. Pour apple cider around apples and bake 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour apple cider from baking dish into small saucepan. Stir in sugar and simmer over medium heat until cider becomes syrupy and is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in butter. To serve, place apple on plate and drizzle with apple cider reduction. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Yield: 4 servings. Per serving: 540 calories, total fat 28.9 g, saturated fat 14.4 g, cholesterol 46.7 mg, sodium 228.4 mg, total carbohydrate 71.4 g, dietary fiber 3.8 g, protein 2.8 g.
BISTRO APPLE PIZZA 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 12-inch prepared pizza dough crust 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith apples cored, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup shredded low-fat Mozzarella cheese 1 cup crumbled Blue, Gorgonzola or Roquefort cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan 1 teaspoon dried oregano Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sauté garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, then brush onto pizza crust. Distribute spinach evenly onto crust. Sprinkle on apples. Blend mozzarella cheese, blue cheese and parmesan cheese. Distribute evenly over apples. Sprinkle on oregano. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese boils and crust is brown. From the Washington Apple Commission
APPLES ROASTED WITH ROOT VEGETABLES 3 cups peeled tart apples* 2 cups carrots, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch thick rounds 1 medium onion, cut into wedges 1 pound small red skin potatoes, cut into quarters 2 large yams, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Balsamic Thyme Vinaigrette: 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine apples, carrots, onion, potatoes, yams and parsnips in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper and toss thoroughly to coat. Spread vegetables evenly on large baking sheet. Bake 20–25 minutes until vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven. While vegetables are roasting, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. To serve, transfer vegetables to serving platter and drizzle with vinaigrette. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Yield: 6–8 servings. Per serving: calories 375, protein 5 g., fat 8 g., saturated fat 1 g., carbohydrate 77 g., fiber 14 g., sodium 253 mg.
PEANUT BUTTER DIPS FOR APPLES Thai dip: Combine 1/4 cup peanut butter with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce. Kid-friendly dip: Combine 1/4 cup peanut butter with 2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon raisins. Canton Repository author: Saimi Rote Bergmann