Volume 11, Issue 84 - October 26, 2006

Greetings Member,

So many apples...so little time!

PURCHASING AND STORING APPLES:

For best quality, buy apples at the height of their season:

Late July through August--Gala, Gravenstein
Mid August through September--Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Fuji
Late October through November--Granny Smith, McIntosh
Year Round--Red Delicious, Newtown Pippin, Rome Beauty

By December, most apples on the market will be from cold storage or CA (controlled atmosphere) storage, except for those brought in from other areas, like Red Delicious from the Northwest. This is not necessarily bad. By using CA storage, the producers can regulate the conversion of starch to sugars in the apples, thus being able to offer crisp, ripe apples year round, although flavor can be affected.

The best apples to buy out of season are Fuji, Granny Smith and Rome Beauty, as these hold especially well.

Even apples of the same variety can vary due to the strain of apple, the soil, the climate, ripeness when picked and the care used in handling and storage.

The apple with the most color, the most perfect shape or the largest size is not necessarily the best. Sometimes, the most colorful apple has less flavor; the shape is no indication of flavor and the larger apples can be softer and mealy, as they tend to mature faster than smaller apples.

Apples should be chosen for a fresh look; a firm touch and skin free of damage (although russet colored marks are often due to damp climates and don't affect the flavor of the fruit). Due to demand from informed consumers, efforts have recently been made to produce apples with more taste, rather than perfect looks.

Store apples in the refrigerator, in plastic bags, for up to six weeks. Crispness and flavor are quickly lost at room temperature.

Good apples are crisp in texture. A mealy, mushy apple was either left on the tree too long or stored too long.

Fewer chemicals are now used, as consumers are more accepting of apples that are less than perfect in size and shape. Alar is no longer used.

Yield: 1 pound of apples (or two large apples) equals:
3 cups chopped apples or 2-3/4 cups sliced apples

Source: Terri Pischoff Wuerthner, CCP

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Apple-Squash Soup with Chive-Sour Cream

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 10-ounce packages puréed squash, defrosted
4 cups chicken stock
12 ounces apples (approximately 1 1/2 apples), peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup cream

Chive Sour Cream:

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh minced chives
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized soup pot set over medium-low heat and sauté onion and garlic for 10 minutes. Add squash, stock, apples, lemon juice, thyme, salt and white pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Purée soup. Stir in cream and heat for 10 minutes longer over low heat. Combine sour cream with the chives and pepper. Top each serving of soup with a spoonful of the chive-sour cream.

Source: Terri Pischoff Wuerthner, CCP

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Curried Apple Cabbage Slaw

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 head)
3 cups sweet apples, chopped

Preparation:

Mix together all dressing ingredients and toss with cabbage and apples.

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Apple and Goat Cheese Clafoutis

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
5/8 cup sugar plus additional for sprinkling
2 eggs
3/8 cup softened butter, unsalted
1/2 cup softened goat cheese
3/8 cup flour
salt

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix sugar with eggs, butter and cheese. Sift dry ingredients together, fold in with rest of ingredients except apples.

Divide evenly into buttered and sugared non-stick pans or rings. You may also use a 9 inch springform pan or cake pans lined with parchment paper.

Overlap slices of apple over the batter and sprinkle with sugar. You will use about 1/2 of an apple per clafoutis.

Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes for individual rings (35 to 40 minutes for the springform pan) until brown on top. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Source: Chef Dale Reitzer

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