Fall Without Apples?

It is hard to think about the fall without apples... The harvest of one of the most varied food species on earth comes on the heels of windy autumn days and crisp autumn nights. Did you know that there are over 7500 varies of this luscious fruit? Crispy, tempting apples--a plethora of choice, variety, colour and taste. Delicious, sweet, tart, snappy, crunchy, munchy...apples.

Apples are CRAMMED with antioxidants, THAT HELP PROTECT us against those "free radicals" that could cause cancer, heart disease, and other health problems.. Polyphenols are the main source of antioxidants in apples. A medium apple has about 80 calories and 5 grams of fiber. The average person consumes about 60 per year.

To select the best apples:

The apple's skin should be shiny and firm.

• Choose apples free of bruises and punctures.
• Store apples at about 32?F degrees.
• Apples won't stay crispy in fruit bowls. Keep the crunch by storing in perforated plastic bags in your refrigerator crisper. Cold, humid storage ensures that apples maintain their crispness, juicy texture and full flavour.
• Remove any overripe fruit or ones which have soft spots because they naturally give off ethylene gas causing nearby apples to ripen too quickly and spoil. Trim and use those immediately for pies or applesauce. Gas emitted by apples can also hasten the ripening of produce so store apples separately from other fruits and vegetables.
• To prevent browning when preparing apples, sprinkle cut surfaces with lemon juice.

What’s your type?

Cortland Descendent from the McIntosh, it's a cross between a Ben Davis and McIntosh. Large globe shape with red-orange stripes. Crisp texture, mild, sweet taste. Excellent for fruit plates and salads as it resists browning. Great for sauces and pies.

Crispin Cross between the Golden Delicious and the Japanese Indo. Large; tart to sweet taste and firm texture. Ideal for snacking. Super in pies and chunky sauces.

Empire Cross between the McIntosh and Red Delicious. Slightly tart; juicy, firm and crisp. Ideal for snacks; and a great applesauce.

Fuji A Delicious and Ralls Janet cross. Usually larger size; greenish pink in colour with firm white flesh. Great for fresh eating.

Gala Kidd's Orange and Golden Delicious cross. Medium size; yellow-orange ground colour with red blush. Super snacking fruit.

Golden Delicious Introduced in 1916 as a chance seedling. Juicy and firm. Pieces keep their shape when baked in pies. Favoured for snacks and applesauce.

Idared Cross between Wagener and Jonathan. Medium to large. Tart; keeps flavour well when cooking. Ideal for munching or oven baking.

Jona Gold Cross between a Golden Delicious and Jonathan. Large, round to round conic; medium orange-red to red blush over faint striping and green-yellow ground colour; firm, slightly coarse texture. Good for eating fresh and cooking.

McIntosh A chance seedling grown by John McIntosh of Dundela, Ontario in the late 1800's. Medium size; irregular shape; green apple with red splashes; juicy white flesh; mildly tart, sweeter as ripens. Very good for snacking, baking pies and sauces.

Northern Spy Large, crisp and firm distinguished by bright red stripes and elongated shape. Excellent for cooking. Red Delicious The favorite snacking apple of America. Large size; firm, mildly sweet and juicy; deep red and elongated. Excellent in salads but not recommended for cooking.

Russet This tangy flavour is popular choice in Europe. One of the oldest Ontario varieties. Great as a snack; an ideal pie filling and applesauce, too.

Spartan Cross between the McIntosh and Newtown; originated in British Columbia. Medium size, red variety. Makes a great pie filling, or fresh snack.

Way To Go Eve!

Is it possible to talk apples and forget the first apple picker in history? Eve. Tisk, tisk. Eve picked the apple, Adam ate it and the rest of us are doomed and left trying to figure out ‘what to wear’ forever! Kind of makes you wonder what crossed Adams mind. Surely, it was about sex! Why else did Adam bite the big one? (Eve was likely big chested, d’ya think?) Can’t you just picture the poor slob, that big, ripe apple in his mouth. Juice running down his chin. Eyes watery, lustful and sex-crazed. Fruit hanging off his bottom lip--he tried to speak but could only mumble. Probably something stupid like “whoa”. To this very day have you ever known a man to refuse a piece of...er...ahh...anything, especially apple pie? History repeating itself over and over again.

What do we learn from that story anyway? What is the message? Perhaps, we learn a bit about “who’s really in charge, aside from the snake. Maybe the snake is just a metaphor for the penis, anyway. So all because of that one moment in time, the whole female race has been condemned to bleed for eons. Tampax subsquently became a household word. All because of one choice. Humph.

What choices are you making today? Kind of makes you stop and think. Consequences, can be mighty harsh! Remember the apple whenever you make a decision. What will be ‘the apple’ in your life? Could that be why the female race has become so analytical? Then there’s the expression ‘it’s a womans prerogative to change her mind’. Perhaps Eve, who lived a lot longer than we do now, spent hundreds of years having PMS. She would have had a lot of time to regret her indiscretions. She must have been really ticked off at herself for being taken by the snake. Maybe it was novel, at first. Then wham, reality–-she had to start sewing outfits. Deep man. Deep.

So one can’t really think of apples without ‘the fall’, so to speak.

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Pick-A-Dish-Feast

HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

2 to 5 pound turkey breast

¼ to ½ teaspoon of dry rosemary

¼ to ½ teaspoon ground sage

1 small apple cut in ¼ ‘s 1 stalk celery

1 small onion

¼ cup melted butter

First wash and pat dry the turkey breast. Secondly loosen the skin from the breast meat just a bit. Trying not to detach totally. Combine rosemary, sage and rub under the skin. Place the turkey breast upright in a shallow baking dish. Place the apple and celery and onion around the breast meat and brush skin with melted butter. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees till it reaches around 180 degrees. Once cooked let sit for at least 15 minutes before carving.

AUTUMN SPICE HAM STEAK

1 ½ tablespoon butter

1 (2 pound) ham steak

1 Empire apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 Granny Smith apple cored and thinly sliced

½ cup maple flavored pancake syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

First melt butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Fry the ham steak on both sides in butter until browned. Lay sliced apples over the ham. Pour syrup over the apples. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until the apples are cooked through. Sprinkle cinnamon and serve immediately.

LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST

4 bone-in chicken breast

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon parsley

2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoon of grated lemon peel

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400 degree F. Using your fingers loosen skin without removing it. Combine butter, garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon peel together in a small bowl. Brush butter mixture over the chicken breast pieces under the skin. Place in 13x9x2 casserole dish. Bake twenty to thirty minutes or until chicken breast is cooked or reaches 170 degrees F.

CRANNYBERRY SAUCE

1-1/2 Cups sugar

1 Navel Orange

½ grates ginger

4 Cups cranberry

½ Cup of toasted pecans

First grate the orange peel and add to a pot with sugar and ginger. Then add the juice from the orange and simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Next add the cranberries and cook until they pop. About 5 minutes. Add the pecans and cool sauce until for ready.

GREEN BEAN AND PECAN SALAD:

2 tablespoon of corn oil

2 cups of pecans halves Lemon Vinaigrette:

½ cup lemon juice (2 to 3 fresh lemons)

1-1/2 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

1-cup corn oil 1/3 cup walnut oil Salt and pepper to taste.

1 to 2 pounds of greens beans

Heat 2 tablespoon corn oil over medium heat add pecans and salt and pepper to taste. Toast lightly, stirring often. Remember not to burn the pecans. Whisk lemons juice mustard together and drizzle in corn oil and walnut oil until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Trim beans and cut into 3 inch’s length. Steam them on stove or in a microwave container with a cover. Steam until tender and drain excess water off and drizzle the desire amount of dressing over the beans and toss. Then add the nuts and salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

2 to 5 pounds of potatoes, cut into ¼ ‘s

Milk & Butter

½ to 1 clove of garlic minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1-teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Boil potatoes once tender drain water and add butter, milk and minced garlic and salt and pepper. Mix well with an electric mixer until fluffy. Place in a bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds before serving.

ROASTED GLAZED SWEET POTAOES

9 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ apple, Granny Smith or Royal Gala. cored and cut into 1-inch pieces.

¾ teaspoon vegetable oil

1/8 salt and pepper

1-1/2 teaspoon melted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

First heat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sweet potatoes and apples with oil, salt, pepper. Spread on baking sheet with sides. Roast for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Combine together butter, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Spoon over potato mixture and toss to coat the sweet potatoes. Continue baking for 10 minutes or until sugar had melted. Serves 2

TRADITIONAL BREAD STUFFING

1 loaf of bread cut into cubes using electric knife.

1 chop onion

2 cups chopped celery

½ pound of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon of sage Turkey broth or chicken Use just enough liquid to soften bread cubes. Melt butter in a pot or in a microwave container until melted add chopped onion and celery cook until onions are transparent. Mix the celery and onion mixture to the bread cubes toss until well coated add salt and pepper and seasonings and blend well. Place in muffin tins or ovenproof class dish. Cook until top is golden brown.

APPLE PECAN DRESSING

1-cup chicken broth

½ cup copped celery

1/3 cup chopped onion,

4 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups of wheat bread cut into cubes

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

½ cup chopped pecans 1-teaspoon ground sage

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8-teaspoon pepper

Combine in a small saucepan chicken broth, celery, onions, butter and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. In a large mixing bowl combine bread cubes, apples and pecans, sage and cinnamon and pepper. Bake at a 350 degrees oven until light golden brown.

CARMEL BAKED APPLE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

2 cups sugar

½ cup water

2/3 unsalted butter

8 baking apples

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1-1/2 cups ice cream

Combine in a large saucepan cook sugar with water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil over medium heat-high heat; boil, without stirring but brushing down side of pan with pastry brush dipped in water, until caramel colour, 7 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter until smooth. Pour into two 8 inch square metal cake pans. Peel apples, cut each in half, core and place in bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss. Place, rounded side down in sauce. Bake in 425 degree oven basting half way through, until tender around 30 minutes. This recipe can be made in advance and warmed up. Divide among desert dishes and serve with vanilla ice cream.

APPLE CRISP

4 to 5 medium apples

1 cup instant oats

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup flour

1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup butter

Pare apples and slice thinly. Arrange slices in a greased 12x8 inch pan. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Cut in butter with a blender. Sprinkle this mixture over apples and bake in 350 degree F. over for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.

PECAN PUMPKIN PIE

3 eggs

1 cup solid pack pumpkin

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup corn syrup

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecan halves

1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell.

Stir together 1 slightly beaten egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar, and pie spice. Spread over bottom of pie shell. Combine 2 beaten eggs, corn syrup, ½ cup sugar, butter and vanilla. Stir in nuts. Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 50 minutes or until filling is set.

To complement your meal here are a few selections of wines to quench your pallet: Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Zinfandel .

Remember white wines are served chilled, and Reds at room temperature.

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Autumn...A Crafter’s Delight

For many, autumn is a favourite time of year. As leaves of yellow, red and brown drift to the ground where pinecones and acorns rest, our animal friends scamper about gathering their take in preparation for winter. With such abundance and assortment of these natural items, many can be transformed into beautiful, hand-made gifts. From cornstalks for Halloween decorating to pinecones for fall or Christmas wreathes, these supplies are free and literally falling at our feet…a crafter’s delight of creativity.

One such creation is a beautiful fall candle. I remember that I first received one when my kids were in grade school and I’ve made several since to give as gifts.

What you’ll need: A smooth, glass container suitable for a tealight candle (canning jar or unique glassware) Yellow, orange, green and red tissue paper Aylmer or white school glue A collection of coloured leaves from various trees, shrubs and plants (Oak, fern etc.) Tealight candles

What to do: Choose an assortment of leaves or vegetation you plan to decorate the glass container with and press in a book overnight Tear each colour of tissue paper into small, different sized pieces Coat a section of the glass container with glue and randomly place pressed leaves until the container is covered on all sides Coat the glass container again with glue and place pieces of tissue paper so they overlap onto pieces of different colours until the entire surface is covered The mouth or rim of the container can additionally be decorated by putting small, uniform-sized pieces of tissue paper over the “Peter Pointer” finger, dipping the end in glue and placing around the rim like a ruffled collar. Tiny pinecones or acorns can be used as well. Let this simple beauty dry…pop in a tealight candle…and delight in the ambiance of nature’s gifts.

CAUTION: NEVER LEAVE BURNING CANDLES UNATTENDED

Variation: A variation on this idea, which you may have seen, involves using a large, pickled-egg jar and a string of 25-35 lights. The procedure for covering the glass is the same but depending on the season or theme (Halloween or Christmas), things like metallic or foil cut-out shapes, ribbon and many other things from the $1 store or craft supply shop can be used. The jar’s lid should have a ½” hole drilled into it and the string of lights fed through using caution not to skin the coating on the wire. The lid can then be decorated in any number of ways using that great imagination of yours. These make absolutely gorgeous gifts and create a cozy atmosphere indoors and out!

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Seasonal Views

NATURE'S DANCE

Nature is wonderful,

so amazing to behold,

I saw her touch her tiny wand,

And turn the leaves to gold.

She flitted here and scurried there,

And then when she was through,

For miles and miles my wandering eyes,

Beheld the gorgeous view.

AUTUMN BEAUTY

There is no beauty can surpass,

Autumn in all her glorious hue,

Reds and golds, and yellows abound

High in the mountains and all around.

What scenery! What sound and sight,

Beholds mere man in his lowly plight.

Such magnitude in awesome splendour

The soul to capture and remember.

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