Strolling through a sprawling apple orchard last weekend, the family sampled apple varieties new to many of us. Empire, SunCrisp, Shizuka, and Jonagold, to name a few. While we filled our bags, we talked recipes—sweet dessert pies, crunchy-topped apple crisp, and baked apples filled with butter and raisins. Savory thoughts filled our heads as well, including curried apple rings, chunky applesauce, and salads to serve alongside grilled chops and chicken.
Make no mistake about this: Apples eaten shortly after harvest taste vastly different than supermarket apples that may have been harvested months ago. The sugars change, as do the crisp textures and flavors fade with storage.
Now is the time to stock up on local apples from farmers markets and farm stands. HoneyCrisp and SweeTango please everyone and make terrific go-to varieties for baking. But don’t pass up the opportunity to try new or heirloom varieties while you can.
At home, wrap the apples in damp towels and place them in a single layer in the crisper drawer. The apples will stay fresh for many weeks.
Serve apple slices with thin cheese wedges and spicy salami for an afternoon snack. Spread apple wedges with nut butter after a bike ride. Microwave diced, peeled apples with a little butter until soft for stirring into hot oatmeal at breakfast. Apples all day!
Butter, balsamic vinegar, and curry powder create a delicious glaze to brush over apple rings before baking. Serve these apple rings alongside roast poultry or grilled pork. Or, make extra curry butter and dollop it over fish fillets before roasting in a hot oven.
The salad that follows proves reminiscent of Waldorf salad with grapes, celery, and nuts. Here, chunks of semi-hard cheese and crunchy almonds complement sweet-tart apples. Gouda, smoked if desired, tastes great with the apples. I also like to use herb-flecked cheese, such as Point Reyes Toma Provence here. Spooned over radicchio leaves, this sweet and savory salad is quite special alongside roast turkey breast. Stir in shredded cooked chicken to make a main-dish salad.
Savory Baked Apple Rings
Makes 4 servings
- 3 medium-large (6 ounces each) crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp, SweeTango, or Gala
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon curry powder, zaatar or ras el hanout
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons coarse sugar in the raw (turbinado) or light brown sugar
- Chopped fresh chives or parsley
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Working through the stem end, use an apple corer to remove the core of the apple. (Alternatively, use a melon baller or a serrated grapefruit spoon to remove the core.) Slice apples crosswise into 4 rings, each about 1/2-inch thick.
Place apple rings on the prepared baking sheet. Put butter into a small dish and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, curry powder, and salt. Brush both sides of apple slices with butter mixture. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until apples are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
Serve hot or warm sprinkled with chives.
Apple and Smoked Gouda Chopped Salad
Note: Instead of using smoked cheese or smoked almonds here, you can add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to the mayonnaise mixture for a subtle smoky flavor.
Makes 6 servings- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or grains of paradise
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 large (8 ounces each) crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp, SweeTango, or Gala
- 3 cups small or halved large seedless red grapes
- 2 ribs celery, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
- 1 1/4 cups (6 ounces) 1/2-inch diced gouda cheese, smoked gouda if desired
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion, well-rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds, smoked if desired
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, or chives (or a combination)
- Radicchio or red-tipped leaf lettuce leaves, optional
Whisk mayonnaise, grated lemon rind and juice, maple syrup, mustard, pepper, salt, and thyme together in a large bowl.
Core apples, thinly slice and then cut into 1/2-inch dice. Add to mayonnaise mixture in bowl. Stir in grapes, celery, diced cheese, and onion. Stir in almonds and cilantro. Refrigerate 20 minutes before serving. Stir well and arrange over radicchio leaves, if desired.
