“Washington State, huh? I guess you are used to the rain then…” Most people are surprised to learn that the clouds sometimes blanketing the Seattle area don’t extend across the entire state. I grew up well east of Seattle, in the center of Washington State, in an area known as The Okanogan. This semi-arid region stretches from the High Cascades to sage and scrub-covered desert along the Colville Indian Reservation.
What water can be found in the Okanogan is well-used. The water is a defining factor in the economic future of the Okanogan. The county is well known for bountiful orchards, verdant vineyards, and an increasing number of fancy wineries.
Washington State produces 56% of all apples grown in the United States. Orchards send their fruit to processing companies, who market, store, and ship apples nationwide. You may be holding a taste of the Okanogan in your hand in Maryland. Check the sticker on your fruit: if the processor is Stemilt, your apple is most likely from the Okanogan, Yakima, or Wenatchee valleys.
When I visited the Okanogan on a recent trip, apples were coming into season. Mile upon mile of highway was stacked with apple bins, one on top of the other, sometimes many stories high. Apple orchards seemed to be dripping with luscious orbs of red, yellow, and green. How often have I written about the superior taste of fresh, local foods? Not enough. An apple shipped from continents and even seasons away cannot convey the place’s emotion, sensation, or taste. When I bite into a sweet and crisp tree-ripe, just-picked Okanogan apple, I taste “home,” cold nights, hot days, the cool chill of the shadowy orchard floor, the constant whir of sprinklers, the scent of river water.
When I returned to Annapolis, the taste of apples fresh in my mind, I immediately went picking. Then school started, life got hectic, and the apples sat. Thankfully, apples keep well.
The Maryland Apple Promotion Board helps market 26 orchards across the state from the Eastern Shore to the West Virginia state line. There are many opportunities to visit a farm or orchard to pick your own this autumn. It’s great fun to spend a day in the fresh air on teetering ladders, hunting for that perfectly crunchy, sweet, and juicy apple. The hay rides, farm animal petting zoos, produce stands, hot cider, and other entertainment these sorts of orchards typically provide are just a la mode to the main dish, as it were.
This fall, why not aim to eat an apple a day? Challenge yourself to go beyond Red Delicious, Fuji, and Honeycrisp, apple pie or applesauce. There are as many apple recipes as apple varieties—thousands of each.
Apples are, in my opinion, one of the more accessible fruits to incorporate into your culinary repertoire. They can be simple, gourmet, rustic, or elegant, perfect for the lunchbox or a grown-up dinner. Because apples have a crunch when raw and a soft, svelte texture when cooked, they are excellent in sauces, sautés, slaws, and even soups. Apple recipes are a buck a bushel, as they say. Nonetheless, here are a couple of my favorites.
I love sharing recipes on Annapolis Moms, so please comment, send an email, or PM me your favorites!
Apple Sauce
Applesauce is so simple, so delicious and so nutritious (especially when you don’t add sugar) it would be a shame not to make it when apples are at their peak. If you leave the peel on the fruit, the sauce becomes an interesting and beautiful rosy to deep pink color, depending on the type of apple you choose. You can also preserve your own: www.freshpreserving.com or the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.
- 8 red-skinned apples, cored but not peeled, quartered
- 2 tbsp sugar, or 1 tbsp honey to taste (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp apple pie spice or coriander (optional)
Method
- In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the apples with ¼ cup water, cover and cook over low heat until the apples are very soft, 15-30 minutes.
- Let the apples cool, uncovered, then strain or (even better) press through a food mill into a bowl, taking care to not push through the skins. If you peeled the apples, just mash them with a heavy spoon.
- Stir the sugar or honey in gradually, adjusting to taste. Do the same with the spices, if you choose to use them.
- If you want thicker sauce, return to the pan over moderate heat, stirring to reduce some of the liquid.
Apple Slaw
by Cookie and Kate, adapted from Mark Bittman in his cookbook Food Matters
- scant ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 small purple cabbage, cored and sliced into small stripes (about 2 cups)
- 8 radishes, stems and ends removed, finely sliced and coarsely chopped
- 2 medium organic Granny Smith apples or other tart, crisp apple
- loose ½ cup chopped cilantro
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
METHOD
- In a big bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: olive oil, mustard, honey and lime juice.
- Toss the chopped cabbage, radish and apple into the bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly toss the chopped ingredients with the dressing. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour. Mix in the chopped cilantro right before serving.
High-Protein Breakfast Cookies
From www.fruitsfromwashington.com
Great to make ahead for breakfast or take along on those mornings when you’re rushing out the door!
- 2/3 c. margarine or butter (softened)
- 1/3 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 egg
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 c. oatmeal
- 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
- 3/4 c. raisins
- 1 c. apple, chopped
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Thoroughly mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Add oatmeal, cheese and raisins and mix well. Stir in chopped apple.
- Drop by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Cool on racks. Store in tightly covered containers in refrigerator or freezer.
Apple and Bacon Popover
From U.S. Apple Association
Who could resist popovers, so perfectly tender on the inside, jazzed up with bacon?
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, drained and chopped
- 1 large apple, unpeeled, grated
- 1 Tbsp. light, unsalted butter, melted
- Cooking Spray
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites until well blended. Whisk in milk and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring well with a whisk. Let stand 30 minutes. While the batter is standing, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9-cup popover pan with cooking spray.
- Fold the bacon, grated apple, and melted butter into batter, stirring until well blended. Pour batter into prepared popover cups until full.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 18 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve immediately with apple butter.
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