Apple Cookbook (9 page)

I use a “gourmet” salad mix for this but, whenever I can, I harvest the tiny tender greens from my own garden. I also grow lots of arugula (rocket) and spinach, which I can grow and harvest for about 10 months in my Virginia climate
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½ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, or balsamic vinegar juice of ½ a lime or lemon

1–2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove of garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground pepper salt

1 pound baby salad greens or 1 packet ready-to-use baby spinach or salad mix

2 medium apples (Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Ginger Gold)

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved into curls

1
. Combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, garlic, pepper and salt to taste in a screw-top jar and shake well.

2
. If using a head of lettuce, wash, dry, and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place the salad greens in a large serving bowl.

3
. Core, halve, and slice the apples. Add them to the bowl.

4
. Shake the vinaigrette again and add 1½ tablespoons to the bowl. (Serve the remaining dressing on the side.) Toss the salad, sprinkle with the pine nuts, and top with the Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings

For a change, use crumbled feta or blue cheese instead of the Parmesan; toss with the salad greens and apple slices.

If you can use homegrown spinach, it won’t need as much washing and rinsing as loose store-bought bunches. However, if you don’t grow your own, you have the option of buying a package of triple-washed spinach. There’s nothing worse than crunching on gritty spinach leaves
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4 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce

2 medium apples (Cortland, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Braeburn)

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1
. Place the spinach and lettuce in a salad bowl.

2
. Core and slice the apples. Add to the lettuce; toss in the walnuts.

3
. In a small bowl, blend the yogurt, honey, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. Toss with the salad. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

The absolute classic of apple salads, this traditional recipe is said to have originated at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, during the early 1900s. The basic recipe lends itself to many variations — adding cubes of cooked meat, grilled fish, fresh mozzarella, or marinated tofu will turn it into a satisfying lunch
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3 medium apples (Jonagold, Cortland, Braeburn, Empire)

3 stalks of celery, diced

½ cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

8 mint leaves or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 head Boston lettuce

1
. Chill a medium-sized bowl for beating the cream.

2
. Core and dice the apples. Place in a large bowl.

3
. Add the celery and walnuts to the apples.

4
. Beat the cream, lemon juice, and pepper in the chilled bowl.

5
. When the cream is thick and stands in soft peaks, stir into the apple mixture.

6
. Tear the mint leaves into small pieces and sprinkle on top.

7
. Serve on the lettuce leaves.

Yield: 4 servings

These make a lovely first course, so serve stuffed apples before the main dish. Or serve them for a light lunch with a choice of cheeses and a hearty whole-grain bread or corn muffins
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4 large apples (Cortland, Red Delicious, Mutsu/Crispin, Jonagold, Fuji)

½ lemon

2 medium carrots, grated

2 medium stalks of celery, chopped

1 scallion, including green top, chopped

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons sour cream

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 head Boston lettuce

1 cup green seedless grapes (optional)

1
. Core the apples. With a small paring knife, slice off the tops and remove the flesh, leaving ¼–½ inch of flesh on the bottoms and sides. Rub the tops with the lemon. Trim the blossom ends to make the apples sit level. Refrigerate.

2
. Chop the removed apple flesh and place in a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the juice squeezed from the lemon.

3
. Add the carrots, celery, scallion, mayonnaise, walnuts, sour cream, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate.

4
. Arrange the nicest lettuce leaves on four plates. Place the hollowed apples in the center and fill with the chopped mixture. Sprinkle the grapes on and around the apples, if desired. Serve at once.

Yield: 4 servings

For pasta salad lovers, this one from the Michigan Apple Committee is hard to beat. Healthful, with low fat and high fiber, it has lots of flavor, texture, and color. It makes a wonderful addition to a party buffet
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D
RESSING

3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon garlic salt ground white pepper

T
ORTELLINI
S
ALAD

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated or frozen cheese-filled tortellini

3 medium apples (Empire, Fuji, Braeburn, Gala) cored and sliced (about 2 cups)

2 cups shredded salad greens

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

½ cup thinly sliced celery

½ cup sliced scallions

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

1
. F
OR THE DRESSING
, combine the apple juice concentrate, corn syrup, sugar, vinegar, garlic salt, and pepper to taste in a screw-top jar; shake well and refrigerate.

2
. F
OR THE TORTELLINI SALAD
, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and cool under cold water. Shake gently to drain thoroughly.

3
. In a large mixing bowl, combine the tortellini, apples, salad greens, strawberries, celery, and scallions.

4
. Toss gently with the chilled dressing. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, if desired, and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Fresh apples add a nice crunch to this potato salad, and they taste wonderful with the smoky-sweet bacon flavor
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6 medium potatoes

¼ pound bacon

1 medium onion

½ cup vegetable or olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 medium apples (Cortland, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Fuji)

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1
. Boil the potatoes in a covered saucepan for approximately 20 minutes, until they are tender but not falling apart. Peel while still warm and cut into ½-inch slices.

2
. While the potatoes are cooling, fry the bacon, drain, and cut into ½-inch pieces.

3
. Grate the onion into a large bowl.

4
. In a small bowl, beat together the oil, vinegar, and garlic.

5
. Add the sliced potatoes to the grated onion and, while still warm, toss with the oil mixture.

6
. Core and dice the apples. Add to the potatoes. Add the bacon to the potatoes.

7
. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard and spoon into the bowl. Toss to combine the mixture. Serve warm or chilled.

Yield: 4–6 servings

Don’t hesitate to substitute firm tofu for the chicken. Do, however, use the type of tofu packaged in water; I would not use silken firm or even silken extra-firm tofu in a dish that requires tossing, because softer-textured tofu breaks apart too easily
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2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

1½ teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 apples (Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Winesap, Braeburn)

4 cups skinned, boned, and cubed cooked chicken

2 stalks of celery, diced

½ cup golden raisins

1 head Boston lettuce

1
. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the sour cream, mayonnaise, honey, and lime juice.

2
. Add the garlic, curry powder, cumin, and ginger. Stir until thoroughly combined.

3
. Core and dice the apples. Add to the mayonnaise, along with the chicken, celery, and raisins.

4
. Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter. Spoon the salad onto the bed of lettuce.

Yield: 4–6 servings

I sometimes substitute chopped broccoli florets for the cabbage. When I do this, I also chop the apples rather than slicing them
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2 medium carrots

1 medium red onion

4 cups thinly sliced or shredded red cabbage

2 large apples (Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagold)

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2/3 cup sour cream

¼ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 head Boston lettuce

1
. Coarsely grate the carrots and onion into a large bowl. Add the cabbage.

2
. Core and thinly slice the apples. Add to the cabbage mixture.

3
. Beat the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix into the slaw. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4
. Line a large bowl with the lettuce leaves and fill with the chilled apple slaw. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Unsweetened applesauce lends itself to any number of savory additions. For example, to serve it with beef, combine ½ cup freshly grated horseradish and 2 cups of applesauce. If pork or chicken is the main dish, add 2 tablespoons of honey, the grated zest of a lime and ½ teaspoon each of ground ginger and curry powder to 2 cups of applesauce. To accompany duck or goose, flavor 2 cups of applesauce with 2 tablespoons brandy and 2 tablespoons honey
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10 medium apples (any kind except Red Delicious or summer-harvested apples such as Lodi, Tydeman Red, Puritan; blending several types gives the best flavor)

1 tablespoon water, apple juice, or lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1
. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Place in a large saucepan with the water and the nutmeg.

2
. Cover the pot and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Mash with a fork or purée in a blender or food processor to the desired consistency.

Yield: About 5 cups

Note:
For added flavor, leave the peel on and force the cooked apples through a sieve or food mill to separate the skins from the fruit. When puréeing in a blender or food processor, the skins will break down.

My favorite sweet potatoes have deep orange flesh. It’s not only that I find them more intensely flavored than the pale golden sweet potatoes; I prefer their dense, smooth texture. While this purée is a delicious side dish for savory meals, it also makes a good base for a sweet or savory pie filling
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2 large sweet potatoes

2 large apples (Rome Beauty, Northern Spy, Winesap)

4 tablespoons butter

¼–½ cup heavy cream or sour cream

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2
. Place the potatoes on a greased baking sheet and bake for 1½ hours, or until very tender.

3
. Peel, core, and slice the apples.

4
. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the apples over low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the apples to a large bowl.

5
. Peel the potatoes while still hot. Add them to the apples. Add the cream, nutmeg, and ginger. Mash together with a fork, then whip the mixture with an electric mixer until the texture is creamy. Serve at once.

Yield: 6 servings

Make this with canned chestnuts and purchased applesauce and you’ll have a nice little purée ready in minutes. When making turkey or chicken sandwiches, instead of using mayonnaise, spread the bread (or flour tortillas) with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the purée
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