An Apple a Day...

There is nothing more lovely than fresh crisp apples in the cool fall air, warm apple crisp, and freshly stewed applesauce with cinnamon. Spartan, Fuji, Braeburn, Mutsu, Pippin, MacIntosh, Gala and beyond. We love them all.

My trip to the farmers market this week was rich with a great array of apples – red, green, yellow, brown, pink & every shade in between. Sweet to tart – there is something for every taste.

Apples have a special appeal, not just commercially, but also for community and residential planting. The apple tree has a long life, is easy to grow and thrives in just about any climate. It offers shade for warm summer days, a home for birds, flowers for bees, and what great fun to climb. What to do with all those apples? Try out these scrumptious and cozy fall recipes, created by Paula Luther and Deanna Ibbitson.

Paula's Revelation Apple Crisp

• 6-8 local apples cored & chopped
  
• (mix & match varieties for an explosion
• of taste & texture)
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• to taste grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup spelt flour
• ¼ cup cane sugar
• ¼ cup butter or coconut oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts & seeds (almonds, hemp nut, sunflower seeds, etc.)

Preheat oven 350° F.

Core & chop apples, add apple juice, maple syrup and fresh ginger. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Mix 2/3 of dry mixture with apple mixture and place in lightly oiled baking dish. Top with remaining dry mixture.

Bake for 35 – 45 minutes.

Serve with tea & good friends

Deanna's Squash and Apple Soup

This recipe uses two of the main fall harvests available at the market. The apples add a pleasant sweet flavour to this blended soup.

• 2 tbsp olive or canola oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (Any other solid winter squash works well, not acorn or spaghetti)
• 1 medium sized potato, peeled and diced
• 2 apples, cored and chopped (pears work nicely here as well)
• 6 cups vegetable stock (or enough to cover the vegetables)
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft (about 3 minutes) add the carrots and squash and cook until the vegetables start to brown. Add the vegetable stock, potato, and apples. Simmer on low heat until the vegetables are soft (about 30 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Purée in a food processor or with a hand blender. With a hand blender, you can purée while it is still hot. In a blender or food processor, wait until the soup is cool and reheat to serve.

Enjoy!