An apple a day?

Don’t stop at just one

By Kathy Gunst

IN SEASON: boil them down, chop them up, and mix them with meat.

Don’t cut them too thin or they’ll fall apart,” he tells me. It’s freshman year of college, a gorgeous fall day and my new boyfriend is teaching me to bake an apple pie. I know most people go through this rite of passage when they are much younger, with their mother as their teacher, but that’s not how it went for me. “If you use a variety of apples it tastes much better,” he says, feeding me a bite of a cinnamon-flecked Macoun. I am totally seduced. As things turn out, this relationship lasts only six months, but my love affair with apples and their juicy, sweet flavor has stayed with me for a lifetime.

There are few foods that capture a season the way apples do. One bite and I’m smack in the middle of another perfect fall day. There’s the crunch of breaking through that crisp, tight skin and the release of the first taste of juice — the sweet and sour of it all, with hints of allspice, flowers, and musk. And then there is the poetry of apple names. I’ve always wanted to write a play where all the characters are named after apples. Imagine the cast: Paula Red, Winesap, Baldwin, Macintosh, Stayman, Jonathan, Gravenstein, Northern Spy . . .

Of course, the experience of eating a raw apple is only half the story. Whether you bake them, roast them, stew them, or transform them into jellies, jam, chutneys, or butters, apples can hold their own. These recipes prove my point. Around this time of year there’s no excuse to use anything but fresh-picked local apples.

Apple Cider Jelly

Most people don’t believe this recipe works because it’s just too easy. When you boil down a gallon of apple cider it is transformed into a naturally sweet, syrupy jelly. Absolutely nothing else is added; the natural sugars and pectin in the apples do all the work. Serve with roast pork, muffins, toast, ice cream, pancakes, or waffles.

In a large, heavy pot bring one gallon of unsweetened apple cider with no additives to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook the cider at a low, rolling boil until it is reduced to two cups; it should take about two hours. Toward the end of the cooking time be sure to watch the jelly. (You don’t want it to get to thick or it will caramelize.) Pour the jelly into a sterilized canning or jelly jar, close the lid tightly and let cool to room temperature. Keep refrigerated for several weeks. Makes two cups. Note: You can also add one cup of fresh herbs wrapped in a double layer of cheesecloth to the cider for an herb-infused jelly. Or, wrap four small, chopped chile peppers into a double layer of cheesecloth and boil with the cider for a hot pepper cider jelly. Squeeze the cheesecloth before removing to release all the flavor, just before the jelly is done.

Apple Crostada

This rustic pie is filled with a variety of fresh apples, a dash of cinnamon and ginger and just a touch of sugar. Serve hot from the oven, or at room temperature with ice cream (vanilla or ginger are particularly good) and hot cider.

The Dough:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, ice cold and cut into 1-inch cubes

About 1/4 cup ice cold water

The Filling:

About 3 to 4 tart apples

1/4 cup sugar or brown sugar

Pinch ground cinnamon

Pinch ground ginger

Make the dough: in a food processor whirl the flour and sugar. Add the butter and pulse the machine about 15 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add enough water to the food processor with the machine running until the dough just begins to pull away from the sides of the machine. Wrap the dough in tin foil for at least two hours, or overnight. Peel and core the apples and cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Working on a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large circle (about 12 inches wide). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the apple filling in the middle of the dough, leaving a border of 1.5 to two inches. Drape the edges of the dough over the filling and press down lightly to crimp the edges onto the filling. The dough won’t cover the filling completely. Bake on the middle shelf for around 20 to 25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the filling is tender when tested with a small, sharp knife. Serve hot, or at room temperature. Serves four.

Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions

Homey, comfort food elevated to a new status, these pork chops are pan fried with herbs and served on top of caramelized apple and onion slices and then topped with a simple cream sauce made in the pan.

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium sized sweet onions, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

2 large tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sugar

4 center-cut pork chops, about 2 pounds, each about 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the tablespoon of oil over a moderately low heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of the sage, thyme, and rosemary and cook, stirring frequently for six minutes. Add the apples, butter, and sugar and cook another six minutes.

Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat the one teaspoon olive oil over a moderately-high heat. Add the chops and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of the sage, thyme and rosemary, and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook six minutes. Flip the chops over and sprinkle the other side with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the herbs. Cook another six to eight minutes, or until the pork is golden brown, and no longer has any visible signs of pink inside, or has reached an internal temperature of 137 degrees. Drain the chops on paper towel.

¸ransfer the onion/apple mixture to a gratin dish or ovenproof skillet attractive enough to serve the chops in. Place the (drained) chops on top of the onion/apple mixture, and cover.

Meanwhile remove all the grease from the bottom of the pork chop skillet. Over high heat, add the chicken broth, the cream, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about four minutes, scraping up any bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. The sauce is ready when it’s considerably thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon), about five minutes. Pour on top of the pork chops. Serves four.