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
