Apple recipes for Virginia this Morning

We are so excited to have another spot on Virginia This Morning on October 7, especially because we get to talk about apples! Going apple picking is an annual RFC tradition, and so we have made our fair share of apple dishes. Here are several recipes we have come up with after our Carter Mountain adventures:

Curried Apple and Winter Squash Soup
Serves 4
3 small or 2 large winter squash
You can either peel and seed the squash raw, then add to the saute at the same time as you add the apples, or you can roast them before hand and add after the apples are soft. (I prefer the latter)
If you are roasting the squash, split each one in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the skin gives easily when pressed.
Let cool, and peel. Coarsely chop.

Heat over high heat:
2 TBS Butter
Add:
1TBS Black Mustard Seed
1tsp whole cumin seed
saute for a few minutes, then turn heat down and add:
2 medium sized yellow onion, coarsely chopped

Saute on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add:
2 Medium Apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1TBS grated ginger root
2 TBS curry powder

Saute on medium heat for a few minutes to incorporate the spices into the squash, and
(You definitely want to stop and smell the soup at this point- heaven!)
Add: 4 cups broth
Let gently boil until veggies are soft, about 15 minutes. Puree, adding 1 cup of cream.
Serve with sour yogurt and cilantro.

Ginger Apple Turnovers with cranberries
makes 6
Heat oven to 400 degrees
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
Heat 4 TBS butter over medium high heat
add: 3 apples, peeled, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
add 2TBS chopped ginger
cook until apples are soft
Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp lemon zest

Puff pastry is neatly divided into thirds when unwrapped. Flour a board and a rolling pin, and roll each third until the short end is about 6 inches long. Cut each third in half, so that you are left with six 6x6 (approximately) inch pastry squares. Place filling in one half of the square, fold over, and seal edges with a fork. Brush each one with cream (or milk). Place turnovers on a cookie sheet, then bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden.

Shannon's Apple Crisp
Here is my Husband and Mother-in-Law approved recipe...( A mixture of Gala, Granny Smith, and Honey Crisp or other sweet-tart apples like Braeburn works great for this. Ann from Agri-berry recommends blending different apples together to create a more complex or less one dimensional flavor.)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

For the Apples:6 large to med. apples, cored, pealed and sliced into about 1/8inch thick pieces.

Cinnamon ( about 1tsp. be careful, too much and there is no going back)

Nutmeg (1/4-1/2 tsp)

Dark Brown Sugar, or Honey, or some of both.

Add a couple tablespoons of the sugar. (you can also add about 1/4 tsp of ginger if you like and about 1/2 cup raisins)

For the Crumble:

1 cup Oats slow cook (but not steel cut)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 stick cold butter cut into small pieces

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional). You can use a food processor to get this done in a few seconds, or you can put all the dry crumble ingredients into one large bowl and mix them together. Add the small pieces of cold butter, sprinkling them across the mixture in about 3 batches, working each wave of butter bits into the mixture by working them in with a couple of forks, or your fingers. You are squishing and separating the butter bits so that more and more surface area is coated and working it in until you have a nice crumbly texture. This really doesn't take long, no more than 5 min by hand.

Spoon the apples into a pie dish, then using your hands put the crumble on top pressing it down slightly as you cover the entire surface of the apple mixture. In the end the crumble mixture is about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 1 hour (give or take depending upon your oven.) Cool some and enjoy! I light to eat mine with a little Greek yogurt instead of ice cream.

Superb, Savory Apple Cheddar Quiche

This Quiche melds the flavors of Thyme, caramelized onion, sauteed and fresh apples, extra sharp cheddar and toasted walnuts. Quality ingredients make this dish. It is delicious! It is a great for breakfast or brunch with bacon or sausage.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

The Crust

11/4 cup all purpose flour (plus a little extra for rolling out the dough)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

6 Tbsp. Cold butter

4-6 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tsp. Dried Thyme

Combine flours and thyme in a food processor. Slice butter into about 8 pats, then dice into small cubes. Add butter to the flour mixture and pulse the food processor until the texture is even and crumbly, almost like corn meal. This should only take a few seconds. Then with food processor running add the liquid on tablespoon at a time until the dough can hold together. I have always needed at least 5 tablespoons, and since the amount of liquid you need is dependent upon the amount of humidity in the air I usually need all six to make this fall and winter time recipe.

Sprinkle flour on a flat, cool work surface. Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough turning it a quarter turn between eat roll until it is about 14 inches across. Carefully lay the crust into the bottom of your pie pan and crimp the edges of the crust. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until the other ingredients are ready.

The Filling

-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (Plus 5 slices for the top) I use Kerry Gold Cheddar for it's great flavor and because it's made from the milk of pastured cows. One block of Kerry Gold Cheddar is all that you need for this recipe.

-One Very large yellow onion, or two medium onions

-11/2 Tbsp butter

-1 large tart apple

-1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

- cinnamon

-salt

- fresh ground pepper

-3 larges Eggs

-1 cup whole milk

First grate the two cups cheddar, and cut five slices. Half onion and slice into 1/4" slices. Saute the onion in the butter on medium high heat. While that's cooking peel and slice apple into 1/8" slices. Cut enough of these slices into 4ths to fill 1/2 cup.

Once the onions have become translucent add the 1/2 cup of chopped apples and continue cooking on medium high until the onions have become caramelized.

While the apples and onions are cooking beat the 3 eggs and the cup of milk. Add a couple pinches of salt, about 8 good turns of the pepper mill and two dashes of cinnamon to the egg mixture. Set aside. Place 1 cup whole walnuts on a cookie sheet and set in oven to roast for 5 minutes. Take out and remove immediately from cookie sheet. Allow to cool slightly and then finely chop.

Now you're ready to assemble your quiche. Sprinkle 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts across the bottom the pie crust. Then add all of the shredded cheddar cheese. Next, add fresh apple slices around the sides so they are standing end to end long ways. Place 5-7 fresh apple slices on top of the cheddar cheese. Finally add the caramelized onion and cooked apple mixture. Re-whisk the egg mixture and pour over the onions. Smash onions down a bit if they aren't covered by the eggs. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and then the slices of cheddar arranged on top.

Cover and Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Apple Honey Salad

This is one of my favorite ways to satisfy my sweet tooth without a lot of fuss. It's easy, delicious and as far as sweets go... quit good for you. I also would eat this with Greek yogurt for breakfast. Core and chop one medium sized apple leaving the peal on.

Add 1/3-1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

and 1/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries.

Add enough good local honey to just coat the mixture.

Enjoy.

Red Cabbage Apple Slaw

I love this recipe, love it. It is so good and goes so well with pork, chicken, roasted vegetables, burgers, basically you name it. Here's what you'll need...

1 small red cabbage

2 medium tart apples (like granny smith)

2 large carrots (optional)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4-1/3 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp celery seed.

Core the cabbage and cut into eighths. Chop the quarters into 1/4" slices. Grate the apple in a food processor or by hand. Same for the Carrots. Whisk all the other ingredients together well and then combine with the cabbage, apples and carrots. This dish taste best when it's been made a few hours ahead of time. Store it in the fridge, but be warned that the red cabbage will turn your yogurt and mayo sauce to a slightly grey color if it's left to sit to long.