Smell a ripe apple and you inhale a new season. Bite into a ripe apple and the juicy essence of autumn is released: fruit, notes of cinnamon, sweetness, crumbling leaves, smoky fires. Of course, an apple doesn’t really have the scent of crumbling leaves and firewood burning, but very few foods are so deeply associated with a season and all its very real cliches.
Apples, this time of year, are at their best: just harvested and still offering a snap of skin, sweet juice, and all the nuance and flavor that was intended. It will soon sit in storage to be sold in the winter months, and by January, February, and March, that very same apple will be a wilted pale imitation of its October best.
Here are three new apple recipes for the season. The cabbage, fennel and apple slaw is thoroughly refreshing, juicy and ideal for sandwiches, to accompany a bowl of soup or stew, or served on a burger. The roasted pork with “applesauce” is a revelation. Apples are peeled, cored, cut into chunks, and line the bottom of the roasting pan. A pork roast is placed on top, studded with garlic and fresh sage leaves. The heat of the oven “melts” the apples, and the result is a kind of instant applesauce with a delicious piece of roasted pork. And finally, a dessert that is like a cross between apple pie and apple crumble. Apple crumble squares ask you to make a simple crumble topping, which is used two ways: First, it lines the bottom of a cake pan and is covered with spiced apples. Then it becomes a topping for the apple layer. The squares are so good, you’ll want them for breakfast, dessert and a snack.
What Apple Should I Use: There’s a lot of focus in apple recipes about which apples work best with which recipes. My philosophy is a bit different. Rather than worrying about which apples are the best, try to find the freshest, juiciest apples you can get your hands on and use a combination. Don’t use all MacIntosh or all Cortland, but instead use a mixture of apples so you can have a range of flavors and textures. Each apple contributes its own distinct taste and flavor and juiciness, so why not get a range of flavor in everything you make?
Click here to learn more about apple varieties and their flavor profiles.
Apple, cabbage, fennel slaw with apple cider dressing
This crunchy, refreshing, brightly flavored fall slaw uses apples in three ways: fresh apples are cut into thin matchsticks, and then apple cider and apple cider vinegar are used to flavor the slaw. Thinly sliced cabbage, fresh fennel, and carrots are tossed with the apple sticks and tossed with a simple dressing of mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, olive oil and chives.
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
The slaw:
- 1 medium cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and very thinly sliced, about 1½ pounds
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or very thin rounds
- 1 head fennel, very thinly sliced
The apple cider dressing:
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh chives, or parsley
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- To make the slaw: In a large salad bowl, gently toss the cabbage, apples, carrots and fennel.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, mix the mustard, salt and pepper. Add half the chives and the sour cream and stir until smooth. Mix in the apple cider vinegar and apple cider until smooth. Add the olive oil and stir; taste for seasoning.
- Pour the dressing on top of the slaw and gently mix everything up so all the slaw ingredients are coated with the dressing. Sprinkle the remaining chives on top. The slaw can sit, refrigerated, for up to three hours. The longer it sits, the softer the slaw will be. Ideally, don’t dress the slaw until an hour before serving.
Roast pork with apple ‘sauce,’ sage and garlic
This is kind of a remarkable recipe because it’s wildly comforting and sophisticated, but entirely simple. Apples are peeled, cored and cut into thick chunks. A bone-in pork roast is placed on top of the apples, studded with garlic, seasoned with fresh sage leaves and topped with apple cider. Pop it into the oven and an hour later, the apples have melted into a rich instant apple sauce and the pork is golden brown and luscious. Serve with roasted potatoes, polenta or noodles and the apple, cabbage and fennel slaw.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick wedges or slices
- 3-pound bone-in pork roast
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- About 1 to 1½ cups apple cider
- Handful fresh sage leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the apples in a large shallow casserole, baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Place the pork roast in the center, on top of the apples. Using a small knife, cut small inserts into the skin of the pork and insert the garlic slices. Sprinkle any remaining garlic around the top of the roast. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the meat. Place the sage leaves on top of the pork, letting a few fall onto the apples. Pour 1 cup of cider on top.
- Place on the middle shelf and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove and gently push down on the apples with the back of a large spoon to mash them slightly. If the apples appear dry, add another ½ cup cider. Roast another 30 to 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees. The apples should be very tender, and the top of the roast should be golden brown. If the roast looks pale, turn the temperature back up to 425 and roast another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before thinly slicing the roast and serving it with the roasted apples and sage leaves.
Apple crumble squares
This is a straightforward dessert that holds all the flavors of fall. The bottom of a cake pan is lined with a crumble mixture (flour, butter, spices, granola) and then topped with spiced and sugared apple slices, and finally topped with more of the crumble mixture. The apple squares are ooey-gooey delicious. Your entire kitchen will smell like apple pie, but this treat takes less than an hour to make.
Makes 12 squares.
The inspiration for this recipe came from “Snackable Bakes” by Jessie Sheehan.
Ingredients
The crumble mixture:
- ¼ cup flour
- Pinch salt
- 1½ cups granola (your favorite brand)
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 1 stick butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 egg
The apple mixture:
- 1½ pounds assorted apples, about 4 medium, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch slices
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ⅓ cup apple cider
Instructions
- Make the topping mixture: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, granola, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Add the butter and, working with your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the mixture until it resembles pea shapes. Add the egg and mix together.
- Make the apple mixture: In a medium bowl, gently mix together apples, maple syrup, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Add the flour and then the apple cider, stirring so there are no lumps of flour. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch cake pan with half the topping mixture, pressing down to create an even, solid layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the apple mixture, pressing down slightly. Top with the remaining topping mixture, pressing down lightly. Bake for another 45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.
Other apple recipes
- Click here for recipes to make chicken braised in apple cider with leeks, onions and potatoes; chicken braised in apple cider with leeks, onions and potatoes; andapple cider, pear and apple crumble with apple cider glaze whipped cream.
- Click here for recipes to make roasted apple and mushroom salad on arugula; roasted pork with apples, leeks and sage in a cider sauce; and apple chutney with chiles, ginger and raisins.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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