The Apple of My Eye

Fall has been dubbed as the time of year for all things apple and I have to say I'm a big fan. A long long time ago, before Alex and I were even engaged (okay, two falls ago) we had a weekend adventure in Indiana to go apple picking (about a 20 minute drive from where Alex was living in Louisville). It was my first apple picking date and maybe even my first time at an apple orchard to boot. Alex had his first encounter with a caramel apple which was quite hilarious. It was a beautiful fall day and definitely reaffirmed why I already loved Alex - because he's always up for adventure and a little exploration. One of my favorite pictures of us from that day:

Given the fact that we were a little busy this time last year (a wedding, honeymoon, moving - nothing big!) we didn't have the opportunity to build upon this tradition in Lexington until this past weekend. We used our empty bags of Starbucks coffee to score us some free cups of freshly brewed coffee for the road and we were off to Versailles, KY which is SW of the city. Once again, we were blessed with perfect weather and a sunny day (gosh it certainly is sunny often in Lexington). We pulled up and were directed by a few high school boys. Seeing that they had people directing traffic I immediately knew we had made a good choice for two reasons: they were clearly organized, and second they had enough traffic to require directing! 

They had a market area with apples ready for purchase, lots of jams, preserves, fall decorations and baked goods. Out back they had live music, fresh food and lots of activities for the younger ones. They even had a giant slide that you go down in a burlap sack. I was disappointed to read the sign next to it that said "absolutely no adults." Boo. 

Alex I continued our exploration by saying hi to the farm animals and then giving our legs some exercise by walking the orchard and pumpkin patch. After about an hour or two we ended up with a couple small pumpkins, a bag of apples, a jar of apple butter and a half gallon apple cider (darn... I know now that we should've gone with the gallon). After you visiting an apple orchard most people end up with a load of apples that they now have to figure out what they'll do with all of them... 

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use apples in the kitchen: 

1. Appetizer: Caramelized Onion with Apples

Caramelized Onion Tarts with Apples from Real Simple

I decided to do the entree version of this appetizer, so I did a little searching and voila, found a recipe: Caramelized Onion and Apple Pizza with Goat Cheese & Walnuts. (If you feel extra enthusiastic you can also make the pizza dough yourself. I used this homemade crust recipe, but used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of regular flour).

For extra flavor, drizzle the pizza with a little balsamic vinegar before popping it in to broil. 

2. Side Dish: Sauteed Apples

Peel and cut up the remainder of your apples into slices. Throw them in a pan and saute them with butter. Add a little cinnamon and sugar on top. Let them cook until you're satisfied with the consistency. These make a great "baked apple" like side dish, but it's super easy! I also throw them on top of waffles,  pancakes or oatmeal to make breakfast a little more interesting. These would also work well over top of ice cream for a healthier dessert topping. 

If you want to use apples in a side dish, but don't have time to waste on the stove, cut them (skip the peeling) in the same manner, and then throw on top of some spinach with dried cranberries and walnuts. 

3. Entree: An Apple Today

(from the book: the Abs Diet, 6-Minute Meals for 6-Pack Abs). This recipe is super healthy, Alex lives for these cookbooks/diet. 

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 2 thin-cut boneless pork chops
• 1 small soft red apple
• 2 teaspoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine oil and garlic in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to center of skillet. Toss apple with vinegar and bourbon, then add apple mixture to the skillet between the pork and the edges of the pan. Cook for 6 minutes, turning pork once and turning apple pieces a few times. 

When ready to serve, top pork with mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Note: Grainy mustard is not the same as the regular mustard you may have in the fridge and I wouldn't suggest trying that one...)

4. Dessert: Faux Apple Pie
(or my adaptation on a peach crisp recipe from the book: The Best 1001 Short, Easy Recipes That Everyone Should Have!)

• 4 cups peeled apple slices
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-3 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the apples in a 9" pie baking dish and sprinkle the lemon juice over top. Mix flour, sugar, egg and a dash of salt. Spread mixture over top of apples and dot with a little butter (I used approximately 2 tablespoons). Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

This recipe is way easier than throwing together an apple pie and tastes just as delicious without all of the pie crust and unnecessary calories!