American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once described the apple as ‘the noblest of fruits’. More recently, New Zealand broadcaster Nathan Rarere (host of RNZ’s very own First Up) described it as ‘the Toyota Corolla of fruit’. Both are valid descriptions.
Photo: Aaron Blanco Tejedor/Unsplash
Apples are so omnipresent in shops and supermarkets that it’s sometimes difficult to remember that they’re the poster fruit of autumn. If you’ve got an apple tree in the garden, it’s likely to be bowing under the weight of its incumbent harvest (unless it’s my tree, which this year has refused to yield a single apple).
Apple orchards in Hawke’s Bay were hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle, which affected nearly 50 percent of the region’s crop. If ever there was a time to put your money where your mouth is, it’s now. The jury’s out as to whether an apple a day really does keep the doctor away, but crunching through a few is surely our national duty. Once you’ve had your fill of apples au naturel, here’s how to cook ‘em up.
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Autumn is all about preserving the harvest for the lean months ahead. Lois Daish’s Apple Cider Cheese is a sweet-tart slice of heaven, while Anna Hansen’s Green Capsicum and Apple Relish will perk up cheese toasties for months to come. If you’ve got so many apples you don’t know what to do with them, check out Nicola Galloway’s detailed advice on preserving fruit using the water bath method.
While you’re in the kitchen preserving, you may as well indulge in a few other apple-based projects. The unnamed creator of these Baby Apple Pies with Blue Cheese reckons ‘an apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze’. Whether that’s true or not, these pies are super-quick to make and very low effort if you use ready-rolled pastry.
If you’re in a position to splash out on a dozen Bluff oysters to mark the start of the season, Paul Jobin’s Bluff Oysters with Apple and Horseradish Dressing aren’t a bad way to celebrate. Richard Till’s Apple, Onion and Sausage Casserole is rather more humble, but no less delicious (and an easy recipe for teenagers to master). Jax Hamilton’s recipe for luscious Pork Loin Chops with Candied Apples falls somewhere in the middle in terms of skill and ingredients.
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Time for pudding? Baking with apples doesn’t need to be high-stakes or high cost, as this simple (and no-butter) Norwegian Apple Cake shows. And while there are many apple shortcake recipes in RNZ’s Recipe Collection, this confidently named Best Apple Shortcake seems to be the most user-friendly (plus, it uses up eight Granny Smith apples, which are the least favourite variety in my household).
For an even simpler apple treat, try DIY apple chips. Heat the oven to 100C and line two or three oven trays with baking paper. Wash and dry a couple of apples, then slice as thinly as possible (a mandolin is useful here, but watch your fingers). Flick out and discard any pips. Arrange the apple slices on the trays and dust with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake for 45-60 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake for another 45-60 minutes, until they're starting to shrivel and crisp up. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar until the trays are cold. Store in an airtight container.
