Apple-based recipes perfect for fall

By Staff

For many, October is all about a familiar sweet, tart and crispy friend—apples. The bushels abound with Fugis, Honeycrisps and Jonagolds, all just begging to be snacked on, baked up and dipped in caramel sauce. In its new cookbook, Fruitful: Four Seasons of Fresh Fruit Recipes, Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva presents dishes to devour any time of year. But apples are most special now, right at the peak of the season. Get your own copy of the cookbook, along with juices and other delicious things at RedJacketOrchards.com/Shop.

Spiced Molasses Baked Apples

4 large Golden Delicious apples
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 tablespoons dried cherries
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
3 tablespoons dark spiced rum

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Cut out the woody core and seeds of the apples, leaving ½ inch of the bottoms intact. Using a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of peel from around the equator of each apple. (This will prevent the skin from bursting during baking.)

2. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, cherries, butter, sugar, spices and salt. Stuff a small amount of this mixture into the center of each apple. Transfer the apples to the prepared pan.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses and rum. Drizzle the mixture over and around the apples. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, basting often with the pan sauces, until the apples are tender and golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the apples cool slightly before serving.

Kale, Apple & Kohlrabi Slaw

1 bunch curly kale, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
1 medium bulb kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks (or raw fennel)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of chili flakes
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 sweet-tart apple, cored and cut into -inch matchsticks
½ cup dried currants (or dried figs)

1. In large bowl, combine the kale, kohlrabi and onion.

2. In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the toasted nuts to the kale mixture.

3. Add the fennel seeds to the skillet and toast until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle and crush lightly. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, put the seeds into a large plastic zipper bag and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush them.) Return the fennel seeds to the skillet and add the oil.

4. Heat the oil over medium-low heat until it is warm and the seeds turn pale golden in color. Stir in the chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the vinegar and salt and let the mixture heat through for 1 minute.

5. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the apple and currants, and toss well. Serve immediately.

Joe’s Braised Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage & Apples

Serves 8

For the beef

4 pounds beef bottom round
2 cups cider vinegar
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 slice of rye bread, cut into ½-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
10 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cups whole milk

1. In the bottom of a large Dutch oven, combine the vinegar, 3 cups of water and the onion, bread, salt, caraway seeds, peppercorns and cloves.

2. Add the beef.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours overnight, turning the beef every few hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Place the pot on the stovetop and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

6. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven to continue cooking until the meats is very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

7. Transfer the meat to a larger platter. Spoon 4 tablespoons of fat from the surface of the pot juices and reserve. Strain the remaining liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heat-proof bowl.

8. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Whisk in the reserved fat and the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, until the mixture begins to turn golden.

9. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the strained juices and the milk. Simmer untilt he gravy is thick and bubbling, and thin it with additional pan juices, if desired. Taste the gravy, and add more salt and pepper as necessary.

10. While meat braises, begin to prepare cabbage and apples (below).

For the red cabbage and apples

2 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
½ medium head read cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 tart-sweet apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Melt the butter in a very large skilled over medium heat.

2. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Toss in the onion and a pinch of salt.

4. Cook, stirring constantly until the onion is very soft, for about 5 minutes.

5. Toss in the cabbage and another pinch of salt.

6. Cover and cook the vegetables for 10 minutes.

7. Stir in the apple, vinegar and sugar.

8. Cover and cook until both the cabbage and apple are very tender, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put it all together

1. Thinly slice the meat and spoon the gravy liberally over the top.

2. Serve with sautéed cabbage and apples and your favorite hearty side!