ATLANTA — Except for the pumpkin, no other produce looks, tastes and feels like fall than a fresh apple. A bad one, mealy and dull, is a whole other animal than its complex, fresh and locally grown ideal. With Georgia's crop at the peak of harvest, the yearly window for the perfect apple is wide open right now.
Virtually all of the state's supply comes from Ellijay and its surrounding areas. For the best of the season, a lovely fall drive up to the hills of Ga. 52, also known as Apple Alley, where orchards abound, will bring the region's best apples to the table. You can also find Ellijay apples at a few farmers markets around town, at Whole Foods and Harry's, and some orchards provide online shopping. Don't be leery about buying in volume. Many apples will keep for up to six months. Here are some great recipes using apples.
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Pork Tenderloin With Warm Apple and Cabbage Slaw
8 servings
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Seasoned roasted pork tenderloin is served with an autumnal blend of red cabbage and apples. The sweetness of the apples is the perfect counterpoint for the pork. The pork and vegetables should take about the same amount of time to cook, so everything should be ready together to serve. Add rice for a complete meal.
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage, cut into strips
2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, thinly sliced and cut into strips
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, optional
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat oven to 450. Lightly coat a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
In a bowl, combine mustard and thyme. Cover the pork with mustard mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork on the baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 155. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch pieces.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Saute the onion for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage and apples and saute for 1 to 2 minutes to combine. Add broth and vinegar and cook until cabbage is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Add cranberries and sugar and stir to combine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve pork slices alongside or over the cabbage mixture.
Per serving: 194 calories (percent of calories from fat, 27), 26 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 74 milligrams cholesterol, 153 milligrams sodium.
Quick Apple Tarts
9 servings
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
This easy apple tart is decidedly Parisian. For a complexity of flavors, combine varieties of apples. Try mixing Gala and Rome or Granny Smith with Empires. For uniform apple slices, use a melon baller to remove the core, then slice apples one at a time in a food processor.
4 medium Georgia apples, peeled, cored and cut in half
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Confectioners' sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 400.
Cut apple halves into 1/16-inch-thick slices and transfer to a large bowl. Add lemon juice and stir to coat apples. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle sugar mixture over sliced apples, then stir gently to coat apples. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold pastry onto parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to eliminate creases. Arrange apples atop pastry in three rows, overlapping apple slices. Fold over edges of pastry to make corners. Brush apples with melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
— Adapted from Gourmet magazine
Per serving: 411 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 4 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 24 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 153 milligrams sodium.
Apple Crisp
6-8 servings
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Select a tart, crisp apple to balance the sweetness of the topping. Gravenstein, Pippin and Braeburn are good choices, but local apples such as Rome Delicious may be the best choice of all. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
8 medium apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375. Have ready an unbuttered 2-quart earthenware or glass baking dish, 2 inches deep.
Peel, core and cut the apples in half and then into 1-inch chunks. Spread them evenly in the baking dish.
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Or do this with a mixer or in a food processor, taking care not to blend the butter too thoroughly. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit. Tap the dish on the counter once or twice to settle the crumbs.
Bake until the topping is golden brown, the juices are bubbling and the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer, 50 to 55 minutes.
— Adapted from "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner, $35)
Per serving (based on 6): 257 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 2 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 178 milligrams sodium.
Crockpot Caramel Apples
10 servings
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
These holiday treats are easy to make in a crockpot, which allows you a large surface to roll and coat the apples with caramel. At this time of year, most packages of caramels come with sticks just for this purpose. While the caramel is still very liquid, you can add other decorations, such as chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts, but once the caramel sets, it's too late.
2 (14-ounce) bags caramels
1/4 cup water
10 apples, washed and dried
Chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles, optional
In a slow cooker, combine caramels and water. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes. Stir, switch to low and begin stirring every 5 to 10 minutes as mixture begins to turn smooth and shiny to prevent scorching around the edges (use visual cues to determine how close you are getting).
Meanwhile, place stick into stem end of apples.
When mixture is smooth, dip apples into caramel one at a time, turning to coat entire surface. Spoon caramel over top of the apple. Let excess caramel drip back into the cooker. If desired, roll in nuts or sprinkles before the caramel firms up.
Place apples on wax or parchment paper and refrigerate to set the caramel before eating.
Per serving: 231 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 1 gram protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 208 milligrams sodium.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
6 servings
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Roasting fruits and vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars, adding deeper flavors to this easy-to-prepare soup. You want the vegetables to roast until they are very soft, with bits of browning. The curry adds very subtle flavor. For more of a pronounced curry taste, increase the amount, or if you are not a fan, you can leave it out.
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 to 5 cups)
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1 to 2 cups apple cider or juice
Preheat oven to 400. On a foil-lined baking sheet, combine squash, carrots and onion. Drizzle with oil and stir well to combine. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, remove, add apples and stir well to combine. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove and add curry powder and stir well to combine. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.
Transfer mixture to a blender, add 2 cups broth and puree. Transfer to a stockpot, add remaining broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in apple juice to taste and to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 150 calories (percent of calories from fat, 14), 7 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 3 grams fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 277 milligrams sodium.
These recipes were printed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
