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Saturday 22 October 2011

National Apple Day


Yesterday was National Apple Day. A truly British fruit; it is a staple of my late Summer/Autumn diet. Plus at this time of year they are oh so cheap to buy (especially from Greengrocers!)
Apples are very versatile, being used in both savoury and sweet dishes and below are some of my faves! :-

Apple and Pear Crumble
- peel, core and slice apples and pears, pop into a pan and simmer with a bit of water until soft (you can add vanilla to this if you like....or sugar, however I like to keep a slight tartness to my fruit.
- rub together flour, sugar, butter and cinammon until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pop apple/pear mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the crumble mixture, bake in 180degree oven until the crumble is golden and the fruit is bubbling up deliciously underneath. I don't really measure as do this recipe from sight, however if you want a more luxurious recipe, Rachel Allen's is delicious! http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/608917

Normandy Pork with Cider
Meat.....Apples......and Cider.......what more could you ask for in a casserole?!?! Heaven! There are so many variations to this recipe but the fundamental ingredients stay the same!
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/pork/normandy-pork-with-cider.html
The above recipe by Delia is yummy. I tend to use any cider, usually the cheaper the better as when it is slow cooked the flavour is still beautiful. You could add apple brandy as well! To cheapen the meal even further or to 'thriftify' it ;) you could use pork belly instead. Or pork ribs!

My fave winter pudding warmer:
Baked Apples
So easy to make and oh so yummy! You'll need one large cooking apple per person for this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 200degrees. Wash and Core your apples and then make a shallow cut (score) around the middle (waist)  of each one. Place into an ovenproof dish.
- Fill each Apple with Raisins/Sultanas, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon. Place a few cubes of cold butter on top of the mixture.
- Pour cold water in the ovenproof dish around the apples and place into oven and bake for around 45 minutes, test to see if the apples are cooked by using a sharp knife to pierce the apples. If it pierces easily then they're done.

This is a truly calorific dessert as I like to spoon golden syrup on top of the apples when they come out of the oven on the plates. You can serve this with custard, cream or ice cream. Full of calories but perfect as a treat when you're chilled to the bone by the Winter! Enjoy!!

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