There are many reasons to visit New York in the fall, and apples are one of them. I was reminded of this when I found myself at the small Lincoln Center farmers’ market on a Saturday in late October. I had been testing apple recipes at home in Los Angeles the previous week for this week’s Recipes for Health, and now I regretted that I didn’t have more recipes to test, so generous was my choice of apples. (This did not stop me from buying quite a selection and enjoying them, just about the healthiest snack on earth, throughout the week.)
Most of the apples were types I can’t get in California – Jonamac and Jonagold, Mutsu and Macoun, McIntosh, Spartan, Cortland, Empire. The West Coast apples I work with are good too — Braeburns, Galas, Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith — but there is something about the tart, juicy crispness of a New York state apple that can’t be outdone.
Apples will see their way from the beginning to the end of my Thanksgiving meal, starting with a chopped salad that pairs apples with walnuts and bitter lettuces (endive and chicory or radicchio). I made whole wheat apple-pecan scones that you can serve with the meal or eat for breakfast, and sautéed apple rings that make a very nice side dish with turkey (or serve them for dessert with ice cream). Apples and cranberries also add a new sweet dimension to my whole wheat bread stuffing. All this is not to discourage you from making apple pie; but if you want to make a dessert that is a little less demanding, try my now-favorite gluten-free apple-cranberry crumble.
Chopped Salad With Apples, Walnuts and Bitter Lettuces : A salad with a great mix of bitter and sweet flavors that is juicy, crunchy and comforting.
Whole Wheat Bread, Apple and Cranberry Dressing : Having grown up with Pepperidge Farm stuffing, I will always have a weakness for bread stuffing seasoned with sage and thyme, with plenty of chopped onion and celery.
Sautéed Apple Rings : An apple dish that can work on the breakfast table, as a side dish or even dessert.
Whole Wheat Apple Pecan Scones : Juicy apples work well in these not-too-sweet scones.
Gluten-Free Apple, Pear and Cranberry Pecan Crumble : Cooking the apples first makes a huge difference in the sweetness of an apple crumble.