Apples

by Daphne Lambert

Apples

Fresh picked apples are one of the evocative smells of Autumn. Many apples kept in a dry room will keep into the following year. Apples are packed full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Apple & kale juice (dairy & gluten free)

Curried parsnip & apple soup (dairy & gluten free)

Bramley, leek & cannelllini soup (dairy & gluten free)

Apple & walnut salad with marinaded tempeh (dairy & gluten free)

Chestnut, mushroom & apple bake

Apple strudel

Apple leather (dairy & gluten free)

Mincemeat (dairy & gluten free)

Apple cider vinegar

Apple & kale juice

serves 2

4 handfuls of kale

4 apples

4 celery sticks

1 lemon

Feed all the ingredients through your juicer and drink straight away

Curried parsnip & apple soup

serves 4

1 onion

4 medium parsnips

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 litre well flavoured vegetable stock

1 garlic clove

2 medium apples - (Braeburn or Pink Lady)

1 teaspoon curry powder

Peel and chop the onion.

Trim, peel and chop the parsnips.

Warm 1 tbsp. olive oil with 1 tbsp. water in a pan over a very low heat.

Add the chopped vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper.

Cover and gently cook, stirring occasionally for 10 mins until the vegetables soften

Peel and crush the garlic. Coarsely grate the apples, including the skin. Discard the core and pips.

Stir the garlic and apple into the vegetables.

Stir in the curry powder. Cook for a further minute then tip in the hot stock.

Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for 10 mins till the veg are very soft.

Ladle the soup into a blender and blitz it till it's smooth, or use a hand-held blender.

Season as necessary and ladle into 4 bowls.

Bramley, leek & cannellini soup

serves 4

2 leeks cleaned and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bramley apple peeled, cored and chopped

1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

500ml vegetable stock

dessertspoon fresh thyme leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan gently cook the leeks in the olive oil

Add the thyme and apples and cook for a further 2 minutes

Add the apple, drained beans and stock

Simmer for 5 minutes then blend adding water if necessary to make the right

consistency for you.

Season to taste, divide between 4 bowls and serve

Apple & walnut salad with marinaded tempeh

serves 4

225g tempeh

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 cloves garlic very finely chopped

1 small chilli very finely chopped (remove seeds if you prefer)

1 bunch of watercress

1 small head of radicchio

2 medium sized eating apples

2 handfuls shelled walnuts

4 tablespoons walnut oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

Cut the tempeh into 1 cm cubes. In a bowl mix well together the olive oil, tamari, honey, ginger, garlic and chilli. Gently toss the tempeh through this mixture and leave to marinade for at least 1 hour.

Pick over the watercress and separate the radicchio leaves breaking into smaller pieces as necessary leave in the fridge until ready to use.

Make the dressing by combining the walnut oil, cider vinegar and shallot.

Quarter, core and slice the apples. Place into a bowl with the salad leaves and walnuts and gently toss with the dressing. Divide between 4 bowls.

Pop the marinaded tempeh under a hot grill or toss in a pan until crisp. Divide between the salad bowls and serve.

Chestnut, mushroom and apple bake

serves 4

2 tablespoons butter

1 red onion, diced

100g shiitake mushrooms

1 tsp thyme

200g of cooked & peeled chestnuts very roughly chopped

2 Bramley apples peeled and diced

250ml of vegetable stock

100g of breadcrumbs

75g of butter

salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Cook the onions and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until softened but not coloured. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper

Add the apples and chestnuts to the pan cook for a further 5 minutes then add the stock and bring to the boil cook for a further 2 minutes.

Melt 75g of butter and pour over the breadcrumbs, toss well then add the chestnut mixture

Butter a baking dish and tip in the mixture spreading and pressing into the dish.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is crisp

Apple Strudel

450g strudel dough

Dough

275g white flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 180ml water, 1 egg, 25g melted butter

Sift the flour & salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Lightly beat together the melted butter, the water & egg & pour most of this mixture into the well. Stir until all the flour is incorporated & you have made a smooth dough, adding more flour or liquid as necessary. Knead until smooth & shiny on a lightly floured board. Cover with an inverted bowl & allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Filling

1.5k peeled, cored & chopped apples mixed with

110g chopped walnuts, 75g)raisins, 100g rapadura sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, thumb size piece grated ginger & zest/juice of 1 lemon.

110g melted butter

Preheated oven 180ºC, 350ºF

Roll out the dough on a large floured board, and then stretch it with your hands until it is almost transparent. Sprinkle with half of the melted butter. Cover with the apple mixture. Roll up the strudel. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Apple leather

peel core and chop apples, Bramleys work a treat

cook to a thick pulp then blend to a puree, sweeten if you wish with a touch of honey and swirl in some sieved raw berries.

Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper or teflex sheets & spread the mixture over the paper 1/" - 1/" thick.

Dehydrate at 145ºF/65ºC for 6 hours

Alternatively you can dry in a cool oven no more than 75ºC

The fruit leathers are done when they look like leather and are not at all sticky to touch. Make sure you test the middle of the leathers which will be the last part to dry.

Cut the leathers into strips, lay on strips of baking parchment and roll each one up.

Store in an airtight container in cool, dry place.

Mincemeat

375 ml cider

375g rapdura sugar

375g cooking apples cored and chopped 1" knob of ginger grated

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

150g each raisins, sultanas and currants

juice and zest 1 orange

juice and zest 1 lemon

100ml brandy

Place all the ingredients in a large pan and slowly bring to the boil

Simmer gently for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and stir in the brandy.

Pack into clean sterilised jars, securely fix a lid and store in a cool, dry place.

Apple cider vinegar

Here is a method to make health promoting apple cider vinegar from scratch and you can also make it from any bought organic cider.

5 sweet apples, such as Jonagold, Gala or Fuji, washed and chopped into medium pieces

1 tbsp sugar

enough filtered water, to cover

Place the apples and sugar in a Kilner or Mason jar and cover with water. Use a weight to keep apples submerged. Fix a lid but open daily to release gas. Leave in a warm, dark place for about two weeks. It will bubble and foam as the sugars begin to ferment. Any pieces of apple that rise to the top gently push them down.

After 2 - 4 weeks the apple pieces will fall to the bottom of the jar. Strain and discard the apple. Return the liquid to the same jar and cover the jar with muslin and secure with a rubber band. Return to a warm dark place and it will transform over the next 6 - 8weeks into vinegar with an acetic mat on the top known as a ‘mother’.

You can tell by the taste when the vinegar is ready – you do not want it to taste alcoholic it should be pleasantly acidic. Strain and bottle the vinegar. Save the ‘mother’ to use on the next batch as it will help speed up the process.