THE apple has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years, and there are thousands of different varieties – Britain alone produces 2,000. Nevertheless, we import 70% of the apples we consume, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find old British varieties in the shops.
Apples are a good source of antioxidants, fibre and vitamins A and C. Although most apples are consumed raw, either whole or juiced, they can be cooked in many different ways.
1APPLE CRUMBLE Crumble: 250 plain flour; 50g porridge oats; 175g brow
n cane sugar; 200g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature; pinch salt
Filling: 450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes; 50g brown cane sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice; pinch ground nutmeg; pinch ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 180ûC. Make the crumble by placing the flour, oats, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mixing well. Take a few cubes of butter at a time and rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, lemon juice and spices. Stir well, being careful not to break the fruit. Butter a 24cm ovenproof dish. Spoon in the fruit mixture, and then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling. Serve with thick cream or custard.
2APPLE AND GRAPE SALAD 2 apples, cut into cubes; 175g grapes, halved; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 30g pecan nuts, chopped; 1 tsp lemon juice; 75ml sour cream; 75ml plain yoghurt
Combine the fruit, celery, nuts and lemon juice in a bowl. Mix the yoghurt and cream together and gently add the fruit mixture. Cover and cool in the fridge for about an hour, to allow the flavours to develop. Serve on a bed of little gem lettuce leaves.
3 APPLE AND CHEESE PANCAKES 4 eggs, separated; 225g cottage cheese; 1 large eating apple, coarsely grated; 75g plain flour; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp chopped hazelnuts; 1 tsp lemon juice; pinch cinnamon; pinch salt
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a separate bowl until stiff, and then fold into the apple mixture. Lightly oil a griddle or large frying pan. Drop the batter from a serving spoon to form pancakes. Turn with a spatula when bubbles start to form on the uncooked side. Stack in a clean tea towel until ready to serve.
4 APPLE VINAIGRETTE 1 apple, peeled and grated; 150ml white wine vinegar; 1 tsp fresh ginger, very finely chopped; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 10 grinds black pepper; pinch salt; 500ml light olive oil
Place all the ingredients in a jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake until the dressing is well blended. Alternatively, you can vigorously whisk the ingredients in a small bowl until they are thoroughly mixed together.
5 CANDIED APPLES 1 litre unsweetened apple juice; 4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes; 100g light muscovado sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice
Put all the ingredients into a pan. Then bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces to thick syrup. This takes about two hours. Cool the apples in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container; store in the fridge for up to a week. Use as a garnish over any ice-cream, crème fraîche or whipped-cream dessert.
The full article contains 611 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
