An Apple a Day in October

Published October 1, 2010

Photo by ANDREW CROWLEY. Click to view original.

This post is in celebration of the first day of October and the first day of the National Apple Harvest Festival tomorrow! (Read more about the festival in a previous post). Try these fun ideas from the October issue of Food Network Magazine for enjoying an Apple a Day. While you’re in Adams County (a.k.a. Apple Country) be sure to stock up! See if you can try all the different varieties (there are over 20) and pick your favorite. Don’t forget, we offer complimentary apples from Hollabaugh Bros. at the Gettysburg Hotel front desk and the Farmer’s Market is on the square Saturday mornings!

Fri 1: Make apple chips: Thinly slice 3 apples; bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven, 1 hour. Sprinkle with salt.

Sat 2: Slice an apple horizontally; toss with lemon juice. Layer the slices with goat cheese, bacon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Sun 3: Butter a whole-wheat pita; top with apple slices and cinnamon. Toast 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Drizzle with honey.

Mon 4: Try Ginger Golds, often the first apples of the season. They don’t brown as fast as others, so slice one up for later.

Tue 5: Toss two diced apples and some baby spinach with lemon juice, olice oil, salt, pepper, blue cheese and walnuts.

Wed 6: Make apple “mojitos”: Shake 3 oz. apple juice, some lime juice, ice and mint in a shaker. Pour and top with ginger ale.

Thu 7: Snack time: Top apple slices with peanut butter, raisins and-the secret ingredient- a pinch of sea salt.

Fri 8: Make a Jack Rose: Shake 2 oz. applejack, 1 oz. lemon juice and 1/2 oz. grenadine with ice. Strain into a glass.

Sat 9: Stir chunky applesauce into butternut squash or sweet potato soup and warm through.
photo courtesy of Holistic Healing News

Sun 10: Fill and omelet with with thinly sliced apples, Black Forest ham and brie.

Mon 11: Spend Columbus Day at a pick your own orchard. Twist the apples gently until the stem breaks from the branches.

Tue 12: Dress up a cheese board with sliced apples. Cortlands go great with cheddar, Honeycrips with blue cheese.

Wed 13: Cook down a bag of apples into applesauce and add Red Hots cinnamon candies for a little kick and color.

Thu 14: Make apple slaw: Shred carrots, and cored apples in a food processor; add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin.

Fri 15: Add diced apples to homemade iced tea as it brews, then strain and sweeten with a few glugs of honey.

Sat 16: Throw and apple-bobbing party: Round, long-stemmed apples like Gala and Jonagold are easiest to catch.

Sun 17: Serve apple pie with a thin slice of cheddar cheese on each piece; warm in a 250 degree oven until the cheese melts.

Mon 18: Make an apple-beet salad. Combine sliced apples and canned sliced beets; toss with salt. pepper and plain yogurt.

Tue 19: Make an apple granita: Pour a 1 inch layer of apple juice into a shallow metal pan and freeze. Scrape with a fork to serve.

Wed 20: Test your knife skills by peeling an apple and measuring the longest piece of skin. The world record in 172 feet!

Thu 21: Upgrade store-bough applesauce by stirring in diced fresh apples and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Fri 22: Dip apples in chocolate: Microwave 6 ounces chopped chocolate and 1/4 cup of cream on 75% power for 2 minutes; stir.

Sat 23: Chop up some Pink Lady apples to snack on this week; just toss them with lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Sun 24: Try apple s’mores: Put a marshmallow on a gingersnap; microwave 10 seconds. Top with an apple slice and a gingersnap.

Mon 25: Turn PB&J into a PB&A: Replace the jelly with apple butter. Look for it in the jam-and-jelly aisle or at farmer’s markets.

Tue 26: Mix diced apples, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and maple syrup into your morning oatmeal.

Wed 27: Wrap thin wedges of Golden Delicious apples in prosciutto and serve as hors d’oeuvres.

Thu 28: Toss apple slices into your favorite macaroni and cheese before serving – it’ll taste like apples dipped in fondue.

Fri 29: Make mulled cider: Simmer a half gallon of apple cider with
Photo by Karl Juengel click for original

cloves, a cinnamon stick and sliced oranges for 15 minutes.