Apples are great for pies, applesauce, jam, cookies, or simply baked or eaten freshly sliced. Photo by Michelle Beck

By Michelle Beck

It is always such a welcome sight when apples appear at the farmers’ market in September, because it means cooler air is finally on its way. Gala apples are generally the first available, and their juicy crispness helps me forget how sick I am of the heat and dust by the end of summer. Although few apples grow well on the valley floor, many varieties are still available from farms in the foothills or up in Tehachapi.

Following the Galas, farmers’ market shoppers can expect to see Fuji, Pink Lady (among my favorites), Granny Smith and others. Unlike supermarket fruit, these apples are generally unwaxed, so they won’t have that super-shiny look of the ones in the supermarket. Don’t let that dissuade you – they are usually fresher and tastier than supermarket apples.

I recently read Michael Pollan’s book, “The Botany of Desire,” and was fascinated by the section about the history and evolution of the apple. PBS is producing a documentary of this book airing on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/

Pollan’s book discusses the incredible diversity of apple varieties, which encouraged me to take a day trip recently to Avila Beach with the family. We wanted to sample some of the heirloom varieties available at the apple farms in See Valley, which are open daily from September to November. We went to Gopher Glen Orchards and sampled 15 different varieties of apples, but there are many other orchards on See Canyon Road.

We also stopped at the Avila Barn so the second grader (OK, it was really me) could feed the animals in the petting zoo. The Avila Barn is a fun place for families to pick pumpkins, pet animals and buy all kinds of produce and treats. To keep the apples fresh at home, the Gopher Glen people recommended stringing the apples in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. They also suggested adding 1/2 cup of water to the crisper drawer to help with humidity. Whether you use the crisper or not, don’t store apples on the kitchen counter – they need to stay cold.

For more information on visiting apple orchards in San Luis Obispo, visit www.thesloguide.com/may04_01.htm.

For more information on visiting apple orchards in Tehachapi, read this related Bakersfield Express story.

Apple Tools:

A few tools make cooking with apples much easier.

The traditional slicer, usually a round metal tool with spokes, will cut the apple into unpeeled slices.

A peeler/corer/slicer does just about everything but make the pie itself. This is a tool I put off buying for a while, but now consider essential. It clips to a counter or counter cutting board and quickly preps apples for applesauce, pie and many other recipes. Mine is from The Pampered Chef, but I have seen them at Olcotts, Bed, Bath and Beyond and other kitchen supply stores. I only use mine a few times a year, but I have had it for more than 10 years and consider it worth every penny.

An apple corer is useful for making baked apples.

What to do with apples?

Raw, sliced apples make a delicious snack with Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread found at grocery stores and Cost Plus), peanut butter or almond butter. They are also delicious added to green salad. (See recipe below.)

Applesauce is very easy to make. Use the tool to peel/core/slice each apple – any mix of varieties is fine. Put the apples in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and cook on medium/medium-low until the apples are soft. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. (People who like very smooth applesauce put it through a food mill; I don’t.) Season to taste with one or more of the following: cinnamon, ginger, apple pie spice (which has cinnamon and ginger in it), Chinese Five spice, chai spice – or whatever you like. Just look at the ingredients on the spice jar to determine which one is best. No sugar is necessary. This is also an excellent baby food, which can be frozen in ice cube trays, then stored in a Ziploc bag.

Apple spice jam is excellent and easier to make than people think. I made this one, but used the lower-sugar pectin and reduced the white sugar to 1 1/2 cups.

Baked apples are very easy. They can be baked sliced or whole. There are thousands of recipes available, such as this one.

And here is a great recipe for apple-almond bars.

I get raves every time I bring this salad to parties:

Apple Blue Cheese Nut Salad

• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
• 8 cup romaine lettuce
• 3/4 cup (3 oz) crumbled blue cheese
• 2 cups peeled, sliced apples

Dressing:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 green onions, cut crosswise in 4 pieces
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup oil

Process dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss salad with 1/2 cup of dressing. There will be plenty left over.

What to Plant Right Now:

Now is a great time to plant sugar snap peas and snow peas. Fresh sugar snaps and snow peas are delicious raw and cooked. We eat about half of the ones we grow before they even make it to the house! Grocery store snap peas do not hold a candle to those fresh from the garden. They will ripen in late winter/early spring, but seeds need to be planted now to get a head start before it gets too cold. OSH has a nice selection of Renee’s Garden seeds. Neither plant takes up much room, but both plants are vines and need support and a sunny spot in which to grow. Support for the pea vines can be as simple as some bird netting stapled to a fence, or it can be a free-standing, vertical frame. I have this one from Gardener’s Supply. If my tower ever breaks, I am getting these.

Pesto

If you have basil in your garden, now is a good time to make pesto. Basil is an annual and will freeze when the weather finally cools off. Pesto freezes nicely and is delicious on salmon or in vegetable or tomato soups. Here is a simple recipe. I usually make two or three batches, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays and store the cubes in a Ziploc bag.