Fall Fruit Favorite: Apples

Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp…the list goes on, with over 7,000 types of apple cultivars in existence. Not native to the United States, this fruit was brought over by the early colonists and migrated across the country. They have become Washington state's largest crop, producing 50% of the apples grown in this country. Trees traditionally flower in May and yield fruit from late August to early November, making this the perfect time to eat and enjoy them.

The Washington State Apple Commission reports that Americans eat approximately 19 pounds of fresh apples annually, compared to about 46 pounds consumed annually by residents of European countries. You may think we are slackers by comparison, but the bounty and variety of fresh fruit that we have at our fingertips is far superior to that of European countries, particularly given the many climates our country has and our proximity to Central and South America, which grows a large amount and variety of fruit. So don't feel bad, but you could consider eating a few more of our homegrown fruit, helping out American growers and doing yourself some good as well. One large apple (8 ounces) has 130 calories, 5 grams of fiber (20% of your RDA), no sodium and no cholesterol. Full of healthy goodness, an apple a day just might keep the doctor away, or at least help with the process.

We all have our favorite kind of apple, and our favorite way of eating them:

• Sliced with salt, peanut butter, or served with a cheese plate
• Juiced or made into cider to drink
• Cut up for a pie, crisp, brown betty, or apple cake
• Whole baked apples, stuffed with nuts and/or raisins and sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup
• Cooked and made into applesauce (I love this served warm right out of the cooking pot)
• Covered in chocolate, caramel, or red candy, with or without toppings, and eaten right off the stick
• Dried, to snack on

I grew up on homemade applesauce, spoiling me to the point that I cannot eat the store-bought version. When my children were young and my family had apple trees, it was a favorite family pastime to make applesauce. I have an old-fashioned apple-peeler-corer that the children could use to prep the apples in a jiffy, and everyone took turns stirring the pot. The fragrance in the house is unmistakable and heavenly, reminiscent of days gone by. I don't make applesauce much anymore, but I do make a simple apple tart, freeform in style, that is delicious and easy enough for a child to prepare. I use a pre-made pie crust, the flat version, and because the tart is freeform, when you roll it out it doesn't matter if it comes out round, oblong, or amoeba-shaped. Your local store probably carries the Pillsbury brand in the refrigerated biscuit section. I let it thaw slightly and roll out a bit thinner than you would use for a pie. And since this is so easy to do, I often use both crusts and make 2 tarts at the same time! Served warm or cold, topped with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or low-cal vanilla ice cream, it will be a crowd pleaser.

Quick and Easy Freeform Apple Tart
1 prepared flat pie crust*
4 large apples (red and yellow apples make the best tart)
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat over to 425 degrees. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Roll out prepared pastry on floured board to about a 12-inch round. Transfer dough to a lipped nonstick baking sheet. Seal any tears in the dough. Leaving a 2-inch border, begin placing apples in concentric circles, starting from the outside and working toward the center. Mix sugar and spices and sprinkle over the apples. Dot with small knobs of butter. Then fold the edges of the pastry over the apples, making overlaps as you go around.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 375 degrees and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden.

*As an alternative, you can use a frozen pie shell, as long as you let it thaw and can easily remove it from its pie pan.