Savor A Bite Of Fall

Story and photos by Melissa Donald

Atrip to the apple orchard on a crisp day alerts your senses that fall is here. Today’s Transitions hit the road in search of some local apple varieties to create a few of our favorite fall dishes. Consider these tasty recipes a celebration of fall, in all its colorful (and yummy) splendor.

So get your buckets, it’s apple pickin’ time!

TYPES OF APPLES USED

Mollie’s Delicious

Taste: sweet/tart | Recipe: Dutch Baby Mulberry Farm — Shelbyville, Ky. mulberryorchardky.com

Northern Spy

Taste: tart/semisweet | Recipe: Baked Apples Hidden Hollow Orchard — Louisville, Ky. hiddenholloworchard.com

Jonagold

Taste: tangy/sweet Recipe: Fall Sausage and Apple Saute Huber’s Orchard & Winery — Starlight, Ind. huberwinery.com

*All recipes include the skin where a great deal of the nutrients are held.

FALL SAUSAGE AND APPLE SAUTE

Serves 2-4 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large Jonagold apples • 1 large sweet onion • 2 bell peppers, roasted and skins removed • 1 16 ounce bag Brussels sprouts, approximately 3-4 cups when shredded • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp minced garlic • 1 tbsp dried thyme • 4 links of your favorite sausage cut into rounds (I used Andouille sausage for an extra spicy flavor) • Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place peppers on a pan under your oven’s broiler and check every few minutes to see when the skins have blistered and are black. Rotate every few minutes to make sure all sides are blistered and black. This is quick and easy to do on a grill if you have one. Turn oven or grill off and remove peppers from the heat source and cool.

While the peppers are roasting, slice the onions, apples, and Brussels sprouts into ₁⁄₈-¼” thick slices. Set aside and slice the sausages into ½” rounds.

Heat ½ tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on top of the stove. Place sausage rounds in the skillet and cook on medium/high heat until done, about 5-8 minutes. Remove sausage rounds from pan and add the remaining olive oil, sliced onions, apples, and Brussels sprouts. Saute mixture on medium heat until onions are translucent and starting to turn a golden color, about 7-8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

Turn heat to low. Remove the charred skins off the roasted peppers and cut peppers into ¼” wide slices or smaller pieces. Add peppers and sausage into the pan and stir until incorporated.

Remove from heat and serve. We serve this with a side of rice, but choose whichever side you wish. Also good with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, couscous, quinoa, etc.

Created by Melissa Donald

Baked Apples (photo page 25)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Northern Spy apples • ¼ cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used a blend of walnuts, pecans, and almonds) • 2 tsps raisins • 1 tbsp butter • 1 tbsp brown sugar • ¼ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg • ₁⁄₈ tsp of ginger, cardamom, and cloves • Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

With a knife and/or vegetable peeler, take the core out of the apple, leave the bottom of the apple intact.

Add a pinch of salt to the interior of each apple. Place ½ tbsp of butter in the cavity of the cored apple. Add 1 tsp of raisins to each apple.

Mix together the brown sugar, chopped nuts, and spices. Divide in half and pack each half into the 2 apples.

Place apples in a shallow, oven-proof baking dish and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and press the side of one apple with a spoon to see if it’s soft. If not, place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until done.

Serve warm. Top with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Created by Melissa Donald

Dutch Baby with Sauteed Apples Serves 4-6 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large eggs • 1 cup all-purpose flour • ½ tsp salt • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup milk • 2 tbsps butter or margarine, melted and cooled • 1 tbsp solid vegetable shortening, may use coconut oil • 3 large Mollie’s Delicious apples • 2 tbsps butter, may use coconut oil • ½ tsp salt • 1 tsp cinnamon • ½ tsp nutmeg • Powdered sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the first 6 ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds on medium speed. Stop machine and scrape sides with a rubber spatula; blend again for another 30 seconds or until smooth and all ingredients have been incorporated.

After the oven has reached 450 degrees place the vegetable shortening in a 12” cast iron skillet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat the pan and melt the shortening. If not using a cast iron skillet, then you can use one large cake pan or split the batter into two separate cake pans.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately pour the batter into the hot skillet. Place immediately back into the oven and bake for 18 minutes.

After 18 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the edges are puffed and golden. Be sure to check oven temperature as oven temperatures may vary.

While the Dutch Baby is baking, slice the apples into thin wedges. Melt the butter or oil in a pan on top of the stove and add the apples. Sprinkle the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg on top of the apples, combine, and saute on medium heat until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and set aside. Remove Dutch Baby from the oven and cut into wedges. Place on plates and top with the sauteed apples. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or drizzle with maple syrup.

The sides of the Dutch Baby will rise first while baking. Sides can rise up to 4”-5”. The center of the Dutch Baby will rise as well and fall when removed from the oven.

Recipe origin unknown