The season’s best apples are everywhere! Get in on the fresh apples of NorCal and enjoy some of our favorite apple lovers’ traditions. Everything’s coming up apples for this Fall Luncheon featuring chicken salad, coleslaw, fresh fruit and Apple Tart with Crunchy walnuts and caramel sauce.
Apple Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Grill or bake chicken breast until done.
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 large stalks celery, diced small
1 large crisp apple
1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
12 mini croissants, or sliced fresh bread of your choice – 24 small or half slices – for 2 per sandwich.
Cabbage Apple Cole Slaw
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 crisp apple (chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 Tablespoons mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
Red Wine Vinegar to taste (1-2 tsp.)
Wash then cut cabbage into fine shreds (or buy shredded). Finely grate the carrot. Chop apple finely; add lemon juice;; mix well. mix all ingredients with mayonnaise, sugar, celery seed and vinegar. Toss and serve immediately to keep apples fresh. Garnish plate with fresh fruit!
Apple Tart with Crispy Walnuts & Caramel Sauce
Dough: Need the ingredients and what to do with them right here.
FILLING:
6 large crisp apples, peeled, cored and cut in sliced wedges
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl.
Toss in apple slices, mix well to cover apples.
Fill uncooked tart with apple mixture. Bake at 350º for 50 – 60 minutes.
TOPPINGS:
Crispy Walnuts and Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup walnut pieces chopped coarsely into chunks
Mix first three ingredients, heat to soft boil, stirring constantly as heat rises. Cook, whisking, at a low boil until thick, about 8-10 minutes. Put walnuts in a mixing bowl. Pour approximately 1/4 of caramel sauce over the nuts and stir thoroughly. Spread nut mixture out on foiled cookie sheet in single layer. Bake approx. 1 hours and 15 minutes at 375º until lightly brown and crispy. Break apart the nuts. Serve tart with warmed caramel sauce and crispy walnuts for topping. If desired, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream makes a perfect triple topper!
Warm Apple Cider
Make it easy. Buy cider and heat. Float orange slices and cinnamon sticks in the drink. Serve warm.
Apple Butter
By Melissa Wynn
Any kind of apple or a mix can be used. Some are sweeter and some are tart so taste your apple butter throughout the cooking process and add sugar or spice to suit your own taste. We like cinnamon and nutmeg as listed below but many people add cloves and allspice or use pumpkin pie spice. We like brown sugar but some use white. Have fun with it. This recipe yields about two cups, so apple butter is a great way to burn up those end of season apples that otherwise go to waste. This is a great recipe for a bad weather day, the house is warm from the oven and that baking apple pie smell fills the house all day long. It is great on biscuits.
4 to 5 lbs. apples peeled, cored and quartered
2 cups apple cider
1 cup brown sugar
Salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Combine the apples, apple cider, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in your turkey roaster or Dutch oven. Cook on stovetop over medium heat, simmer until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg (or your favorite spice blend). Puree the mixture in a blender in batches until smooth. Return the mixture to the roaster and bake uncovered, stirring every half hour or so until thickened with that signature rich amber, apple butter color. Apples vary but it will take several hours. Add more cider or a touch of water when stirring if your mixture is getting too thick but not brown enough. Again there are no rules, you may prefer yours lighter and just spreadable. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. When making large batches for canning, boil jars and use the hot bath method for sealing the jars.
