Maine Apples

There are many ways to serve and eat apples. Once thought to be primarily for dessert, they are now included in many salads and savory dishes. Whatever your preference, apples are a great way to add flavor and nutrition to any snack or meal.

Apple varieties with a tart flavor work well in pies. Summer apples such as Lodi, Duchess or Pristine are sour and will compliment the pie's sweetness. Northern Spy, Jonagold, Wolf River, Idared, Gravenstein and Cortland are some other favorites for pies. For complexity, combine three different varieties into one pie. Preferences will vary, and you may have your own favorite apple not mentioned here.

Apples are also great in salads, and the best varieties for salads will also depend on your preference. To prevent browning, select varieties that have a nonbrowning flesh such as Cortland and the new variety SnowSweet. Empire, Gala, Honeycrisp and Macoun are a few other varieties recommended for salads.

Oatmeal Apple Cookies 1 Cup flour 1 Cup brown sugar 1 t baking powder 1 egg ¼ t salt ½ t vanilla ¼ t cinnamon 1 ½ Cup whole oats ¼ Cup butter or margarine 1 apple peeled and chopped Preheat oven to 375°. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Combine brown sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy, beat in egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, then oats to butter mixture, stir in apples. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min until brown. (Hansel's Orchard)	GREEN SALAD WITH APPLES (10 servings) Vinaigrette: ¼ cup (apple cider) vinegar 3 tablespoons finely minced shallot or onion 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons honey ½ olive or canola oil Other ingredients: 12 cups salad greens (lettuces of various types plus other salad greens) 1 crisp, red-skinned apple, quartered, cored, thinly sliced. Combine vinegar, shallot or onion, mustard & honey in a small bowl. Add oil and whisk until well blended. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt & pepper. Combine greens and apple in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. (McDougal’s Orchard)
EASY FRUIT SALAD (Serves 2 or 3) Core and dice 1 apple. Peel, section and cut one orange into bite-sized pieces. Slice one banana. Mix together with a couple of spoonfuls of any flavor low-fat yogurt in a medium bowl. Serve with dried, sweetened cranberries and/or toasted almonds, if you like.

EASY FRUIT SALAD