An Apple a Day
Mixed Baby Greens, Apples, and Walnuts
Curried Corn, Potato, and Apple Soup
Apple and Maple Cake
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Varieties grown by most of our apple farmers include; the early crisp and sweet, yellow in color, Ginger Gold, the Macoun, Macintosh, Empire, Gala, Liberty, Cortland, a newer variety called Honey Crisp, a cross between a Macoun and a Golden Delicious. The late apples, available by the end of October include; Fortune, a large apple that is a cross between a Northern Spy and an Empire, and the large, and crisp Jona Gold, a reddish yellow apple and the Crispin or Mutsu apple, a huge, Japanese apple with a golden yellow color.

Local farmers who grow and sell their apples:

Rolling Acres Orchard 364 Orange Ave. Milford telephone: 874-7058 hours: everyday, 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM

Rose Orchards 33 Branford Rd. North Branford telephone: 488-7996 hours: everyday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM

Drazen Orchards 251 Wallingford Rd. Cheshire telephone: 272-7985 hours: everyday, 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM

Bishop's Orchard 1355 Boston Post Rd. Guilford telephone: 453-2338 hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM

Hindinger Farm 835 Dunbar Hill Rd. Hamden telephone: 288-0700 hours: Tuesday - Friday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Closed Monday

High Hill Orchard 86 Fleming Rd. Meriden telephone: 294-0276 hours: Tuesday - Friday, 12:00 until 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday,. 10:00 Am until 5:00 PM , Closed Monday

Mixed Baby Greens, Apples, and Walnuts, with a Walnut-Orange Dressing, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 6-8

1 Lb. Mixed baby greens, Mesclun or Spring Mix, or other combination of greens
2 Scallions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Large apples, cut into a medium dice or into thin wedges
4 Baby carrots, sliced 1/4 Cup chopped walnuts
8 Ounces Manchego cheese or other sheep's milk cheese, cut into small cubes
Dressing: 2 Tablespoons walnut oil or other nut oil
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from about ½ orange
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste

Arrange the baby greens onto a serving platter. Scatter the scallions, apples, carrots, walnuts, and cheese evenly over the top. Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the oil, orange juice, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to blend. Taste for seasonings. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad. Serve.

Curried Corn, Potato, and Apple Soup
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 8

4 Tablespoons trans fat free margarine or butter
3 Medium sweet onions, coarsely chopped
3 Large cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 Large potatoes, unpeeled, cut into a large dice
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
2 Teaspoons turmeric
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
2 Bay leaves
½ Cup coarsely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
3 Quarts water
4 Cups corn kernels, from about 4 ears of corn
3 Medium to large apples, unpeeled and diced
3 Cups soymilk or dairy milk

Melt the margarine in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and potatoes. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, the curry powder, turmeric, and ginger evenly over the top. Stir to coat the vegetables. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have released some of their liquids. Add the bay leaves, parsley, and the water. Cover and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Cook, covered, at a medium boil for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft and breaking apart (this will help to thicken the soup). Add the corn kernels, and the apples. Cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soymilk, stirring as you pour the milk into the soup. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through. Taste for seasonings.

Apple and Maple Cake, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Makes one 10", 12 cup bundt cake

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 Cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
½ Teaspoon ground cardamom
4 Teaspoons baking powder
½ Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup soy milk
1/4 Cup trans fat free margarine or spread or walnut oil
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 Cup pure maple syrup
2/3 Cup soft tofu, drained
2 Small to medium apples, unpeeled, finely diced
½ Cup raisins
½ Cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the wheat and all purpose flour, the cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a blender cup, measure the soymilk, the margarine, vanilla, maple syrup, and tofu. Cover and blend on high speed for 20-30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth. Pour the blended, liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients all at once. Stir well to combine. Stir in the diced apples, raisins, and walnuts, mixing just to combine. Don't beat the mixture or the cake will be tough. Spray a 10 inch, 12 cup Bundt pan to coat evenly with canola oil spray. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl clean, and to smooth the batter evenly. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.