Monday, September 27, 2010

How About Dem Apples?

We managed to fit a trip to the apple orchard (Chudleigh’s) in yesterday in between a soccer tryout and a hockey game.  My weekends have been jam packed with kid stuff and I was determined to do something un-sport related for an hour or so.  I’m not a HUGE apple fan, but there are 3 varieties that I enjoy.  And they happened to have all 3 ready as either “pick your own” or “pre picked”.   So what are my top 3?  Here you go, in order!

Honey Crisp:
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Ginger Gold:

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Royal Gala:

For some unknown reason I walked out of there with no Gala.  What a dork, but these are easy to find in the grocery store I shop at.  The other 2 are only sold a higher end stores which are all across town from me.  BOO!  I also bought a bag of McIntosh because it’s the only variety that DS will eat.IMG_3566
I think this was the reason I got thrown off course with the galas!  Anyways, here is some info on the varieties that I got:
Honeycrisp is an apple cultivar developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota. Designated in 1974 as the MN 1711, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slated to be discarded, has rapidly become a prized commercial commodity, as its sweetness, firmness, and tartness make it an ideal apple for eating raw. The Honeycrisp also retains its pigment well and boasts a relatively long shelf life when stored in cool, dry conditions.”
Two Honeycrisp apples, showing the distinct two-toned coloring.
(source)

“Ginger Gold is one of the earliest commercial apple varieties to ripen, bearing in August on the east coast or even July in California. The fruit is conical and starts out a very pale green, though if left on the tree will ripen to a soft yellow with a slightly waxy appearance.  The primary use is for eating out of hand, though it can be used for most other purposes. The flesh, of a cream color, resists browning more than most varieties. The flavour is mild but with a tart finish.”


Malus Ginger-Gold.jpg
(source)

“Gala apples are small and are usually red with a portion being greenish or yellow-green, vertically striped. Gala apples are fairly resistant to bruising and are sweet, grainy, with a mild flavour and a thinner skin than most apples. Quality indices include firmness, crispness and sweetness.”
Malus-Gala.jpg
(source)
The orchard also has pumpkins, and lots of them.  I set DD out with my camera while we waited in a long line so these great photos are courtesy of her!IMG_3545 IMG_3546 IMG_3543 IMG_3544
We treated the kids to candy apples which they had never had before:
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Not surprisingly, DD made fast work of hers, DS started out strong but called it quits at the halfway point!IMG_3556
And I couldn’t leave without the prerequisite photo of my kids sitting on the pumpkins!IMG_3552
On Saturday I put the last of my yellow tomatoes to use in a quick, easy soup.  Let’s call it “Golden Tomato Soup”, shall we?IMG_3537
-3 ripe yellow tomatoes, wedged
-1 onion, wedged
-dashes of oregano, cumin, chilli powder, salt & pepper
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 cup stock or water
-1/2 milk (I used almond breeze)

*pre heat oven to 400*
*combine tomatoes, onions, spices and oil in a large bowl
*dump onto large cookie sheet and roast for 25 minutes
*put veggies and all juices into a stock pot and add water
*bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes
*puree (I used an immersion blender)
*add milk and bring back to temperature
*serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream or quark
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This is very similar to my Butternut Squash soup.    Just different veg, but same delicious results!  And you could totally use red tomatoes!
Even though I’ve been changing up the format of my posts, food is still a big part of my world and I’d like to keep it as a key point in my posts.  So here are some of my eats from the past few days!IMG_3559
Dark chocolate cherry mocha oats
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Nature’s Path hemp seed hot oats…
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I had this turkey sub for dinner last night.  I never, ever get a foot long but last night I reasoned that the foot long was only 50 cents more than the 6”.  NEVER AGAIN!  This was WAY too much food and even though I didn’t eat it all, I still ate too much.  I was still full this morning and my stomach has not been happy with me today.  :/
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The above dish was dinner tonight.  I sautéed 2 yellow and 2 red bell peppers with one onion, added some chicken thighs, tomato sauce and spices.  I served it over quinoa for a great meal!
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I just pulled a batch of muffins out of the oven and the house smells GREAT.  I’ll save that recipe for my next post, though.  ;)
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Bye for now!!

8 comments:

  1. Look at you rocking another fabulous looking soup recipe!! LOVE apples...obsessed. My favorite are pink ladies, but I actually really enjoy them all. The muffins look fantastical- melty and delicious

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  2. oh, interesting apple variety, the ginger gold! never had or heard of them before!

    glad you're enjoying them and i need to try that soup! I have some heirloom and orange tomatoes I got this weekend!

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  3. I'm so jealous of you picking honey crisp. When I went to apple picking, there were no more honey crisp and my local WF sell it at 2.99$/lb.
    I still have tons of apples in my fridge but they are taste sooooo good!!! :D
    oh.... is that white pumpkin? I've never seen this. So cool!!!

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  4. Oo fun--I love visiting the apple orchards. I hope I can find time to go at least once this fall!! I'm fascinated by how many types of apples there are..I have never tried/heard of that ginger gold kind..interesting!

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  5. i dont' think i've ever had a ginger gold! i hadn't eaten a red delicious in years and they were on sale, so i bought some. it reminded me SO much of picking apples as a child!

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  6. the muffin pic looks awesome!

    eating something you know you isnt good for you but you do it anyway? that's the topic of my post going out later today. for me, it's food allergies and having to say no to food when out otherwise my tummy and body feel awful..for days!

    love the apple tutorial :)

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  7. Oh, I love me some apples! We sell ginger golds in our store, and they aren't too bad. I don't think we ever get honeycrisp in though. I've yet to try one out.

    And the beauty of the footlong sandwich is you can save the other half for the next day. That's what I'd do anyways :)

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  8. What a great trip to the orchard! Honeycrisp are my #1 fav too, followed by Cortland. Those are some good looking bowls of oats!

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