Tangy Apple Salad

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
Spinach
1 tart and crisp apple (like Fuji or Honeycrisp), chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/4 c sunflower seeds

For the dressing:
2 t lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 t dijon mustard
2 t honey
1 t balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Harvest Chili

Chicken-apple sausage pairs with the tangy-sweet cooked apples.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 lb. cooked chicken-apple sausages, cut into 1in. pieces
2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4in chunks (about 6 cups)
2 t chili powder
1/8 t cayenne pepper
3 c chicken broth
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4in chunks
1 16oz can pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed
1 T snipped fresh sage or tiny sage leaves

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 T oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook 5-6 minutes, until browned, stir occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon.

In same pan, cook onions and garlic 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add squash, cook 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, 1/4 t salt, and cayenne. Cook 1 minute. Return sausage to pan. Add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook apples 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Transfer apples along with beans to chili. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until apples are tender. Top with sage.

Butternut Squash Soup

We made this soup for a Sunday night dinner with friends. It was a nice blend of creamy, savory, sweet, and just the tiniest hint of tart. The addition of apple to the soup breaks the heavy cream and pairs with the cinnamon and nutmeg. 

We served this with with a toasted baguette, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and an apple crisp for dessert. 

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
1/2 T unsalted butter 

1/2 white onion (roughly chopped)

2 1/2 c butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces)

2 c sweet potatoes (peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces)

21/2 c chicken stock (additional water if needed)

1/2 t salt

1/2 tart (yet-sweet apple like Honeycrisp/Pink Lady, cored, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces)

1 T honey

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/3 c heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent. 

2. Add butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to the pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add diced apple to the pot and puree soup with a handheld immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to puree soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour blended soup into a clean pot.)

3. Add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and heavy cream and stir. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If you like a sweeter soup, add more honey. For a thinner soup, stir in a bit of water; to thicken, simmer and stir over low heat. 

Smooth Applesauce Using a Chinois

My family has always made enormous amounts of applesauce each fall. We freeze most of it to save for a time when we aren't lucky enough to have lots of tart Michigan apples readily available.

We like smooth applesauce so we've always used a chinois to achieve this. Never used one before? This is what it looks like.

They cost between $30 and $50 and last forever. The conical strainer is especially useful for applesauce because you don't have to peel the apples- everything that isn't perfect, smooth applesauce stays in the strainer. 

Smooth Applesauce

MAKES ABOUT 3 PINTS

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 30 mixed apples (I like Fuji, McIntosh, Jonamac, and Ida Red)

3/4 c water

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar to taste

Wash, core, and remove stems from apples. In a large soup pot, boil water, add all of the apples, and boil with the lid on until apples are soft and mushy, approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

When the apples are cooked, add two cups at a time to the chinois and use the pestel to strain out the sauce from the apple skins. Remove the skins periodically as they begin to build up on the pestel. 

Strained applesauce will be pink and tart. Add all spices and sugar desired. I usually use a 2 T cinnamon, 1 t cloves, 1 t nutmeg, and 1/2 c sugar.