17 Oct 2023
Elena Hogg, founder of local culinary company FOOD by Elena, devises some innovative ways to dispose of her excess apples…
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well this bodes well, given I have
about five thousand waiting to be peeled that have been efficiently collected from our garden by my declutterer of a husband.
It’s a good thing, too, because there’s usually only a few days between delicious and rotten. So it’s good to get them cooked and eaten swiftly.
The first major win to mention is that stewing apples couldn’t be a simpler process, consisting of merely peeling (unless the variety has a yielding enough skin to be left on, but most garden-grown apples have quite the opposite),
cutting into rough chunks and cooking down gently in a pan. Obviously, you can shake things up with some cinnamon or star anise, some orange peel, or some butter for richness. But that can all be added later if preferred, with no noticeable sacrifice in flavour.
The second win is that, once stewed, apples freeze beautifully, so you can enjoy the benefit of your toil months later, when the doubtlessly dismal weather and dark evenings will make small joys like an apple pie near obligatory.
My kids’ favourite apple-based bake, which they often request in return for helping their father gather up the fallen fruits, is hot apple parcels, or ‘envelopes’, as my kids have dubbed them, on account of the folded-in corners.
These score highly on the effort-to-satisfaction ratio, because they involve merely cutting squares of shop-bought puff pastry, arranging a little pile of sliced apples in the centre (fairly thin slices so they cook through), then pulling the corners of the pastry square into the centre and pressing down to seal.
If the edges are open slightly, that’s fine: the steam will have an escape route. Brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon, or indeed both, and bake for 15 minutes or so.
You can vary them by adding some raisins in with the apple slices, pine nuts, or my particular favourite – just a touch of grated ginger. Warms you right up. Each parcel can be tailored to its designated eater.
My daughter (with my full approval) drizzles on some maple syrup, which she would drink by the glass if she could, while my son likes to add some chocolate chips. Each to their own, I suppose. But, ultimately, they’re simple and quick, and the only difficult bit is waiting the requisite length of time before being able to sink your teeth into them without fear of scalding.
Similar in its apple-y deliciousness is a good apple cake. These can range from stodgy and sticky to refined and delicate. My go-to version definitely falls in the former category and is made in a loaf tin for added no-frills vibes.
I add a cascade of raisins to my batter because they give a treacly note that complements the sharp bites of apple and, if I’m feeling particularly indulgent, I pour on top a butterscotch icing festooned with little fudge pieces. Fudge and apple is almost opiate-like in its power to make me forget there’s anything wrong in the world and if you add a cup of tea into the mix then that’s me gone.
Gastronomically speaking, humble as they may be, apples can be elevated as rightly they should. I remember having a slice of the softest, moistest apple frangipane tart at No 5 London End in Beaconsfield.
It came served with a raspberry sorbet, which I actually really wanted to be a big old dollop of vanilla ice cream, because the tart was begging for something creamy and mild, rather than icy and sharp. But the ginger biscuit on the plate more than made up for it, chewy and fiery in equal measure and really setting off the sweet apple.
Your garden glut of apples doesn’t necessarily have to be used for desserts and tea-time treats, though.
Make a warm autumnal chicken salad and add diced apples and walnuts. Or add sliced apple and onion to the roasting tray before laying on top a loin of pork, then add cider to the juices to make a delicious pork and cider jus. Or try parsnip and apple soup – far more savoury than you think it’s going to be and truly comfort in a bowl.
If all of this sounds like too much effort, my advice is this: take one knife, a vintage hard cheese, like cheddar, gouda or a good red Leicester – the kind that makes your mouth itch a little – and just slice-as-you-eat.
Both the cheese and the apple are tangy, which makes them excellent partners, but one is salty and creamy, the other sweet and crunchy, so there’s that distinct contrast too.
The happy dance your taste buds embark on attests to the fact that simple and unadorned food is very often best. Much as my shelves of recipe books beg to differ…
