Tis the season for Apples and Pears and I have got a hankering for all things Apple, can you say Apple Harvest Blondies?! Well yes, yes I can! And I would just love to curl up with some Butternut Pear Soup. Especially now that the nights are cooling down.
Before we get to the recipes…let’s check in with our friends the Apple and Pear!
Apples
A is for Apple!
Apples are a crisp, white-fleshed fruit with a red, yellow or green skin. The apple is actually a member of the Rose family, which may seem strange until we remember that roses make rose hips, which are fruits similar to the apple.
Apples have a moderately sweet, refreshing flavor and a tartness that is present to greater or lesser degree depending on the variety. For example, Golden and Red Delicious apples are mild and sweet, while Pippins and Granny Smith apples are notably brisk and tart. Tart apples, which best retain their texture during cooking, are often preferred for cooked desserts like apple pie, while Delicious apples and other sweeter varieties like Braeburn and Fuji apples are usually eaten raw.
The apple tree, which originally came from Eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, has spread to most temperate regions of the world. Over the centuries, many hybrids and cultivars have been developed, giving us the 7,000 varieties in the market today.
Apples have long been associated with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, although there is actually no mention that, in fact, the fruit in question was actually an apple. In Norse mythology, apples were given a more positive persona: a magic apple was said to keep people young forever. Apples’ most recent appearance in history occurred in the 1800s in the U.S., when Johnny Appleseed—a real person named John Chapman—walked barefoot across an area of 100,000 square miles, planting apple trees that provided food and a livelihood for generations of settlers.
Look for firm fruits with rich coloring. Yellow and green apples with a slight blush are best. Your preference for a sweeter or more tart fruit and whether you plan to enjoy your apples raw or cooked will guide your choice of variety. Just remember that Red and Golden Delicious are among the sweetest apples. Braeburn and Fuji apples are slightly tart, and Gravenstein, Pippin, and Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking.
Pears
A variety of pears, how many can you name?
Pears are a member of the rose family of plants (Rosaceae), which, in addition to roses, contains a long list of fruits including apples, apricots, cherries, chokeberry, crabapples, loquats, peaches, plums, quinces, raspberries, and strawberries as well as the tree nut, almonds. The many different varieties of pears commonly found in U.S. groceries all belong to the same category known as European Pear. These pears typically have a rounded body that tapers into a neck of various lengths.
Pears are found in a variety of colors, including many different shades of green, red, yellow/gold, and brown. Many varieties fail to change color as they ripen, making it more difficult to determine ripeness.
Beginning in the 1500’s, Eurpoean colonists began to bring pears to North America, where they apparently were not native or enjoyed before that time. While pears were cultivated there during those years, the colonists continued to import most of the pears they consumed from Europe, and especially from France. Today, pears grown in Europe have become a very small part of the U.S. diet. While the U.S. continues to import over 75,000 metric tons of pears each year, the vast majority now come from Argentina, Chile, China, South Korea and New Zealand.
Since pears are very perishable once they are ripe, the pears you find at the market will generally be unripe and will require a few days of maturing. Look for pears that are firm, but not too hard. They should have a smooth skin that is free of bruises or mold. The color of good quality pears may not be uniform as some may feature russetting where there are brown-speckled patches on the skin; this is an acceptable characteristic and oftentimes reflects a more intense flavor. Avoid pears that are punctured or have dark soft spots.
The Recipes
Apple Harvest Blondies
Ingredients
- 2/3 c butter
- 2 1/4 c brown sugar,divided
- 3 ea eggs
- 2 c flour
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 medium/large red apples,peeled, cored & chopped
- 1 3 oz cream cheese
- 2 oz pecans,chopped
- 1 t cinnamon
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in freezer for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan.
- Remove from burner and stir in 2 cups brown sugar and stir thoroughly.
- Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla and stir until well blended.
- Fold in chopped apple and place the mixture in an ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan.
- Chop the cream cheese into small pieces (much easier when has been frozen and mix with the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon.
- Sprinkle mixture on the batter and bake for 35 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Butternut Pear Soup
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Med. diced yellow onion
- 1 Small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
- 2 Pears, peeled and diced large
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 C plain greek yogurt
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and cook till translucent, add squash, pears and 4 C Water, season with Salt and Pepper.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a rapid simmer and cook till squash is soft, 20-25 min.
- In batches, fill blender halfway with soup and puree with yogurt until smooth.
- Transfer to a clean pot, season with Salt and Pepper.
- Serve with chives and drizzle of olive oil.
This article is hopping around the following Blog Hops:
Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.
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Nothing in this post is to be construed as medical advice, simply a sharing of things that have worked for me & my family. If you have any symptoms of serious illness, taking medication, pregnant or nursing, or have never worked with herbal materials or essential oils before, please consider consulting a medical professional before use. I am unable to offer advise for your particular medical situation; please ask your Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Naturopath for further guidance. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.
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