Fresh Apples FreshTaste

we are in the middle of apple season.Our stores have them piled hog.These are good but what's eve better are the fresh from the tree ones.They have a certain , maybe even better flavor that adds to everything from apple sauce to salads. David Tanis wrote about them in his A City Kitchen column in today's New York Times Dining section.He has found out that most apples we buy now come from eastern Washington State and as far away as Peru and New Zealand.There are some stores such as Stop And Shop and Shop Rite here in the city area that sell locAlly grown apples but these are few and far between.Farms around the NY metro are no longer ,with valuable land being used for malls and McMansions.Luckily there is still. Warwick New York and Monmouth County NJ that have orchards that are just bursting with apples.Go there or to farmers markets for the just picked flavor. Mr.Tanis has given us one traditional and one exotic recipe for the fresh picked gems.One is apple sauce.This can be made with Cortland or Macoun apples and cooked over a stove as opposed to a pressure cooker.This creates a creamy mash perfect as a side for any German pork roast or pork chop. He also makes an Indian pickle using the apples along with cayenne , turmeric and the traditional Indian hinge.It is then sprinkled with toasted mustard seeds with more bite.Have this with a barbecued leg of lamb or even tandoori chickenThe apples used were the crunchy Braeburn and Mutsu ,although you could use Granny Smith. This is the season for pples.Avoid the stores, and head to the orchards.You'll have apples with better flavor.Not only that you'll have better apple sauce, pies and even candy apples.