Fall Fruit's Savory Side

Fall is here  and with it comes bushels of apples and pears. Many home bakers will be excited by this  as they make everything from pies to tarts to crumbles. Yet both fruits have a savory side. They can easily be incorporated into mail dishes , adding a certain tart sweetness and complexity to meats and veggies.

As any German will tell you having apples in the main meal is crucial. Apple sauce goes hand in hand with our potato pancakes and cuts their occasional greasiness. Cut up apples figure prominently in red cabbage, in fact they the ingredient that gives the salad its' signature tartness.An apple chutney  or whole  apples is usually served with roast pork .The last is cooked with the meat and the fruit picks up the pork's rich flavor while the meat absorbs the apples aroma and juices. Any kind of apple , from Granny Smith to Fuji are excellent in slaws. Mix shredded apples with cabbage , along with carrots and scallions for a crunchy sharp slaw,perfect with any tailgating barbecue. Another idea is a Waldorf salad, a yummy mix of chopped apples, grapes chicken, celery and walnuts. This is an excellent dish for a Sunday brunch, especially when served with a sparkly French cider. Apple chutney is a great side to both pork and beef .It's easy to make, cooking it , usually for thirty minutes, is the most labor intensive. It's a mix of the fruit,blended with onions, spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pears are also in abundance right now. Most home chefs and home bakers usually use them in buttery rich tart.  However pears, whether they be Anjou or Bosc can be perfect in main dishes as well. Of course there is pear salad.One version includes spinach for a healthy kick and bacon whose saltiness is the perfect marriage  of savory  and sweet. Assiago cheese can be sprinkled over it for more tang. Pear chutney is another good recipe.Pair it with ginger for a fiery bite that would be a great go with for ribs or even a roast beef.Try Bosc pears in a garlicky one that would work with roasted or even barbecued  chicken .An unusual fall party dish is a savory pear tart made with creamy feta and sage. Just slices of this paired with a sparkly white wine like Prosecco makes for elegant eating. Anything blue cheese and pear is wonderful together  as is cheddar and pear surprisingly. You can make a tasty and flavorful grilled cheese  with them for a fun and unusual lunch.

This season, don't look at just apples and pears for only baking. They can be incorporated in a wonderful variety of savory dishes, from grilled cheese to chutney . Try them this way for a new twist on fall fruit.

Apples Sweet And Savory

It is apple season.There are baskets of them gracing the fruit sections of every supermarket.Orchards are rife with them.What's great about them is that they're versatile in both sweet and surprisingly savory dishes.Another plus is that there are so many different varieties that you can use any one of them in different recipes. Sweet apple recipes abound.One of the easiest and most fun is candy or caramel apples.It does require patience to enrobe them in that sugary goo.However they are fun to eat ,especially if you use the super tart Granny Smith kind.You can add some chopped peanuts or flaked coconut for crunch.Another beloved recipe is for apple fritters.These are purely decadent, especially when a splash of apple cider or apple brand is tossed into the batter.However they're good on their own, with just a dusting of powdered sugar.The best apples for this are Cortland,Golden Delicious or Mutsu.For a pie or tart with bite use Granny Smith in place of the other.Serve the finished pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or to bring out the fruit's earthy sweetness, try a slice of sharp cheddar.One of the easiest apple recipes is apple sauce.This is simply simmered cubed cooking apples with sugar and a scant amount of water.It not only makes for a great dessert but also a relatively healthy snack and even breakfast.Speaking of the first meal, apples are wonderful in pancakes.They're definitely perfect for a Sunday brunch or just a hearty mid week treat.Try the Dutch apple one that"s baked and can be served for the morning meal or as a nice dessert with whipped cream and cinnamon. Apples are a treat in savory dishes as well.Apple slices are the stars in the famed Waldorf Salad.This blend of savory and sweet also has raisins and celery for flavor and crunch.You can also add leftover chicken or turkey to make it more of a main dish than a side.Another tasty apple based salad is one with walnuts and blue cheese.You can also do a salad with only a variety of different kinds from Fuji to Braymore, Mix with romaine and an apple cider based vinaigrette.The Germans have always known that apples go well with pork (and aid in the digestion too).Jazz up those boring pork chops with a mix of butter sautéed apples mixed with onions.You can also make a caramel sauce using brown sugar and peppercorns cooked together.Top the meat with heaping spoonfuls of it.Home chefs can also top a loin of pork with a spicy apple topping.Tenderloins can also benefit from this fruit as can pork loins.Try a stuffing made with Fujis and raisins.Beef dishes can also have the added zing of the fall harvest.Experiment with an apple infused beef stew.It's the perfect ,meal for fall, with the taste of apples and spices, cooked to perfection in a Dutch oven.You can also try beef fillets with apples as well.The two work well with each other, and bring out the other's rich flavors. Apples are in abundance right now.Try them in any meal, from breakfast to dinner or in a lunchtime salad.They're not only tasty but versatile.Try a recipe or two with your harvest.

A Late Summer Picnic

It's still summer and there are still weekends that call for a picnic,Luckily the temps have cooled down so you can  bring mayo infused salads and dishes. A late season picnic is also a great way of incorporating some late summer and early (very early!) fall harvests too. Best of all it's a nice way to enjoy the warm days still left.

A picnic now can call for sandwiches or whole roasts. It's easy to make and pack some faves like baloney or roast beef along with sliced chicken and turkey. However make them special than those everyday school sandwiches by using Italian bread or French baguette along with a tarragon mayo. You could add tomato slices too and a nice vinaigrette .Of course this is family time and you could also get a roasted chicken or a sliced London broil as well. These can be  sliced for sandwiches or served plain with a salad or even a sides.

Slightly cooler weather means you can make all sorts of  salads that could not be made in July and August.Try a Waldorf salad using mayo and the first apples of the season. It just takes greens, raisins , walnuts  and any kind of apple. Wald0orf salad goes well with sliced roast chicken or turkey. Another idea is making a simple salad with a raspberry vinaigrette. Raspberries are in season right now and adding some freshly picked crushed ones to oil and vinegar will amp up field greens or arugula. Throw in some almonds for crunch too,.You can also use it as a dip with cut up veggies  too.

There are still weekends that cry out for a picnic. Enjoy the late summer weather and have one.It's a great way of enjoying still sunny days and tasty food.