How Do You Like Them (Roasted) Apples?

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, October 21st, 2011

No, really…that isn’t a disparaging phrase, it’s an honest question.

You can bite them, slice them, peel them, cook them, coat them in caramel, dip them in peanut butter…oh, yes, the list is endless.

My personal favorite way to eat an apple is plain, fresh and raw—there’s nothing better than first crunchy bite through the tough and bitter skin, making way to the sweet, juicy, slightly yellow inside. Some people eat the entire apple raw, core and seeds included (I know, but you’ll grow an apple tree in your belly!).

I’m not that extreme of an apple purist, but I do love apples, and all the things you can do with them. And what better time to enjoy apples than in the fall? That’s why I’m putting together a blog chain that will glorify the apple and all the things you can do with them, with one apple recipe per week.

The sun is shining (hopefully), the sky is blue, the air is getting crisp but not too cold, grocery stores are more stocked with apples than they’ve ever been, and all the local farmers markets and orchards are up and running. So go out there and get yourself some apples!

This week’s recipe:

I got this week’s recipe idea from Mark Bittman’s bit (hehehe) on cooking apples. As I said before, I love apples just plain raw, but Bittman got me thinking about the endless possibilities of cooking them. So today we’re trying oven roasted apples with goat cheese, nuts and dried fruit. (Plus, I had to think of something to do with my leftover cheese from Monday night’s dinner.)

A lot of these cooked apple recipes go hand-in-hand with a good amount of melted butter, but I’m making it a bit healthier and simpler by eliminating the butter.

Roasted Apples with Goat Cheese, Nuts, and Dried Fruit

1 apple of any variety (I used Fuji)
1 tablespoon goat cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, walnuts, and raisins
Cinnamon to taste
Water (about 1/2 cup)

Start with coring your apple, but leave the bottom solid. You should be left with your whole apple, with a deep hole for the goat cheese, nuts and fruit. Put the cored apple upright in a small pan with a layer of water about halfway up the apple (about 1/2 cup of water or so). Dust the apple in a little cinnamon (I also threw a little ginger from my spice rack in) and you can sprinkle some in the water, too. Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. While this is baking, you can chop your nuts and fruit and stir with the goat cheese in a small bowl.

Remove the apple from the oven and insert the goat cheese mixture in the apple’s core. If you accidently punctured through to the bottom of the apple with your knife (like I did, oops!) and the hole in your apple has filled with water, just pour some of the water out. Cover again and bake for about 10 more minutes or until soft.

Let cool for a minute and enjoy!

Northern Virginia Apple Orchards (in alphabetical order):

Crooked Run Orchard (37883 East Main St., Purcellville; 540-338-6642)
Hartland Orchard (3064 Hartland Lane, Markham; 540-364-2316)
High Places Orchards (121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill; 540-635-5537)
Hill High Farms (933 Barley Lane, Winchester; 540-667-7377)
Hollin Farms (11324 Pearlstone Lane, Delaplane; 540-592-3574)
Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont; 20135)
Graves Mountain (Graves Mountain Lodge, Route 670, Syria; 540-923-4231)
Mackintosh Fruit Farm (1608 Russell Road, Berryville; 540-955-2161)
Marker-Miller Orchards Farm (3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester; 540-662-1980)
Nichols Farm (1832 Chapel Road, Middletown; 540-869-1258)
Richard’s Fruit Market (6410 Middle Road, Middletown; 540-869-1455)
Rinker Orchards (1156 Marlboro Road, Stephens City; 540-869-1499)
Stribling Orchard (11587 Poverty Hollow Lane, Markham; 540-364-3040)
Virginia Farm Market (1881 North Frederick Pike, Winchester; 540-665-8000)

-Julia Harbo

Tags: apples, baked apples, fall, fruit, goat cheese, Gut Check, harvest, how do you like them apples?, julia harbo, Northern Virginia Magazine, Nothern Virginia, NoVA, nuts, orchards, recipes, snacks