Anytime is a good time for apples

There seem to be as many varieties of apple as there are of tomatoes--it looks to me like they come in every color except black, purple, and maybe blue. At this moment they are bursting out of boxes, off of trees, and knocking on the kitchen door. They are at their very best just begging to be used.

Aren't they just grand--just swell? From their color, to their smell, to the many ways you can prepare them, apples aim to please. I don't know of a single soul who doesn't relish them raw and love them cooked. The apple trees produce in such volume that the price is low year round. But right now is when they are at their best and their cheapest.

Gingered Apple Slaw

A colorful change from cabbage slaw.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 celery ribs, cut into matchsticks
4 apples of different varieties, cored and cut into matchsticks

Stir together mayonnaise, ginger, and vinegar. Add celery and apples and gently toss to coat. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Apple Crisp

A truly down-home dessert that is a quickly made substitute for apple pie.
1 1/2 pounds tart baking apples
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup (5 1/2 tablespoons) cold butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9- by 12-inch baking dish. Peel and core apples, then cut into inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in baking dish and pour lemon juice over them. Mix together flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon with fingers or a cutting tool, until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of apples and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until apples are tender when pierced with a knife and top is browned. Makes 6 servings.

Slender Apple Tarts

Frozen puff pastry sheets make these tarts a cinch to make. Tart apples like Granny Smith work best here. Measure a small plate or a saucer to use as a pattern for cutting the 4 circles.

2 small, tart apples, peeled, cored, and halved
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed

Cut apple halves crosswise into 1/16-inch thick slices and transfer to a bowl. Bring water, sugar, lemon juice, and butter to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour over apples. Turn apples until slightly wilted, then drain in a colander set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Preheat oven to 425 F. Roll out thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to make a 12 1/2-inch square. Cut out 4 (6-inch rounds). Transfer rounds to a lightly buttered baking sheet and top with overlapping apple slices. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Boil reserved liquid in saucepan until reduced to about 1/3 cup, then brush on baked tarts. Makes 4 tarts.

Spicy Apple Cake

The syrup, which can be made with Calvados (apple brandy) or apple cider, is brushed over the baked cake to make it extra moist and very flavorful. Use tart baking apples.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups peeled and finely diced apples
1/3 cup raisins, optional
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup applesauce (baby food works)

Syrup:

1/3 cup Calvados, applejack or apple cider
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more
Lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan or 12 cup bundt pan. Using a fork or whip, combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine apples, raisins and walnuts: add 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture. Toss to coat the fruit and nuts (this helps keep them from settling on the bottom.) In a third bowl combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla; cream until mixture is light. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly stir in buttermilk and applesauce. Slowly add the remaining flour mixture to butter mixture, beating only until just blended. Stir in combined fruit and nuts. Pour the batter into pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool, still in pan on a rack, for 1 hour. Syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in saucepan; heat just to a simmer. When sugar has dissolved, remove pan from heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Unmold the cake and place on platter. Prick cake all over using a wooden skewer or toothpick. Strain the syrup, discarding the lemon zest. Brush top and sides of the cake with syrup until it has all been absorbed. Before serving dust the top of the cake with confectioners sugar. If you wish you can serve with whipped cream, laced with a bit of Calvados, but it is delicious as is. Makes 12 servings.

So takest thou, apples from the bough, straight to the kitchen, right now!