Valley Bounty: Apples

Apples have a real prominence in our vernacular; people talk about how far they fall from the tree, how they are not like oranges, how they keep the doctor away, how a bad one spoils the bunch, etc. They say that someone is the apple of their eye, and ask someone else how they like them apples. Maybe it’s their culinary adaptability that makes them so linguistically versatile, or maybe they’re just so deeply ingrained in our imaginations that they rise to the surface in unexpected situations. I know that this time of year, when farmers’ market booths and pick-your-own orchards are brimming with ripe fruit, I certainly have apples on the brain.

Eating cut-up apples and peanut butter as a snack might be my earliest food memory. It’s still a tasty and satisfying mid-afternoon bite, though now that I’m a quote-unquote adult I sometimes opt for sliced cheddar over peanut butter. If I’ve recently been apple picking and I have a bunch to work with, I’ll make a dish of baked apples: chop some up and mix with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a quarter stick of melted butter, and bake until the apples are soft. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Valley Bounty is written by Brian Snell of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture).