An Apple Harvest

Backyard apple harvest

All those hot "dog day" weeks of August which are spent waiting -- waiting for the weather to cool, the fruit and vegetables to ripen, and the bounty to be harvested and enjoyed -- are now over. There is that moment in September when the angle of the sun sinks a few degrees lower in the sky and it is like a switch -- click -- and you know that summer is ending and fall is beginning.The swimming pool will soon be getting closed for the season and this seasonal transition brings a mixture of moods. There is sadness for summer's end and invigoration for autumn's start. 

We picked a bushel basket of organic apples from our 55 year old crooked tree. The whole time I was picking I was thinking about apple crisp, baked apples, apple turnovers, apple pie, caramel apples, and fried apples. Which was the first apple treat I would produce? I could not wait to enjoy apple something. The kitchen cabinets lacked a few necessary ingredients for making the crisp which I adore, so I decided to make fried apples instead. It is so quick, easy, and yummy. Put with a pork loin or pork chops fried apples are a dinner companion, but topped with fresh whipped cream they are a scrumptious dessert. My mom, who raised us kids on overused cliches, used to say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor's away."

Cooking my fried apples

 LEE'S FRIED APPLES (Lee is my mom) 

8-10 green apples cored and sliced

4-5 T. organic butter

1/4 C. brown sugar (or white)

Seasoning: cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to taste

Melt butter in your favorite pan (I use my caste iron pan) over medium heat. Add sliced and cored apples and sprinkle with generous amounts of cinnamon and nutmeg (to taste) and a dash of salt. Saute until the apples become golden and caramelize. Sprinkle with sugar, stir and continue heating until sugar dissolves and coats apples. Serve over pork chops or pork loin. Or for dessert top with homemade whipped cream.