TIP OF THE DAY: Another Way To Serve Cheese & Apples
 [1] Serve a cheese board with three different of apple preparations (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Castello Cheese).
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What’s new about cheese and apples, you say? Apples have been served with cheese for thousands of years.
But this tip, courtesy of Castello Cheese, goes in a different direction. Instead of (or in addition to) wedges of crunchy apples, serve your cheeses with an array of apple condiments: What cheeses should you select? The best pairings are semi-hard cheeses such as Asiago, Blue, Cantal, Cheddar, Comte, Edam, Gruyère, Havarti, Idiazabal, Jarlsberg or Manchego, among others. For four people, offer two selections. You can include more choices for larger parties. You can acquire any of these items at a specialty food market, or make your own. Don’t forget the crackers (Finn Crisp (photo #1) goes well here). A ROSH HASHANAH SPIN Whether or not you’re Jewish, serve this apple and cheese plate for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. This year, the celebration runs from the evening of Wednesday, September 20th through the evening of Friday, September 22nd. Apples and honey are a traditional snack to usher in a “sweet” new year. If you make the Marinated Apples & Raisins recipe below, you’ve got the honey. Otherwise, simply add a jar of honey with a honey dripper, or a piece of honeycomb, to the plate. Here’s more about the honey and apples tradition. |
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RECIPE #1: APPLE CHIPS Apple chips are a deliciously sweet snack chip. They’re low in calories, yet have natural sweetness from the fruit. Serve them with a cheese board, and also toss some onto a salad with crumbled blue cheese. Ingredients For 4 Servings 1. PREHEAT the oven to 300°F. Wash and dry the apples. Remove the cores and cut the apples into thin slices. As you slice the apples, place the slices in a bowl with the vinegar-water mix so they don’t brown (add more water to the bowl as needed). 2. BRUSH the apple slices on both sides with the melted butter and spread them out, without overlap, on three baking trays covered with parchment. 3. PLACE the trays in the top, middle and bottom of the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes. When you take the apple chips out of the oven, they will still be soft. Let them cool off on a griddle or other flat surface, and they will become crisp. 4. SPRINKLE the apple chips with salt as desired, and serve quickly afterwards to maximize crispness. One of the benefits of store-bought apple chips is that they’ve been dried in a long, slow process that keeps them crisp. |
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RECIPE #2: SPICY APPLE JELLY This recipe takes store-bought apple jelly, spices it with ginger and glams it up with golden raisins (sultanas). You can substitute conventional raisins if you prefer. Ingredients For 4 Servings 1. STIR the jelly, raisins and ginger together. Cover the jelly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. 2. TASTE and season as desired with more ginger, or some allspice. Ingredients For 4 Servings 1. FOLD the apple into wedges into the vinegar. Add the honey and raisins and marinate for at least 15 minutea These are so good, you may want to double the recipe. Ingredients For The Brine 1. ADD the brine ingredients to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce the heat heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. 2. WASH and core the apples, leaving the skin on. Cut into 1/8th-inch-thick slices, and cut again as desired (we prefer half-moon/wedge shapes). |
 [3] Homemade apple jelly is lovely, but it’s just as easy to use store-bought (photo courtesy US Apples).
[5] Pickled apples. Here’s another recipe from Best Apples. |
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3. TASTE the brine (don’t burn your tongue!). Adjust the seasonings add more sweetness or tartness as desired. 4. TRANSFER the apples to a quart container and add the spice pods. Pour the brine through a strainer onto the apples, cover and allow to come to room temperature, turning the container regularly to ensure all apples sit in the brine. 5. REFRIGERATE until ready to use.
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