Washington Apples

Apple pickin’ is most assuredly the thing to do in Washington in September. However unless you are looking for bushels and bushels of apples, don’t expect to spend much time doing it! It took three of us about 5 minutes total to pick 31 pounds! So go ahead and block out an afternoon. You can go to one of the wonderful local vineyards to relax after your grueling efforts! Then bring a few bottles of wine home with you. Stop by one of the many gorgeous fruit and vegetable stands and pick up the tail end of the amazing heirloom tomatoes and any other veggies that tickle your fancy. And to round it off? Some goat, sheep, and cow’s milk cheeses, honey, and fresh multi grain bread. After your long demanding day, relax with some antipasto and wine!

So! What to do with all those apples? Apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie filling, apple juice, dried apples, grated apples (to be frozen and later thawed and added to cakes, pancake batter, bread), I could go on and on. Try this crazy, amazingly delicious apple crisp recipe, though for sure. You could even use the crystallized ginger and five spice powder to make jarred apple pie filling and use it for crisp later!

Five Spice Apple Crisp

6 large Macintosh apples (or other good baking apple), peeled, cored, and sliced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons five spice powder
4 tablespoons finely minced crystallized (aka candied) ginger
1/4 cup honey
Streusel Topping, recipe follows

In a medium bowl, combine the apples and with the lemon juice. Using another small bowl, mix together cornstarch, five spice powder and ginger. Add the dry mixture to the apples and toss until coated. Drizzle with honey and mix well.

Coat a 9x13 baking dish with butter and generously fill with the fruit mixture (it will shrink down as it bakes). Top with Streusel topping and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the fruit is tender and topping is golden and crunchy.

Streusel

½ cup old fashioned oats
2 ½ ounces cold butter, unsalted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar

Using a pastry blender, combine the oats, butter, flour, and sugar and blend just until crumbly.