It's Apple Week at The Dinner Blog

This weekend I took a wonderful apple picking trip to Red Apple Farm in northern Massachusetts. The foliage is beginning to peak and it was an amazingly beautiful trip. We piled into the car and enjoyed the drive out to the country. We arrived, parked, and made our way into the line for an open air barbeque that they do every weekend in the Fall. We had pulled pork sandwiches made with their own sauce and of course, a big cup of fresh made cider. It tasted like pure liquid apple and was so delicious!


After our hearty lunch, we got our apple picking bags and set off into the orchards. It was quite cold and very windy at first, but as the day passed, the sun appeared and warmed things up. The orchard was so beautiful and full of many kinds of apples.


I tend to like tarter apples, so I went mostly for the Macintoshes and Cortlands.


There were also red delicious - the kind of apples you give to your school teacher - and petite golden delicious, which aren't as popular but I like.


The foliage was out of this world. Some of the colors were so vivid. Mother nature at her best.


After picking more than enough apples, we headed over to the farmstand. Ken and I each bought a jug of apple cider. I got a big jar of apple butter, which I haven't eaten in years, and I can't wait to make apple butter and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch this week! And of course, I had to have some cider donuts. They were so delicious. There is something about cider that makes the donughts so moist and these were covered with cinamon and sugar. Just to die for. In the same veign, the first recipe I can't wait to make with my apples are these fabulous-looking apple cider muffins! They use cider in the batter and shredded apple in the muffins. They sound like a great breakfast.

I ended up with almost 40 apples! I am looking for ways to use them up, beyond obviously eating a lot of them plain or with a scoop of peanut butter! Sweet or savory? Ideas are welcome and I will certainly be posting up the results.


Orchard photos courtesy of Ken - thanks!