Wolf River Apples

It's time for summer apples around here - those small, early ones that are just starting to ripen.  I got these at the farmer's market on Saturday from a couple who were displaying several baskets of little apples with different names.

Ever since I read Michael Pollen's book The Botany of Desire, I've wanted to discover and taste new varieties of apples.  Even with the newly expanded collection of apples at the store (Jazz, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp) I can't help but wonder how different our apple choices would be if the Golden and Red Delicious hadn't been so perfect for...grocery stores.

So of course, I was a sucker for the hand-written sign next to these lovelies:

Wolf River Antique Apples - Best for Pies

I  cut out the cores and the little worm holes and sliced them up.  I love slicing apples for pies.  One summer, I worked in a bakery - minimum wage, no training - and loved it.  It was consistently 120 degrees in the back of this small place, no place to sit but the sacks of flour, which are not as soft as you might imagine, and lots of repetitive tasks, like washing pots and pans over and over.  I loved it.  That's where I learned to make apple pies, peel an apple skin off in one piece and get pretty even slices in a flash (but that's a story for another post!).  Back to Wolf River....

Uncooked, they had a slightly citrus, starchy flavor.  We ate a few slices with some New Moon Cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery (my favorite!) and they were great against the fresh creamy taste of the cheese.

I tossed the apples with some butter, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon, covered them and put them in the oven at 375.  My best guess at a recipe on this one:

5 small apples, sliced

2 TB butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2-3/4 cups oats (rolled, not quick)

They baked for about 20 minutes and the apples got pretty steamy in the dish - they might have stayed more firm if I'd peeled them, but I like the skin.  They were not a juicy apple, keeping a relatively firm texture in spite of the steam, so I do think they'd be "best in pies".  Next time, I'd add a little salt to bring out their flavor more, and maybe experiment with some of the curry/pepper/spicy combinations I've seen drifting from dinner into dessert lately.

Worth the adventure.  Can't wait to see what kind of apples they have next time.