Kelli Kelly
A few weeks ago, one of my favorite Fallon farmers posted on Facebook that this is the season to go “Full Pony Mode” on eating apples. This post made me giggle with visions of chomping on apples like a voracious horse and ruminating on how we eat in modern society. Like every other ingredient grown or raised, apples have a harvest season starting in late July and extending through November, depending on the variety. Demand for apples, however, is year-round. Grocery customers would be shocked if they walked into a conventional store in the springtime and found the shelves empty of apples. From a business perspective, year-round demand and seasonal production generate opportunities. How do apple producers supply seasonal products to satisfy year-round demand? The answer, of course, is in storage solutions.
Food storage is an essential piece of the food system. For time eternal, people have taken steps to preserve the harvest from gardens and farms to postpone decay. Preservation solutions include fermenting, drying, smoking, and curing ingredients to extend their useful and consumable life. For the most part, food preservation techniques are the same now as in the old days, though innovative technology has made it easier. Storage solutions, on the other hand, have changed drastically through science and innovation. No longer are storage plans based on root cellars and cool, dark spaces. In modern times, seasonal apple harvests are kept in controlled atmosphere storage, in which the apples are put into hibernation by controlling the temperature, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and humidity levels.
Increasingly, apples are being engineered to match storage solutions. The new Cosmic Crisp apple was created for this exact purpose. It is an apple that can be stored under controlled atmosphere conditions for 12 months and under refrigeration alone for 6 months. While the “business advisor” in me is impressed with the creative problem-solving for supply and demand challenges, the “food systems advocate” in me wants to scream in protest. I am sure that you all can guess which of these voices is louder.
I encourage you to consider seasonality when making cooking decisions. While we have all grown accustomed to having access to virtually every produce item every day of the year, fruits and vegetables taste better and are more nutritious in season. I, for one, am going to lean into eating all of the apples during apple season. Full Pony-Mode, Activated!
Savory Apple Thyme Tart
From Le Petit Chef
Ingredients:
1 Roll of store-bought pie dough (enough for two individual 6” tarts)
1 T Unsalted butter
1 T Olive oil
1 Small yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
½ cup Crème fraîche
1 t Dijon mustard
1 c Shredded Gruyere cheese
½ T Fresh thyme leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
1 Apple cored and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and press into two six-inch tart pans, trimming off excess. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line the dough with parchment paper and top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights. Continue baking until the crust is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes more.
- Transfer tart pans to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and swirl the pan to combine. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned and starting to caramelize, about 8 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and mustard and spread evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and the thyme. Arrange the apple slices and onions on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake on the top oven rack until the pastry is golden and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, garnish with thyme, cut into slices, and serve.
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