Apple of my Eye

THE APPLE

OF MY EYE

RECIPES & IMAGES AMBER BREMNER

Autumn might be my favourite season, with its clear but cool days, colourful leaves underfoot, and of course the plentiful fresh produce. New season apples are harvested from February and are at their best through autumn, before they’re cool stored to supply supermarkets for the rest of the year. Branch out from apple crumble and try them in this crunchy salad or silken dessert.

APPLE AND BAY LEAF CREAMS

These layered desserts are fragrant with the heady scent of bay leaves, typically used in savoury dishes for their subtle peppery warmth. They also pair beautifully with apple and lemon, adding a little complexity to this otherwise quite simple recipe. Get your hands on some fresh bay leaves, if you can, for the best flavour. Agar-agar powder (available from Vetro) is a flavourless, plant-based alternative to gelatin, used to set the dessert.

APPLE LAYER

2 Granny Smith apples ½ cup water 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 bay leaf

CREAM LAYER

1 can coconut milk (400ml) ½ cup apple juice 3 tbsp sugar 2 bay leaves 1 strip of lemon zest 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp agar-agar powder - available at Vetro

Peel, core and dice apples. Add to a saucepan with water, sugar, lemon juice and a bay leaf. Cook over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still with some texture. Discard the bay leaf and spoon the apple mixture evenly into four small jars or ramekins. For the cream layer, add everything to a saucepan and stir to combine over mediumlow heat. Simmer for five minutes, stirring often, to activate the agar-agar. Discard the bay leaves and lemon zest, then pour evenly over the apple layer in your jars or ramekins. Pop in the fridge for an hour to set, or make them ahead of time. These desserts will keep, covered, for up to three days in the fridge.

APPLE, FENNEL AND CELERY SALAD

Crunchy, sweet and tangy with gentle warmth, this salad is a crowd pleaser. Use sweet, crisp apples like Pacific Rose or Pink Lady. Aleppo pepper flakes (available from Vetro) are mild with a little bright fruitiness that match perfectly here. I recommend seeking them out (they’re excellent sprinkled over just about everything), otherwise substitute with a small pinch of cayenne pepper. Leave out the croutons if you’re gluten free.

DRESSING

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes - available at Vetro ½ tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp sugar ¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ tsp salt

SALAD

½ cup walnuts 2 thick slices of Mount Sourdough, crusts removed and torn into small pieces 1 clove garlic, peeled olive oil 4 celery sticks 1 apple, cored 1 small red onion, or 1–2 shallots 1 small fennel a few handfuls of dark leafy greens

Put dressing ingredients into a small jar or sealed container and shake to combine.

Toast walnuts in a frypan over medium heat, with a little olive oil, until golden and fragrant. Season with a little salt and set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, add a splash more oil, the torn bread and one clove of garlic. Stir or toss until the bread is golden and crisp, discard garlic and set croutons aside to cool.

Thinly slice celery, apple, red onion and fennel (use a mandolin for the fennel if you have one). Toss together with the dressing, toasted walnuts and croutons, then arrange over a bed of dark leafy greens (I used baby kale). The salad can be made ahead of time (and makes great leftovers the next day), just add the croutons at the last minute so they stay crunchy.

Amber Bremner Quite Good Food www.quitegoodfood.co.nz

Amber Bremner is the author of popular plant based food blog Quite Good Food. A champion for cooking and eating food that makes you feel good, she believes small changes in the way we approach food have the power to make a difference.