Don’t Forget About Them Apples!

The crunch of leaves under my feet, the pumpkins and bales of hay that adorn front lawns and the cool temperatures are just a few of the things I love about Fall. For passionate home-cooks like myself, the change of seasons also signals different foods that become abundant during the Fall harvest. Soups and stews in the slow cooker become more and more appealing than grilling burgers or hot dogs. One of my favorite foods is in peak abundance right now: apples!

If you happened to pick up a 5 pound bag of apples at the grocery store or famer's market, or if you ventured to the orchard and picked your own, the following books have some great apple recipes and creative ways to use apples.

Apples, From Harvest to Table by Amy Pennington takes you on a culinary journey and delights readers with recipes that use apples for breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course, dessert! Who doesn't love an apple crumble? With colorful photographs and even some essays on kid-friendly meals and apple-themed crafts, this book has something for every apple fan in the house!

For the ultimate apple-lover, check out The Apple Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso. Filled with 100 recipes to satisfy both sweet and savory palates, this cookbook uses almost every type of apple: from Fuji to Honeycrisp to Grannysmith. In fact, the book includes a guide to 59 varieties of apples and how to use them in them in the kitchen! This book is a must-have for anyone who loves apples and cooking with apples.

For home-cooks who love cooking with the bounty of the season whether it is apples or acorn squash, Wintersweet must be on your bookshelf! Author Tammy Donroe Inman delights readers with recipes that involve the best of the Fall and Winter harvest. Looking for ideas to use cranberries, pomegranates, apples, pears and parsnips? Look no further than this book filled with mouthwatering recipes. Need to bring a dessert to an Oktoberfest-themed dinner party or a Thanksgiving get-together? This book is sure to have some knock-out recipes for you!

The biggest challenge that lies ahead, figuring out the easiest way to peel and core the apple so that you get right to the cooking!