All about apples at the farm





Fall brings a variety of apples and other fruits available now through December to the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Markets.

Among the selections is a new crop of apples good for snacking or fall recipes. Nancy Rydell of Fair Hills Farms, who participates in the Ventura market, has a variety of gala, Fuji, pink lady and Granny Smith apples for consumers.

Rick and Jackie Bressler of Tehachapi, who attend the Santa Clarita market, are bringing apples to market this year. “The right growing conditions and good climate have produced a good apple crop,” said Jackie Bressler. According to Bressler, customers can expect to find golden delicious apples, Romes, Fujis and winesaps, a variety perfect for appetizer plates.

Mike and Mary Shore of Santa Paula, who participate in all three markets, will have pomegranates and hachiya and fuyu persimmons available this year with good quantities and quality expected.

Ryan Fife of Fife Farms will have an abundance of pomegranates, grapes and dried fruit on hand at all three markets. According to Fife, the pomegranates are rich in color with good sugar content, making for a great ingredient in recipes or for juice. Fife offers both varieties of pomegranates, early foothills and wonderfuls.

Consumers can turn their fall selections into recipes. Wash apples with soap and water before use. Cut any bad or soft sections of the apple. If using in a salad and/or desire more visual appeal, dip them in a solution of one-part citrus juice to three-parts water to minimize browning.

Apple cobbler 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 large egg ½ cup butter, melted

Put apples in the bottom of a lightly greased 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and egg until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over the apples. Pour melted butter over the entire dish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Pomegranates are a versatile fruit and can be used as a garnish on sweet and savory dishes or pressed to extract juice. Cut the crown end of the pomegranate. Lightly score the rind in several places. Immerse fruit in a bowl of water and soak for five minutes.

Hold fruit under water and break sections apart, separating seeds from membrane. Seeds will sink while rind and membrane float. Skim off and discard membranes and rind.

Turkey pomegranate salad 1 cup pineapple bits, drained 3 cups diced cooked turkey 1 cup celery, sliced on the slant 1 cup diced apples, any red-skinned variety ½ cup pomegranate seeds ½ cup toasted slivered almonds 1 cup mayonnaise ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup pineapple juice

Toss pineapple in large bowl with turkey, celery, apples, pomegranate seeds and almonds. In separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and pineapple juice. Toss dressing with turkey mix in the larger bowl. Garnish with additional pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds.

The Thursday Thousand Oaks Market is at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

The Ventura Farmers’ Markets are on Wednesdays at the Pacific View Mall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Saturdays in downtown Ventura from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

For more information, call (805) 529-6266 or visit www.vccfarmersmarket.com.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *