Recently at the farmers’ market, I’ve been feeling like my heart might explode. Everyone in the Midwest knows that this time of year is the best time to walk through the markets: orchard fruit is finally in, squash are starting to appear, and spring favorites are making a comeback as the nights start to cool. All that is great, to be sure, but I can’t look away from the star of the show: the apples.
They’re bewitching to me. So many varieties, countless colors, and the seemingly endless boxes and boxes… apples have me transfixed at every market. I’ve been buying them like they’re going out of style, even though I know that they’ll be at the winter market all year round.
Here’s the thing: a girl can only make so many pies and cakes. I don’t have a sweet tooth to begin with, so I’ve been leaning into the savory side of apples, and I’m here to tell you that’s where it’s at! These are my favorite ways to swap savory for sweet when it comes to cooking and baking with apples.
I like one spoonful of apple butter, but that’s enough for me. It’s so sweet! This fall, I’ve been experimenting with making a savory apple jam with caramelized onions, thyme, sea salt, and a splash of cider vinegar. It’s the perfect foil for the sweet versions, and much more versatile to boot. I’ve been adding it to my biscuits, toast, and cheese boards. Next week, when I make burgers, I’m planning on using some of this as a topping with some tangy goat cheese. Yum!
2. Turn your extra cider into a tangy vinaigrette.I’m that person who compulsively buys apple cider even though I really don’t drink it. This year, instead of letting it sit in the back of my fridge until it turns into something wild, I’m cooking it down to turn it into a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. Once I reduce the cider, I mix it with Dijon mustard, thyme leaves, and my favorite, peppery olive oil to make a dressing that’s perfect for fall salads.
3. Swap an apple pie for a savory galette.Nothing warms my heart like an apple pie. I’m my grandma’s granddaughter! But the truth is, I don’t have the sweet tooth to eat all the pies I want to make. This year, I’m swapping out the sweet pies for a savory galette. Using the same dough, I skip the sugary filling and instead mandolin the apples into thin slices that I layer with fennel, Gruyere cheese, and sage leaves. It smells just as good while it bakes!
4. Skip fruit salad and go spicy instead.One thing I’m happy to leave in summer: fruit salads. This fall, I’m putting a savory spin on the Midwest picnic favorite by chopping apples into matchstick-size slivers and stirring them into savory slaws and salsa verdes! The apple brings a beautiful brightness to these dishes, which go perfectly with weather that can change from day to day. These applications lean more to the raw side of things: for the slaw, I simply add thinly sliced cabbage to the apples and dress it with the tangy apple cider vinaigrette. The salsa verde is equally as easy but wildly different in flavor: adding capers, garlic, olive oil, and parsley means that these apples pack a punch.
5. Add apples to your savory bakes.Apples love to be baked. And I love to bake them! Just not always into sweet bakes. Instead, I’m pairing them with all sorts of cheeses, from sharp Wisconsin cheddars to funky bleu cheeses, and baking them into buttery biscuits this fall. Make sure to choose a firm variety that won’t lose its shape when it bakes (ask your farmer to help you pick the best one!) and dice them into small pieces so they don’t take forever to cook. From there, enjoy them with chilis, salads, or eggs.
Get your fill of all types of apple this week at Lincoln Square's Apple Fest. The Chopping Block will be serving our famous apple pie by the slice as well as Right Bee Cider hard cider, Laird's Apple Brandy Mule and a non-alcoholic apple cider from Ellis Farms. Stop by our booth for a slice and sip!
If you want to take home your own whole apple pie, we are still accepting pre-orders for pickup on Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the fest.
And if you want to learn how to make that pie yourself, sign up for our hands-on Bake and Take Famous Apple Pie class on:
Using our iconic recipe, each student will work individually to prepare and assemble their Apple Pie from scratch with our homemade pie dough. Our chef will guide you through every step of the process, teaching you how to make the perfect filling, how to roll pie dough like a pro, and how to crimp your pie for that professional look. Pies take a total of 3 hours to bake and cool, so come back later to pick up your homemade pie.
