As we prepare to get ready for the holiday season and hunker down for the winter, we’re highlighting some bright organic produce that you can incorporate into your holiday cooking to deliver some delicious and extravagant flavors to your meals!
SugarBee Apples are originally from Washington State and have quite an interesting history. They came to be after a honeybee on an apple farm stopped at an unknown tree and collected nectar and pollen from a blossom. The bee proceeded to pass that pollen onto a Honeycrisp tree, and this cross-pollination would result in the SugarBee apple being discovered in Chelan Farms’ harvest several months later!
SugarBee apples bring the firm, crisp texture of Honeycrisp apples and a sugar-sweet taste. The SugarBee is juicy and aromatic and has tasting notes of honey, caramel, and molasses. It pairs well with cheeses like smoked gouda or sharp cheddar. The SugarBee apple is perfect to use in juices, tarts, pies, and turnovers.
SugarBee apples are a quality source of dietary fiber to help improve digestion, with one apple possessing 16% of the recommended daily value! In addition, the apple provides 10% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A and vitamin C, which are great for supporting vision and a strong immune system.
Lemons have a wide variety of uses in culinary practice. Lemons are thought to be native to South Asia and were first brought to the United States back in 1493. Lemons have historically been grown in warm climates such as in the southeast United States and in California. Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C and were originally used as a medicine to help sailors combat scurvy on long trips.
Today, lemons are commonly used in cooking and baking. Lemon juice is used for both cooking and cleaning. Lemons have a sour, tangy taste. Lemon peels possess oils that can be incorporated into dishes for a more subtle lemony flavor. In addition, lemon juice is used to delay the onset of enzymatic browning of foods. Ascorbic acid is abundant in lemon juice and can be sprayed on fruits such as apricots, pears, bananas, grapes, and avocados and vegetables such as eggplants, potatoes, and lettuce to delay or reverse browning.
Collard Greens are a type of large, leafy green vegetable common in southern U.S. cooking but are found in recipes around the world. They’re often cooked using moist heat because it helps soften their toughness and reduce their bitterness. Collard greens can be used in soups, salads, or just on their own and are similar to kale.
As far as flavor goes, raw collard greens are bitter, but not quite as bitter as kale. Heat mellows the flavor a bit and brings out a subtle earthiness. Collard greens are extremely rich in vitamin A, which helps boost vision, and vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting mechanisms. 1 cup of collard greens provides 200% of the daily value of vitamin A and 130% of the daily value of vitamin K!
Sources:
https://sugarbeeapple.com/the-sugarbee-story/
https://www.tastesofhistory.co.uk/post/a-brief-history-of-foods-lemons
https://www.richlandlibrary.com/blog/2021-02-16/taste-history#:~:text=Collard%20greens%20date%20back%20to,were%20originated%20in%20Eastern%20Mediterranean
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake
Recipe and photo adapted from foodiewithfamily.com
Ingredients
1 T vanilla
1 cup maple syrup
3 lg Sugarbee apples, cut into ⅛” thin slices
Juice from ½ lemon
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1¾ cups unsweetened almond milk (or substitute dairy milk)
½ cup melted butter of coconut oil
Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Quarter and dice the apples into ⅛” thin slices, and spray with lemon juice.
2.Grease the inside of a 11¾” or 12″ cast-iron skillet with melted butter or coconut oil. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the pan. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the bottom of the pan.
3.In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
4.Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the two mixtures together until no dry pockets remain. Scoop in dollops over the apples and gently spread toward the edges to level.
5.Bake for 35 – 38 minutes, or until the top has browned a bit and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on the stovetop.
6.To transfer to a plate or cake stand, run a thin knife or spatula around the inside of the pan. Invert a plate or cake stand that is larger than the circumference of the pan over it.
7.The cake should come out of the pan easily. Carefully remove the pan. The maple syrup will run down the sides of the pan onto the platter. Serve warm, room temperature, or cool. Leftovers can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Lemony Collard Greens Pasta
Recipe and photo adapted from cookieandkate.com
Ingredients
8 oz fresh collard greens (about 10 big leaves)
⅓ or more of a package of whole-wheat spaghetti
3 T pine nuts
olive oil to sautee
2 small cloves garlic, pressed
big pinch red pepper flakes
sea salt and black pepper
1 oz Parmesan cheese
½ or more of a lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
1.Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions. Drain quickly, reserving a bit of cooking water, and set aside.
2.Cut out the center rib of each collard green. Stack a few greens at a time and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice across the roll as thinly as possible (⅛″ – ¼″). Shake up the greens and give them a few chops so the strands aren’t so long.
3.Heat a heavy-bottomed 12″ skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until they start to turn golden and fragrant. Pour them out of the skillet and save for later.
4.Return the skillet to medium heat and pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle in a big pinch of red pepper flakes and the garlic and stir. Once the oil is hot enough to shimmer, toss in all of your collard greens. Sprinkle the greens with salt. Stirring often (try not to let them clump), sauté the greens for about three minutes.
5.Remove the pan from heat. Scoop the greens into the pasta pot and toss with another drizzle of olive oil, adding pasta water if necessary. Divide onto plates, top with pine nuts and Parmesan shavings and serve with two big lemon wedges per person.
Braised Collard and Apples
Recipe and photo adapted from renegadekitchen.com
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 SugarBee apple
½ large yellow onion
1 bunch Collard Greens (1.5 lbs)
Juice from ½ of one lemon
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1½ cups vegetable stock
Directions
1.Peel, core, and quarter the apple then slice it thinly. Slice the onion thinly as well.
2.Heat the olive oil in a stock pot until it is simmering. Add the apples and onions and saute over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, or until the onions are slightly translucent and the apples are partly browned.
3.While the apples and onions are cooking, break down the collards. Take one leaf, fold it in half so that the spine is along one side, and tear the spine away from the leaf. The spines are tough, chuck ‘em in the compost bin. When you’ve de-spined the collards, stack the leaves on top of each other and then roll them into a cigar. Using a sharp knife, slice across the cigar, making ribbons of collard greens.
4.Toss the sliced greens into the pot with the apples and onions and saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the greens are wilted and reduced in size.
5.Squeeze the lemon juice into the stock pot and add the pepper, cinnamon, and salt. Stir everything to combine.
6.Add the veggie stock and cover the pot. Turn the heat down to low and simmer the greens for 30-40 minutes, or until they’re tender and delicious.
