Farmer's Market Deconstructed Apple Pie

I'm a big fan of our city's green markets so it was a huge honor to be invited to do a cooking demo at one of them this past Saturday. I spent the week before going over everything with the market director and wandering around the various stalls, with their dizzying array of options, trying to decide what to make. For all the possibilities, though, my eyes kept coming back to the glorious display of apples.

I'm fortunate to live in New York State where apples grow in abundance. And sure enough, when apple picking season comes around every autumn, I frequently get asked for recipe ideas. Sure, there's the classic apple pie and I've made my share of them. But most folks are looking for quicker and easier ways to use up all those apples.

This simple recipe twist gives you the flavor of pie but without the fuss of the crust. It can also be ready in just a few minutes which makes it a great after school snack or quick dessert. It also makes a mighty fine ice cream topping. Mighty fine, indeed. Enjoy!




Ingredients
2 Slices crusty bread (of your choice)
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 sweet eating apples (of your choice)
1/4 Cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 oz. Crumbled sharp cheddar or blue cheese (optional)

Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Cut the bread into small pieces (approx. 1/2") and add to the butter. Saute for about five minutes until the bread has crisped up and transfer to a plate.

Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Cut the apples into small pieces, just like the bread, and add to the pan along with the honey, cinnamon and salt. Saute for another 5 - 7 minutes until the apples have started to soften but not turned mushy.

Return the bread to the pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently for an additional minute to allow the bread to soak up the apple and honey juice. Serve warm with crumbled cheese on top, if desired. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Just as a side note - if any of you have ever been curious about the large apple photo at the top of my blog, I took it a few years ago while apple picking upstate. It's an homage to one of my favorite fall activities and to the bountiful crop of my beautiful home state.

Cooking Demo at the Farmer's Market

And for those of you that are local, I encourage you to check out your local green markets and you can find a list of them and their vendors at the GrowNYC web site.