1) Butternut Squash & Envy™Apple Soup, 2) Envy™ Apple Arugula, Fennel & Roasted Walnut Salad, and
3) Sheet Pan-Roasted Fennel Crusted Pork Loin With Envy™ Apples & Onions
Tonight I attended a cooking class at Central Market featuring one of the hottest apples on the market, Envy™apples. Now, I'm an okay cook. Casseroles are my specialty. I like a one-dish kind of meal - that's about my speed. So, I was pleased to discover that tonight's class was a demonstration class, meaning I got to sit there and watch professional chefs cook while I sipped a glass of wine and then got to sample their dishes. The Central Market chefs were full of energy and educational wisdom. I learned a few tips about how to chop vegetables more efficiently and discovered that I actually like fennel. Who knew!? The star of tonight's menu was the Envy™ apple, whose season is November to January, so you have a few more weeks to enjoy this delicious variety of apple.
Envy™apples are non-GMO and are grown naturally in Washington State and New Zealand. Envy™ is cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala and have a naturally higher citric acid content which prevents the ‘browning’ enzyme from activating. This means they are VERY slow to brown, which makes them ideal for kid’s lunches, picnics, salads, charcuterie boards and party platters because they will look great for hours! According to grower Rick Derray, the Envy™ naturally boasts higher levels of an antioxidant (citric acid) that prevent the enzyme polyphenol oxidase from reacting with oxygen, resulting in it’s slow to brown feature.
Envy™ encourages you to try one of their delicious recipes for yourself. I chose this one for you:
Poached ENVY™ Apples
with Salted Caramel
Ingredients:
2 ENVY™ apples, peeled, cored, and halved
3 cups apple juice
1 T vanilla extract
2 strips lemon peel
For the caramel
1 cup sugar
6T butter, diced
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
Add sugar to the pot and allow sugar to melt over medium high heat, continually stirring ensuring not to burn. Once sugar is completely melted (no clumps), add butter a few cubes at a time and whisk to incorporate (be careful as the caramel boils up and possibly splatters). Slowly stream in heavy cream and whisk (be careful as the caramel boils up and possibly splatters). Let mixture boil for 1 min, then turn off heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour into a heat proof container and allow to cool slightly. Bring apple juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to a simmer. Add apples, lower heat, and slightly simmer until tender. Remove apples from liquid and drizzle with warm caramel!
This post was brought to you by Envy Apples. While I did receive compensation for authoring this post; product selections, descriptions, and opinions are 100% my own. Interested in a sponsored post or product review? Contact me for rates and details.