Baked Apples Stuffed with Figs and Walnuts

October is for apple picking. I love bringing home big bushel baskets full of crisp, juicy apples, and eating one fresh on the way home. If it's warm enough to wrap a big scarf around my neck and skip the coat, I'm game for raw apples.

But in case you haven't heard, we got our first snow this weekend. It's a wee bit - half an inch, maybe? - but it's enough to unleash DC's full-fledged phobia of functioning in "inclement" weather. It's also enough that I want my apples baked.

By "baked," I mean stuffed with sweet, nutty filling. Dotted with butter. Glazed with reduced cider or white wine. That kind of baked. Are you with me? I bet you are.

There are countless recipes online for stuffed baked apples, but most call for stuffing them with what essentially amounts to crumble topping. I love the way the crumble stuffing bakes into a crispy crust on the apples, but if we're being honest, the part inside the apple generally underwhelms. It ends up tasting like very buttery, slightly undercooked oatmeal, which is tasty, but not really what I want inside my apples.

That's why I developed this recipe, which calls for finely chopped nuts, dried fruit, and still plenty of that signature brown sugar and butter. I baked the apples in a combination of cider and white wine, but you definitely can bake them in just cider, or a combination of cider and water.

Inspired by Mario Batali, I served these apple with a bit of gorgonzola dolce on top. The cheese provided a nice counterpoint to the sweet, buttery apples. If your guests (or you) aren't keen on gorgonzola, you can serve them with a bit of creme fraiche or mascarpone. Or hey, gild the lily: a la mode would be fantastic, too.

~

GIVEAWAY RESULTS: Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway of a Nudo Olive Oil Gift Pack! This morning, I chose a winner using the Random Number Generator and Random.org:

random number generator

The lucky winner is Grace. Congratulations! I'll be in touch via email.

Now, onto today's recipe.

Baked Apples Stuffed with Figs and Walnuts Serves 6

6 of your favorite apples 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped 3/4 cup chopped figs 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided 1 cup cider 1/2 cup semi-sweet white wine (or substitute more cider or water) 2 oz. gorgonzola dolce or other mild, creamy gorgonzola, optional, for serving

(Other serving options: creme fraiche, mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Use a melon baller to core the apples from the top. Work your way through the center of the apple, removing all the seed pods but leaving a sizeable base intact. You're essentially looking to turn each apple into a cup. Set apples in an oven-safe casserole. Apples should stand up on their own; if not, choose a pan that just barely fits the apples, so they stay upright.

In a small mixing bowl, combine walnuts, figs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Use a fork to mash and combine the mixture as you would the crumb topping of a fruit crisp. The mixture should be somewhat damp and clumpy.

Use a small spoon to fill the cavity of each apple with filling. You should have enough filling to fill each apple to the top, but fill each apple a bit at a time, to make sure filling is distributed evenly. Dot filled apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Pour cider and wine/water into the bottom of the casserole.

Cover casserole with lid or aluminum foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove cover, baste apples with pan liquid, and continue baking 30-40 minutes longer, until apples are soft, the apples' skins are wrinkled and golden, and the juices have reduced considerably.

To serve, top each apple with a small piece of gorgonzola and serve hot. Alternatively, serve apples with creme fraiche, mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.

Kale Salad with Pickled Radishes and Pomegranate

We've officially overdosed on turkey. As is: in sandwiches, in hash with an egg on top (twice), in soup. I think we're done. Momentarily ignoring that fact that I can't really handle more poultry right now, I'm also mulling over some quasi-ambitious plans for Christmas Eve involving a whole duck with all of its pieces. It's cold out, though not as cold as it's going to get, and I'm trying to steel myself for a blustery, dark December.

But first, before it gets too cold to think about salad, I wanted to share this little number from our Thanksgiving table. It's pretty straightforward: curly kale, simple picked radishes, pomegranate seeds. A dressing made with plenty of really good mustard. That's about all.

At Thanksgiving, the kale was merely a prelude to a feast, so I kept things simple. That said, I think this would make a lovely bed for a piece of simple roasted salmon. Or you could bulk it up by adding slices of roasted chicken and some croutons.

I'm serving it tonight, alongside roasted fish with harissa and a farro salad from F&W that I can't wait to share with you. Dessert is baked apples, but just in case any of our guests are less finished with Tday than we are, there will also be leftover chocolate pecan pie.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Giveaway alert: In case you missed it, we're doing a giveaway of a lovely Nudo Olive Oil gift pack. Four 8-oz. canisters of olive oil (lemon, basil, chile, classic). To enter, leave a comment here by midnight on December 8th. Good luck! ~

Music to cook by: When my buddy Carol Blymire cookedthrough the French Laundry cookbook and the Alinea cookbook, she always shared the music that kept her jammin' to the end of the dish. I generally keep a pretty silent kitchen (clanging pots and splattering oil excepted), but today I listened to a new-to-me band called St. Lucia, and it may just become my new cooking jam. The musical kind - you know what I mean. ~

One year ago: Cocoa-Rye Raisin Bread Two years ago: Maple-Roasted Pears Three years ago: Mozzarella in Carrozza Four years ago: Cauliflower with Brown Butter Five years ago: Winter Salad with Pears and Manchego Six years ago: Saffron-Nutmeg Rice Pudding

Kale Salad with Pickled Radishes and Pomegranate Radishes adapted from David Lebovitz Serves 6-8

For the salad: 3/4 lb. (about 8 cups) curly kale, torn into pieces Seeds of one pomegranate (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup pickled radishes (recipe below) 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, optional

For the dressing: 1 1/2 tablespoons grainy mustard (choose one that you really enjoy) 2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar (or substitute rice wine vinegar) 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For the pickled radishes: 8 round red radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 cup water 1 cup white vinegar 2 teaspoons sea salt 2 teaspoons honey 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced 1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns 1 bay leaf 2 cloves 1 dried chile pepper, optional

Make the pickled radishes: In a small saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sea salt, and honey to a boil, stirring until salt and honey have dissolved. Off the heat, add garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, clove, and chile, if using. Pack the radishes into a pint jar, pour the hot liquid overtop, cover, and refrigerate. Pickes will be ready to use in 24-48 hours.

Make the dressing: Mix all ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake until combined.

Assemble the salad: Put kale in a large, wide bowl. Dress lightly, then massage kale with your hands to work the dressing into the leaves. Taste, and add more dressing as needed. Add and distribute remaining ingredients, toss to coat lightly with dressing, and serve.

Crispy Apple Skins

My friend Jeremy, an excellent cook and compost expert, is back to tell us about a fantastic new chef's snack to make the most of Thanksgiving prep. We made them last night, and...well, it's a good thing I snapped a picture immediately. They're gone.

You'll make these once and never think of peeling an apple the same way again. Seriously.

Thanksgiving is upon us -- Hanukkah, too! -- and if you haven't already done so, there's a good chance that "make apple sauce" is on your to-do list for between now and Thursday. Trust me. When you make that apple sauce, you're going to want to make these dead-simple little treats, too.

Ingredients:

apple skins (any variety) spice of your choice

Steps:

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Make sure your apples are washed and dried.

When you peel your sauce apples, move the peeler from the stem to bottom of the fruit. Press a little harder than you ordinarily might, so as to capture a little bit of the apple's meat along with the skin. You should end up with strips of apple 3/4"-1" wide and 3-4" long, depending what apples you're using.

Lay the skins on the sheet, skin side down, in one layer, with at least a little separation between skins. Leave as is, or sprinkle lightly with whatever spices you like: my kids love cinnamon, my wife and I love cayenne. Experiment!

That's it. Stick 'em in the oven, and check in on them in a half hour so. The skins should be starting to curl up into little straws. Pull them out when they've curled enough to feel rigid, but haven't yet started to brown, usually 40-45 minutes total. Take note: they won't be crispy yet. Use your fingers to gently knock the skins off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. They'll crisp up almost immediately as they start to cool, and be ready to eat in just a few minutes!

There are a bunch of reasons I love these things, beyond the fact that they're delicious. For starters, they're super easy. They come out perfectly crispy every single time, and the crunch you get when you bite into it is extraordinarily satisfying. They're 100 percent good for you. And maybe my favorite part? They reduce waste and create food in one yummy little package!

I'm a sustainability entrepreneur (shameless self promotion: Compost Cab), and I can't help think that we might be onto something here. In fact, I kind of want to market these as a healthy snack for kids-of-all-ages called Apple Skinz. That's right -- they're so good I want to sell them at Whole Foods. Who's with me? Make them for yourself, then let's talk!

Thanks to Rivka and NDP for giving me a space to share this gem. Wishing everyone a peaceful and meaningful Thanksgiving, and if there are candles in your future, a very happy Hanukkah!

Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad with Sherry-Maple Dressing

The seasons have turned, haven’t they? The pretty little pint of greenhouse cherry tomatoes on my counter notwithstanding, DC’s got a case of cold wind and short days that puts me in the mood for stew and hot cider.

But first, before I wind down on salads for weekday lunch, I want to share a good one that makes the most of fall produce and that I think you’ll enjoy serving all winter long.

Tell me you’re shocked that it comes from Yotam Ottolenghi; I don’t believe you. The new king of vegetables has struck again, and this time, there isn’t a drop of tahini or yogurt in sight. (That might surprise you.) The dressing is a simple concoction of sherry vinegar and maple syrup, which slicks a big pile of roasted cauliflower, celery, parsley, pomegranates, and toasted hazelnuts. Doesn’t it just sound like fall?

You won’t want to miss this one. Especially since later this week, you just might feel the urge to make a certain pie.

Stay tuned, friends.

Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad with PomegranatesAdapted from Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi

1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 large celery stalk, sliced thinly on the bias 5 tablespoons hazelnuts 1/3 cup parsley leaves 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon allspice Flaky salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle lightly with flaky salt and pepper, and bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until cauliflower is golden brown in spots.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with fresh parchment paper, and toast for about 15 minutes checking at the 10-minute mark) until uniformly golden brown. Let hazelnuts cool, then wrap hazelnuts in a towel and rub back and forth to loosen and remove their papery skins. Chop coarsely.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk remaining 2 tablespoos olive oil, sherry vinegar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and allspice in a medium bowl. Add ½ teaspoon flaky salt and a couple grinds of pepper and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, hazelnuts, pomegranate, celery, parsley, and dressing. Stir to incorporate, and serve.