Does it count as your apple for the day if it tastes amazing? We think so. From apple pickles to a ketchup substitute made with apples, more than ever before, chefs are finding creative uses for apples. Here’s the scoop on where to get a healthy dose of yummy apples this season.
Apple fennel salad (on crab cake with beer mustard) at Half Day Brewing Company
200 Village Green, Lincolnshire; www.HalfDayBrewing.com
The crab cake with beer mustard on the menu at Half Day Brewing in Lincolnshire is one of the only crab cakes anywhere that comes with a little salad with apples in it. The tiny apple salad on this crab cake is so beautifully prepared that it is as precious as the delicate seafood beneath it. And the flavors interact well, too. The tang from the apple gently cuts through the rich pan-seared lump crab meat while complementing it. Roasted red peppers and corn add mellow, fresh flavors.
Tomato apple jam at Westwood Bistro
950 N. Western Ave, Lake Forest; www.WestwoodBistro.com
“Back in South Korea and Japan my grandfather ate an apple a day and he lived to be 92!” said Yoonseok Jang. Jang is the executive chef at Westwood Bistro in Lake Forest.
This time of year, Jang loves to go apple picking with his wife. “When we return home with all our apples, it’s fun to try and think of new and creative ways to cook with them.”
At Westwood Bistro he makes an apple jam with tomatoes. It’s an option in place of ketchup on burgers. “Our tomato apple jam puts an unexpected twist on some classic ingredients,” Jang said. “The recipe is simple, but flavorful with sweet, spicy, and tangy notes.”
He loves to make apple pickles, too. He uses a food vacuum machine to get the apple to absorb all the pickling brine until it becomes heavy with it. “These pickles have a delightful sweet and sour flavor that goes beautifully with duck or pork,” he said. You might see them on the menu at Westwood Bistro soon.
Caramelized apple and bacon cheeseburger at The Village Tavern
135 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove; www.villagetavernoflonggrove.com
That’s not a thick onion ring on top of the burger patty at The Village Tap in Long Grove. It’s a hunky slice of caramelized apple. The burger is topped with mild cheddar cheese, the caramelized Golden Delicious apple slices and applewood smoked bacon.
The caramelized apple and bacon cheeseburger will be available during Long Grove’s 24th annual Apple Festival, Sept. 23-25. The recipe is from Adam Ullrich, who was once the general manager at The Village Tavern.
Village Tavern Owner Mary Ann Ullrich said they try to change up the burger with different cheeses and apples. “There are so many to choose from with different flavor profiles,” she said.
An Apple Cinnamon BBQ Bacon Burger will also be on the menu at The Village Tavern during Apple Fest weekend.
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This time of the year, the menu at The Village Tavern also includes Carmel Apple Beer Mug Sundae, apple strudels and pies and apple cocktails and infused spirits.
During Apple Festival in Long Grove, there will be hundreds of apple pies, apple cider, caramel apples and apple cider doughnuts. Gerri Gwarnicki will have apple and rhubarb pie, apple butter with scones, and apple tea on the menu at High Tea with Gerri. Neumann’s Cigars & More will even feature apple pie-flavored cigars. For more details about Long Grove’s Apple Festival, visit www.longgrove.org/festivals.
Kale salad with grilled apple at Maevery Public House
20 E. Scranton Ave, Lake Bluff; www.Maevery.com
“Our 3-year-old daughter Mae Avery is always reminding us that an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” said Greg Derman, Maevery Public House Operating Partner. “If that’s true, I will take it any way it comes.”
One delicious option is the kale salad with grilled apple at Maevery Public House. Slender slices of grilled Granny Smith apple crown the top of the salad. The salad also includes sun-dried cherries and goat cheese. Everything is tossed in house-made beet vinaigrette and the salad is sprinkled with pine nuts.
The grilled apple makes all the difference. “We simply slice the apple and let the high heat of the grilling process mellow the natural tartness. The grilling provides a softer texture and a touch of char to this delicious fruit,” Derman said. “The sweetness of the grilled apple is balanced nicely by the acidity and earth tones of the fresh kale and the beet vinaigrette.”
Any of these options can be paired with the beer made next door at Lake Bluff Brewing Company.
Homemade apple walnut bread at Milwalky Trace
603 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; www.MilwalkyTrace.com
Homemade apple walnut bread is on the brunch menu at Milwalky Trace in Libertyville. What a treat. It’s served cut like a piece of cake and looks almost like a dessert; it’s topped with fluffy fresh ricotta, fresh raspberries, local honey and shreds of mint. Wash it down with fresh squeezed orange juice, with or without the bubbly.