If you’re indifferent about apples, here’s a solution — write a book about them. That’s what it took for Susan Lundy to make this fruit the apple of her eye.
“Before I wrote it, I could barely tell an apple from orange,” Lundy said.
That certainly changed when a Victoria-based publisher asked the award-winning writer to pen the recently published Heritage Apples: A New Sensation (Touchwood Editions, $24.95). Lundy travelled around B.C. and into Alberta, talked to apple experts, went to farmers markets, orchards and apple events and, of course, ate crates of apples.
“It’s not until you go out and taste them that you realize how different [the older varieties] are,” Lundy said. “I was really surprised at how fascinating the subject was.”
You feel Lundy’s newly formed intrigue and fondness for this fruit in her 220-page, photo-rich book. It’s like a walk through a peaceful old apple orchard, where you get to meet friendly folk downright giddy about heritage apples. One of them was Harry Burton, owner of Apple Luscious Organic Orchard on Saltspring Island, and organizer of the Saltspring Island Apple Festival.
“I interviewed Harry three times for the book. I could barely keep up with him as he raced around [his property] excitedly talking about apples,” Lundy said.
In the book there are many photos and descriptions of heritage apples, whose names include Roxbury Russet, Reinette du Canada, Pink Pearl and Cox’s Orange Pippin.
Perhaps the most unique apple in the book is Cathead. If you stare at the picture of this elongated apple long enough, it does seem to have that shape minus, of course, the eyes, mouth, whiskers and ears. This juicy apple, primarily used for cooking, is one of the oldest known in England, dating to around 1600. It made its to way to North America when settlers planted Cathead apple trees in Virginia around 1620.
The information about that apple, and many other tales about this fruit, reveals a core theme of this book — apples have a most interesting history that’s still being written.
“To me, the book shows the apples of our past are going to be our apples of the future,” Lundy said. “People are rediscovering them.”
That rediscovery is why “a new sensation” is in the book’s title. With so many unique flavours, if you’ve never tried some of them before, that’s exactly what they’ll be. Although that is true, Lundy admits heritage apples are not commercially grown in great numbers. Many are just not “perfect-looking” enough to sell in mainstream supermarkets.
To try or buy them, Lundy says your best bet is small, niche food stores, farmers markets, festivals, directly from an orchard and, of course, you could also plant a tree yourself.
Once you have those apples, you have two options: eat them fresh, or prepare them. Lundy’s got the latter covered by including recipes in her book, such as red apple preserves, chicken-apple pate, and apple-onion tarts. Her book also provides information on that popular apple drink: cider.
This Sunday on Saltspring Island, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Lundy will be signing copies of her new book at Fulford Hall, 2591 Fulford-Ganges Rd. From 1 to 4 p.m., she’ll be doing the same thing on the Saanich Peninsula at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, 2487 St. Michael Rd., as part that establishment’s public and fun event, Apple Day.
Chickpea-Apple Curry
This recipe from Heritage Apples: A New Sensation is by Steve Glavicich, chef/owner, of Braizen Food Truck in Calgary.
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slivers
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 (15 1/2-oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add curry powder; cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; cook until onion starts to soften and is well coated with curry mixture — two to three minutes. Add cilantro, tomatoes, apples, and chickpeas. Cover; simmer until apples are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover; simmer until slightly thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Stir in yogurt just prior to serving.
French Apple Clafouti
This warm French apple dessert from Lundy’s book was also created by Steve Glavicich.
4 cups peeled, sliced, red-fleshed apples
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Calvados or apple brandy
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a deep 10-inch pie plate. Arrange apples evenly over the bottom of the dish.
Combine milk and eggs in a blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend for five seconds. Pour batter over apples.
Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Serve warm.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.