The Pick of the Crop - Big Y® World Class Market®

Discovering New England’s apples

Autumn in New England is simply a spectacular time of year — when magnificent colorful leaves and crisp, cloudless blue skies take center stage. And nothing is finer than spending a beautiful, brisk autumn day discovering one of New England’s most treasured attractions — its many apple orchards and cider mills.

A Rich History

While Massachusetts and Connecticut are not the largest producers of apples in the country, the two states undoubtedly have a long history with the fruit. It is believed that in the mid-17th century, John Endicott, a governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony, brought the first apple tree to the New World. And another John — John Chapman — a pioneer apple farmer from Massachusetts became famous when he roamed the Midwest barefoot distributing apple seeds in the 1800s. Also known as Johnny Appleseed, Chapman has become an American folklore favorite.

Connecticut also has a rich history in the apple industry — it’s home to the oldest running cider mill in the United States. Family-owned and -operated since 1881, B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is also the last steam-powered cider mill in New England.

Distinctively New England

Whether you prefer sweet, tart, sour, or tangy, there is a New England apple to suit every taste. Massachusetts and Connecticut are home to dozens of varieties of apples. Some favorites include McIntosh, Cortland, Red Delicious, Macoun, Empire and Rome. New England apples are so versatile and they really add that extra special touch to so many different recipes. Here are a few recipes we hope will inspire you.

In Big Y’s produce department, you’ll find as many as 15 varieties of apples — from familiar favorites, like the McIntosh, to those you may not have tried before, like the Pink Lady!

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

Crust:

1/2 cup Big Y butter, softened

1/4 cup Big Y light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup Big Y all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Big Y quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Big Y ground cinnamon

Filling:

2 8-ounce packages Big Y cream cheese, softened

1 14-ounce can Big Y sweetened condensed milk

3 Big Y eggs

1 Tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

Glaze:

1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon Big Y ground cinnamon

Topping:

1 medium Cortland apple, cored and sliced

1 medium Golden Delicious apple, cored and sliced

1 Tablespoon Big Y butter, softened

10 to 12 Driscoll’s raspberries

3 kumquats, sliced

– peel from 1 lime, peeled into long thin strips

Preheat oven to 300°F.

To make crust: In a small bowl using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add flour, oats, walnuts and cinnamon. Mix well until combined. Press firmly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of a 10-inch cheesecake (springform) pan. Bake 10 minutes.

To make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and 1 Tablespoon apple juice; mix well. Pour over baked crust. Bake 50 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Let cool.

To make glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup apple juice, cornstarch and cinnamon; mix well. Cook and stir until thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To make topping: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook apples in 1 Tablespoon butter until crisp-tender. Drizzle glaze around outer ring of cheesecake. Arrange apple slices in a pinwheel fashion on top of glaze. Garnish with raspberries, kumquats and lime peel. Chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.

Makes 1 (10-inch) cheesecake.

Big Y’s Patisserie offers an incredible variety of stunning and delicious desserts — there’s something for every occasion!

Apple Blintz

Filling:

3 Tablespoons Big Y unsalted butter

31/2 cups Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks

1/3 cup Big Y brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon Big Y ground cinnamon

– pinch of Big Y salt

Batter:

1 to 11/4 cups Big Y whole milk

3 large Big Y eggs

3/4 cup unbleached Big Y all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon Big Y salt

2 Tablespoons Big Y unsalted butter, melted and cooled

– additional Big Y butter for frying

To make apple filling: In a large, heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples and sauté for about 5 minutes, lifting and turning them as they begin to turn golden. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; mix well to evenly coat apples. Add salt and cook, stirring until apples are very tender; let cool in pan. Transfer apples to a medium bowl and chill, covered, for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.

To prepare batter: In a blender, mix together 1 cup milk, eggs, flour, salt and butter until smooth. Transfer batter to a bowl and rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature. Stir batter well. It should have the consistency of light cream. If necessary, thin it with some of the reserved milk; add more milk if batter thickens as it stands.

Heat a very lightly buttered 6- or 7-inch skillet or crepe pan over moderately high heat until sizzling. Pour about 2 Tablespoons of batter into hot pan and immediately tilt pan from side to side to distribute batter evenly over the bottom. Don’t allow batter to extend up the sides of pan when tilting or the blintz edges will become too thin and crackly. Cook just until the top of the blintz is slightly dry and the edges start to curl. The bottom should be pale gold, not brown. Do not cook the other side. Loosen blintz with a spatula and turn it out onto a large platter, fried side up. Pile finished blintz on platter, with sheets of wax paper between each one. Keep exposed sheets covered to prevent them from drying out. Brush pan with additional butter only if necessary, and remember to stir batter periodically. Repeat until all batter is gone. Let blintz cool to room temperature before filling.

Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of filling in the middle of the cooked side of each blintz. Fold in the sides, then fold the bottom over the filling, and roll, jelly-roll fashion, pulling the top over tightly. You should have a neat package. Place filled blintzes seam side down, so they don’t open up.

To fry the blintzes: Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add blintzes, seam side down, without crowding pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Adjust heat if necessary and watch that the butter does not scorch. Serve with whipped cream and maple syrup.

Makes 12 blintzes.