apple orchards |

Eating an apple off the vine is one of life’s simple pleasures. This past weekend, we took our son on his first apple picking excursion. He may not have the manual dexterity to pick an apple, but he loved exploring the look and feel of everything in the orchard.

There are a good number of places in the Milwaukee area to go apple picking, but Barthel Fruit Farm in Mequon tends to be our favorite. It is a short drive and is less “commercial” than a place like Apple Holler. Apple Holler only sells an apple picking package for $39.95, which includes all the kid activities and one bag of apples. At Barthel, you can choose between a small bag for $10 or a large bag for $17.

Some of the apple crops this year are in short demand due to freezing during blossom time. However, Barthel had an abundance of beautiful Cortland apples last weekend. Red Delicious were also available for picking, though not quite as “fruitful.” Barthel’s does harvest Honeycrisp apples, my absolute favorite, but they are only available to purchase, not to pick.

Lucky for us, Cortlands are a great baking apple. Other good baking choices include Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Jonathon and Paula Red. Apples are best stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, sprinkled with a little bit of water. They will store in the refrigerator for a few weeks to a month.

So with apples on the brain, I’ve been coming up with some fun apple concoctions. I wanted to share my Apple and Brie en Croute recipe with you!

Ingredients:

1 apple cored and chopped
2 TBSP honey
1/4 C walnuts
1 package of Brie
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg
2 TBSP water

Allow puff pastry to thaw to room temperature (approx. 1 hr). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a square. In a small bowl, mix together apples, honey and walnuts. Scoop mixture into middle of pastry. Put Brie (including rind) on top of the mixture. Fold each corner of the puff pastry over the Brie. Carefully flip the pastry over onto a baking sheet. In a small bowl, beat egg. Add water. Lightly brush on puff pastry. Cook in oven for 25 minutes (until golden brown). Allow to sit for 30 minutes before eating. Cut into slices and serve. This recipe makes a great fall appetizer.

Here are some other great HAP apple recipes to enjoy!

Goat Cheese, Apple and Pine Nut Pizza
Apples and Almond Butter
Ultimate Chicken Salad
Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream
Apple Tart
Apple, Raspberry, Zucchini Pie

Happy Apple Picking!