How Ya Like Them Apples?

What to do with all these apples. Well, into the kitchen I went and came out with some comforting food for an ugly afternoon.
Lately cooking at home, I try to include the kids as much as possible. And seeing as they picked most of the apples, they should be encouraged to make some stuff with them. We settled on a nice Curried Apple and Parsnip soup, as well as an easy apple crisp that my 5-year-old made with me.

Curried Apple Parsnip Soup

8 cooking apples (again we had a glut of empires) Peeled cored and chopped reserving 2 cut into wedges.
4 lg parsnips peeled and chopped
1 sweet onion sliced
1 celery stalk chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1" ginger sliced
3 tbsp hot curry powder
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 cup cream 35%
salt pepper

For serving
2 apples that were wedged (above)
3 tbsp brown sugar

In a pan sautee the apple wedges on med heat until just beginning to color. Add the brown sugar and continue to cook until well caramelized, but still retaining their shape. Reserve.

Cook onions and celery until just translucent (not browned).Add garlic and ginger cook 1 minute. Add parsnip and continue to cook 5 mintues. Add apples and cook until just starting to get soft. Then add curry powder to coat all ingredients. Splash with white wine and cover with water by about 1 inch. (Most of my soups do not contain meat based broths, so as to remain both vegetarian and pure of taste). Add kaffir lime leaves and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree soup.
return to the heat and check for seasoning. Remove kaffir leaves. Add cream to get a nice velvety texture.

Serve with a nice mound of caramelized apples as garnish. Use remaing caramel in the pan to drizzle around the soup.

The sweetness and the heat from the curry is very pleasing.The parsnip adding a taste that is both clean and elusive. A wonderful soup for a crappy autumn days lunch. Enjoy.

Apple Crisp

Rum rasins with cranberry

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup cranberries
1 cup spiced rum

In a small saucepan add all ingredients and cook over med low heat for 5 minutes. Ignite the rum and allow to burn out. Set aside.

Apple Crisp Topping

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of salt

Melt butter and add to other ingrediants in a med bowl. Mix with your hands till crumbly and not too combined. Set aside.

Filling

10 med to large apples. Cooking apples. Today we had Empires and Royal Gala. Cored, peeled and cut into 1" pieces.
1 lemon juiced Half used in water to hold cut apples and half for filling
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Mix flour, salt and cinnamon in a lrage bowl. Add apples and reserved lemon juice. Add raisin and cranberries. Pour mix into a 9x13 baking pan with 1"+ sides. Cover with topping mixture and bake @ 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. TIll nice and golden.
Allow to cool a bit and portion out. Serve with good rum raisin ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy