PINK LADY® APPLES —
The Pink Lady® is an exciting apple originated in Western Australia. It is a natural cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties. It displays a beautiful pink blush over a yellow background, with a flavor that is both tangy and sweet. When bitten into, it presents a very refreshing and effervescent crisp crunch.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry place or refrigerate. Apples may seem crisper when they are chilled.
TIP: Do NOT store any member of the apple family near carrots! The ethylene gas that apples release can turn even nice carrots bitter!
Kale & Pink Lady® Brand Salad
FOR THE ORANGE-COCONUT YOGURT DRESSING: 2 T. Plain Greek yogurt, 1 t. light coconut milk, 1 T. apple cider vinegar, 1 T. honey, 1/3+ t. fresh orange zest, 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil.
SALAD INGREDIENTS: 4 to 5 large leaves curly green kale (to measure about 4 cups), center ribs removed, sliced into ribbons, 1 crisp Pink Lady® apple, diced (to measure about 2 cups), 1/4 c. fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/4 c. chopped roasted hazelnuts.
DIRECTIONS: In a small mixing bowl, combine yogurt, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, honey and orange zest. Whisk olive oil into mixture until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
When ready to assemble the salad, place the ribbons of kale in a large bowl and add the dressing. Add the diced apple, pomegranate seeds and nuts to the bowl and lightly toss. Garnish with additional slices of Pink Lady® apples. This salad recipe generously serves 2.
RED D’ANJOU PEARS — These pears originated as bud sports found on common Green D’Anjou trees. “Bud sports” are spontaneous, naturally occurring transformations that crop up on various fruit trees, and for the most part, they mostly go unnoticed. The Red D’Anjou Pear, however, is one exciting, colorful exception.
Actually, it’s an exception that occurred not once, but twice! The first red sport of D’Anjou was discovered in the early 1950’s near Medford, Oregon. A second red sport was discovered in the late 1970’s in Parkdale, Oregon.
Because the red color is only skin deep, you will notice no difference in cooking with Red D’Anjous than when you use green pears (if the recipe calls for the pears to be peeled). However, in a recipe calling for fresh pears with the skin intact, the red color can add striking contrast and eye appeal. Consider a garden green salad tossed with slices of unpeeled Red D’Anjou pears for extra vibrancy.
Storage: Ripen at room temperature. Red D’Anjous show only slight change in color as they ripen. The best indication of ripeness is the thumb test: Gentle thumb pressure near the stem will yield slightly when the pear is ripe. Store ripe pears in the refrigerator.
Baked D’Anjou Pears – 4 peeled D’Anjou pears, or unpeeled if you prefer. 1/4 c. water,1/3 c. Maple syrup, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 t. ground ginger,1/2 t. ground cinnamon, 1-1/2 t. grated lemon zest, Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325°. If using unpeeled pears, wash well under cold water. Slice off the bottom and stand upright in a pie pan or small baking dish, leaving some space between each pear to allow even baking. In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and syrup. Heat to liquify the syrup. Mix in the spices and pour the mixture over the pears. Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until tender throughout. Baste with syrup every 15 minutes or so. Serve warm alone, or crowned with vanilla ice cream.
