Autumn Apples

Apples fill more than pastry and pies. They're forever baked into family trees and tales.

It was one of those crisp autumn mornings when the sky seemed impossibly blue and the air carried just the faintest sweetness of fallen leaves. My dad was ninety-eight that year, but when I suggested a drive to the apple orchard, his eyes lit up like a young boy’s. We bundled into the car, and I watched him settle into the passenger seat with that same quiet dignity he had carried all my life.

Dad’s place was near the Blue Ridge Mountains - apple country. It wasn’t long before we started to see rows of trees stretching before us, their branches heavy with apples shining red and gold in the sunlight. We had arrived. Dad gripped his cane in one hand, and I offered my arm with the other, but truth be told, he was the one leading me. “Let’s find the good ones,” he said, with a little grin that erased the years momentarily.

We didn’t move quickly, but we moved with purpose. He reached up for a low-hanging apple and turned it in his hand, inspecting it the way a jeweler inspects a fine gem. Then he pulled out his Swiss Army knife and cut off two slices, one for me and one for him.

That day, we didn’t fill a basket so much as we filled our hearts. Every apple seemed less important than the simple act of walking side by side in a place that smelled of sun-warmed fruit and earth. Now, when I bite into an apple each fall, I don’t just taste sweetness—I taste that day, that orchard, and the enduring memory of being there with my dad at ninety-eight, still searching for the perfect apple.

Crisp, just-picked apples are one of the great joys of fall. I love them raw—eaten out of hand, sliced with nut butter, or tossed into a fresh salad—just as much as I love them cooked, baked into fragrant desserts, or sautéed into savory dishes. This week, I’m sharing a few of my favorite ways to bring apples into your life. Each recipe will fill your kitchen with that unmistakable autumn fragrance and leave you feeling both content and nourished.

Time-honored recipes for your special occasions or just for fun are from my Taste of Traditions online cookbook - a thank you to all paid subscribers. Join the club just by hitting Subscribe! I appreciate every one of you who stopped by today. Thank you for your love and support. xo Pat