As the holiday season approaches, and the invitations to pot-lucks, company parties, and family dinners begin to circulate, we often find ourselves searching our repertoire for crowd-pleasing recipes. I have found that winning dishes for these occasions are those that offer an element of tradition, but also have the ability to surprise us.

This holiday apple tart recipe does just that. It is apple pie’s more sophisticated and better looking older sibling. And the merits don’t end there. The design also allows for a more consistently crisp crust, and is more fool-proof for the novice baker. We have all cut in to an apple pie to find a filling that is too liquid to be eaten with a fork. The open top allows the steam to escape freely, which results in a pleasing, thick, molten filling.

This tart recipe makes a wonderful vehicle for all kinds of dishes. I would recommend trying different fillings. It would be delicious with pears, or with a mixture of apples and berries. Try mixing nuts or raisins in with the fruit. Or, try using a savory pastry crust and using blanched squash, onions and rosemary as your filling.  Once you have the dough making down, your imagination is the limit, and you will never have to stress over what to bring to your in-laws again!

To make the pastry dough:

(Makes enough for two-three tarts, freezes well!)

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting, rolling
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. good quality cold butter, cut into cubes
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• a splash of milk

Sift the flour and the sugar into the food processor.   Add the butter and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly and fine.  Add the lemon zest.  Pour in the eggs and the milk.  Pulse for a few more seconds until the mixture comes together.   Flour your work surface and gently work the dough together until it is in a ball.  Do not overwork.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the filling:

• 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. lemon zest plus 1 tsp. juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• (Optional) 2 tablespoons sprinkling sugar
• 1 egg white mixed with a splash of water for an egg wash

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients well, except for the sprinkling sugar and egg white.

Dust your work surface with flour.  Cut your dough into two or three pieces, depending on how large of a tart you want.  Hand roll the cut dough into a ball, and roll out with a rolling pin into a circle that is about 18″ in diameter, turning frequently to make sure it is not sticking.  Sprinkle more flour as necessary.  Trim the sides to make a pretty even circle and place it on the baking sheet.

Pile the filling high in the middle (it will shrink), leaving about 3 inches around the edge.  Fold the edge over the filling, overlapping as necessary, folding and pinching layers to make a tight edge.  Brush  the edge with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake the tart at 400 degrees until the crust is golden and and the apples are tender, about 55 minutes.  Carefully transfer to a rack to cool.  Slice into wedges and serve with fresh whip cream or ice cream.

This apple chutney recipe is perfect for pork chops or on top of a pork sandwich.  This was one of those recipes that sort of came together at the last minute when cooking a pork roast for a big group of family and turned out really well.  It’s also a great way to incorporate apples into a savory dinner (it’s a good way to use that basket of apples you bought at the store or farm that are rotting on your counter).

I’ve never really cooked chutney before, but was inspired to do so after sampling some of Vermont Harvest’s great jams and chutneys at this years Expo East show in Boston.  Check them out!  Cooking chutney involves making a vinegar based sauce that includes cider vinegar and sugar, and then adding big flavors, including A LOT of fresh garlic and fresh ginger.  After steeping these guys for a while, you add in the apples and some other spices and cook them down for a while.  In fact the lower and slower you cook the chutney the better (I rushed it for the sake of time, and though it turned out ok, I had to blast the heat to cook off the rest of the vinegar…).

The result should be both sweet and savory and really tasty.  The base of this recipe comes from Bon Appetit magazine, with a few choice TFD modifications – I think we have a winner here in the ‘autumn condiment recipe’ category.  Enjoy!

• 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 cloves of fresh garlic – chopped (minced if no food processor available)
• 1.5 Tbsp. fresh ginger – peeled and rough chop
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp. brown mustard seeds
• Around 8-10 apples – granny smith or another variety of more tart apple (really any will work besides red delicious) – Peeled, Cored and Chopped into 1″ cubes
• 1 cup raisins (golden preferred)
• 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste (doesn’t need much)

Start with the vinegar and sugars in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.  Bring the vinegar up to a boil so that the sugar dissolves (should take around 10 minutes or so).  Stirring will help.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the apples and the lemon juice so all of the apples get some love from the lemon.  If you need to add some more lemon juice, go for it.  You should then place the garlic and ginger in a food processor with a big pinch of salt and pulse to combine until they’re relatively small.

Next, add the chopped garlic and ginger to the vinegar mixture and mix to combine, letting them steep in the vinegar for a few minutes.  Add the apples to the pot, stir to combine them with the vinegar.  Finally, add the raisins, red pepper, mustard seeds and a little more salt (just a pinch).  Turn the heat up to high to bring the vinegar mixture back up to a boil, then lower the heat to low/medium, cover the pot (leaving a small opening) and let the mixture cook down for around 45 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off.  Remember, it’s very important to stir the mixture on an intermittent basis.  Taste the chutney and adjust the seasonings as needed.  Enjoy!