The apple orchard near our country house is ready for harvest. I usually find myself with more apples than I know what to do with. I can't resist buying local fruit in season. 
I associate apples with cooler temps and the coming of Fall. Butternut Squash and Apple soup, etc. The temperatures here in the south are still in the 90's to 100's. In order to take advantage of the fresh apples, I've pulled out a couple of recipes that are appealing even in record heat. 
This recipe for: Striped Bass with Garlic Granny-Smith Mashed Potatoes is from the restaurant:Fuego at La Posada - Santa Fe, New Mexico
For each serving:
2 (3 ounce) portions striped bass
3 ounces Garlic-Granny Smith Mashed Potatoes
2 ounces roasted fennel
1 ounce nicoise olives
1 ounce fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 ounces fish stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
Sauté fish, skin side down, until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked through. place a hot portion of garlic-Granny Smith Potatoes on plate and top with fish. Place fennel, olives, tomatoes, fish stock and butter in pan in which fish was cooked. Simmer until sauce is thick and pour over fish.
Garlic-Granny Smith Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4
12 potatoes, well scrubbed
3 cups heavy cream
3 heads garlic, cut in half
1/4 pound unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced fine
Boil potatoes in salted water until soft. In saucepan, combine cream, garlic and butter. Reduce until thick - a little less than half. Remove garlic. Put cooked potatoes through a food mill into a mixing bowl. Add as much cream mixture as needed to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Granny Smith Apples.
Another recipe that I love is the Apple Crostata from Barefoot Contessa 
Apple Crostata
Pastry (2 tarts)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound very cold unsalted butter, diced
Filling (1 Tart)
11/2 pounds McIntosh, Macon, or Empire apples
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), diced
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. with the motor running, add the 1/4 cup ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form into 2 disks. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate one of the disks for at least an hour. Freeze the rest of the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Roll the pastry into an 11 inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
Transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
For the filling, peel, core, and quarter the apples. cut each quarter into 3 chunks. toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks, leaving a 1 12/ inch border.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples, pleating it to make a circle.
Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Let the tart cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack.
Photography By: Ryannan Bryer de Hickman Sotto Il Monte Vineyards
Between work and travel, I haven't been able to spend any time in blog land lately. Not much time in the kitchen either. We eat fairly light - so I can get by with putting together a plate of some wonderful Tuscan Melon, Prosciutto, Figs from my fig tree, grapes and some nice cheese and crackers. Pair it with a crisp glass of wine and we are good to go.
Dessert might be one of these Tortas de Aceite from Spain. Does anyone have a recipe (Lala maybe) for these? They are made with olive oil and anise.
Last night I made a salad that is a standby for me. 
We like to have a cheese course for dessert more often than not. Le Délice De Bourgongne triple créme from France, figs drizzled with local honey, french bread, paired with a Sauternes. 
Here's to sweet summertime .................................................
Cheers!
We like to have a cheese course for dessert more often than not. Le Délice De Bourgongne triple créme from France, figs drizzled with local honey, french bread, paired with a Sauternes. 
Here's to sweet summertime .................................................
Cheers!
