October-November 2001 Edition

New Market and Gourmet Apples   By Jeanne Baratta (Fair Lawn's Kitchen Elf)   I visited the new 'Jersey Farmer's Market' on Broadway a couple of weeks ago. I went in with high expectations because I have always longed for a "true" fruit and vegetable market in my hometown.   I consider myself a "family gourmet", lovingly preparing fresh meals for my family using whatever happens to be in season, so the thought of not having to travel too far for quality ingredients was mouth watering!  I was not disappointed!  The store was wonderful, clean, well lit, well stocked, and the prices were right!    The only drawback was that I had taken my 15 year old daughter with me, and well, let's just say she didn't share my enthusiasm.  I tried, in vain to explain to her what having such a store meant. No more trips into Paterson, no more settling for what the local supermarket stocks, and of course those luscious meals and fruit salads and pies we would feast on! It all fell on deaf ears. What did I expect?   Although I could have spent more time shopping on that first trip, I tried to make my selections as quickly as possible lest I annoy my young companion. Sweet juicy peaches, figs, fresh herbs, every variety of squash you could imagine, extra large eggs 50 cents a dozen, and those giant Rome apples, perfect! "Look", I told my daughter, "isn't this wonderful, and the prices are great!", to which I received a non exuberant "whatever, can we go now?". I checked out, thanked the store owners, wished them luck and off I was with my fresh provisions!   Thankfully my husband showed a bit more excitement than the 15 year old. He knows to pacify the hand that feeds him! I decided to tackle those huge Rome apples first, each apple weighed at least a pound each, perfect for making Gourmet Carmel Apples.    These are not your kids' caramel apples; these are giant, oozing with calories, decadent apples that you find selling in all the posh stores for about $15 a piece. It took me about a year to figure out the secret to making these apples, I always had trouble getting that first layer of caramel to stick to the apple.    The answer was simple, the apples are coated with wax, get rid of the wax and the caramel will stick. I achieve this by submerging the apples in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, you can actually see the apples change color as the wax releases, then plunge them into ice water to keep them from cooking. That's it from there on it's easy!   Feel free to experiment with different ingredients when making these apples. Mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers can be used in place of the nuts making a s'more apple, flaked coconut and pecans are also delicious on these apples.   Giant Gourmet Caramel Apples  · Four or five large Rome apples  · One 14 oz bag of caramels · One 7 oz. bar of dark chocolate  · Two cups pecans, walnuts or any nut, broken into small pieces  · One 4 oz. bar of white chocolate or 1 cup colored candy melts  · Two tablespoons vegetable shortening (divided)  · Colored sprinkles (match color with  season)  · Four or five Popsicle (craft) sticks   Directions:  Prepare the apples by boiling to remove any surface wax, plunge into ice water to cool and wipe dry. Insert a Popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and spray on some cooking oil. Unwrap the caramels and place them in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water. Microwave on high for two minutes, stir and continue to microwave, 1 minute at a time, till caramel is smooth. Holding by the stick, dip each apple into the caramel, using a spoon if necessary to coat the entire apple. Place the apples on the prepared cookie sheet and refrigerate about 15 minutes or until caramel is set.   Next, break the dark chocolate into squares and put in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable shortening. Microwave on medium power for 1 minute, stir and continue to microwave, 30 seconds at a time on medium, until chocolate is smooth (do not overheat). Again, holding the apple by the stick, dip each apple into the chocolate and put onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle apples with crushed nuts and return them to the refrigerator to set for about 15 minutes.    Here's where your artistic talents come in! You can melt the white chocolate (following the same procedure as the dark), or candy melts (same method except eliminate the vegetable shortening), and this will be drizzled and swirled over the dark chocolate and nuts. Next sprinkle on some colored sprinkles or jimmies and refrigerate one more time to set.   Serving:  Although these apples are on a stick, they are not meant to be eaten like a traditional caramel apple! Remove the stick and serve by cutting the apple into wedges. These are lovely to bring as a hostess gift, wrap them in cellophane and tie some festive ribbon around the stick. It is best to keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.