Apples and the Fall

Not to get too philosophical, but apples always get me thinking... Perhaps, it is because apples remind me of my youth more than other fruit. In the Northeastern U.S., fresh fruit was mostly not local. And though apples are certainly quite tolerant to cold storage, there is something special about a fresh one, picked right from the tree. Apples, also, have that special place in the Western ethos - the poisoned fruit of the tree of knowledge, the forbidden fruit... Some scholar suggest that this fruit was more likely the quince, but the history I learned has the apple in that special place. Today, I picked up three pounds of organic Jonathons. As we move later into the season, we tend to see some of the later season varieties, which often lose that sweet-tart balance I so prize. So almost as soon as the season starts it begins its' decrescendo.

I also grabbed a bag of mini-truffles from Guy of Gandolf's Fine Chocolates. Like other purveyors of specialty items, Gandalf has the added challenge (in addition to making a phenomenal product) of training his clients to understand the difference between his product and others. Prior to getting to know Guy, I was a novice chocolate truffle appreciator with some specialization in high percentage (70%+) cacoa chocolate bars without adulterants. Of course, I ate truffles now and again, but often found them only mediocre. Don't get me wrong, they were tasty, but not impressively so. Guy helped me to understand that while chocolate is relatively stable at room temperature, it melts at body temperature and as a result is quite temperature sensitive. Additionally, the two main ingredients in a truffle before flavoring agents are chocolate and cream. Cream is very perishable at room temperature. Like other dairy products, it is notoriously for picking up environmental odors and flavors, not the least of which includes staleness. So chocolate truffle are perishable. While truffles can be made very shelf stable with emulsifiers and perservatives, like the chocolate in candy bars (as opposed to chocolate bars), this has a deliterious effect on the product. So now having had fresh truffles on numerous different delicious occasions, I am happy to report that freshness has a marked impact on the flavor and texture of a truffle. Guy's product is a stand out in that regard. Having now compared his product to a number of larger producer, I am happy to be bringing this little bag into the office to share. We had a simple lunch after the market. Some Alaskan king salmon pan seared with some greens followed by, what else, apples.