Apples to Their Core

And the winner is.....Sonia Grasse:  "whichever way you slice it, it's going to be a Gala affair!"  This was clever, witty and most importantly, promoted the Valentine to the Market Event, which is, after all, our primary purpose.  Runners up were Marla Neeson:  "Is Barack seeking seeds of wisdom? No, just the ingredients for a killer apple pie." and Amanda Aslansan, whose off-the-record entry was hilarious but unprintable if we wish to retain our PG rating.  Her official entry "Don't upset the apple cart' wasn't too shabby either.

Fantabulous Fall recipe from October's issue of Bon Appetit. An apple pie with a crunchy topping. Not only does the recipe call for tart Granny Smith apples, but also the apples themselves are sweated down in apple cider. The market is awash with this gorgeous ingredient currently. Stock up at Iovines,  or the Fair Food Farmstand and delight your friends with this confection.

The poll results?  Apple Martinis are disgusting, by an overwhelming majority of 66%.

And we leave you with a few interesting apple facts....

• The ancient Greeks loved the apple. Instead of slipping a ring onto a fair maiden's finger, a Greek warrior was supposed to toss an apple to the - ah - apple of his eye. If she caught the fruit, the act was as good as an engagement.
• In Medieval England, an autumnal celebration centered around the fermented fruit of the apple tree and the almost Bacchanalian merriment that would ensue. (The supposed purpose was to ensure a bountiful harvest, or so the story goes.)
• The Adam's apple is so-called because of a popular idea that it was created when the forbidden fruit got stuck in Adam's throat when he swallowed it.
• Twenty-five percent of the apples harvested in the US are exported. That's big business. Not surprisingly, Philly's own Ben Franklin started it. He had Newton Pippin apples exported from America to London in 1768.

We're spicing up the next few weeks with chili peppers.    Visit and help us heat things up!