by Diane Sagers

CORRESPONDENT

October is apple season. Look at local grocers and you will find a nice variety of apples and fruit stands in Utah Valley and near Willard Bay, which offers even more. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and recent science verifies this old adage.

Biting into a crisp, juicy, sweet apple is a delight that extends year-round, but the flavor of the freshly picked fruits in the fall is wonderful. The wide variety of apples on the market give you variations in flavor. Try several kinds this season and see what you like best. You may find you really like one you haven't tasted before. This little exercise could help you choose an apple tree to grow in your own yard.

Take it a bit further and you can find wonderful ways to use apples. Apples are adaptable to many different recipes. Of course, what would fall be without caramel apples and apple pies? However, don't overlook their many uses from main course dishes to salads, snacks and desserts.

These recipes illustrate the various presentations.

Apple puff omelet

(Yield: 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings)

2 large apples* peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup sweet butter or margarine

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat butter or margarine in a medium-size skillet and sauté the apples for 5 minutes over low heat

Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle over apples. Toss and continue to sauté apples for about 10 minutes, until they caramelize. The mixture will be thick and syrupy. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 inch baking dish and keep hot in oven.

Separate eggs. Whisk yolks and the granulated sugar in a small bowl until fairly thick. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff and shiny. Fold into yolk mixture, a third at a time. Pour egg mixture over the apples and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The omelet will be puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

* Suggested apple varieties: Ida Red, Rome, Empire, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh

Apple smoothie

(Yield: 6 servings)

2 containers (8-ounces each) vanilla lowfat yogurt

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 cup thawed frozen apple juice concentrate -- not diluted

3 cups milk

Thoroughly combine yogurt, sugar, honey and apple juice concentrate. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled.

Add milk to chilled yogurt mixture and serve cold.

Apple and pulled pork barbecue sandwich

(Yield: 6 servings)

4 cups cooked shredded pork butt roast

1 cup smoky or mesquite bottled barbecue sauce

1/3 cup apple juice concentrate

1 tablespoon butter

2 medium apples, cored and sliced

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar

6 crusty sandwich rolls, split

Combine pork, barbecue sauce and apple juice concentrate in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until heated through, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced apples and cinnamon-sugar. Cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until apples are tender.

Divide pork mixture evenly over bottom half of rolls. Spoon cooked apples over pork. Cover with tops of rolls.

Creamy avocado waldorf salad

Salad

3 apples cut in chunks

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 stalk chopped celery

1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Dressing

1 cup plain yogurt

1 small, ripe avocado, mashed

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Dash salt

3 tablespoons honey

Toss apples with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients except pine nuts. Combine dressing ingredients. Adjust to taste with lemon or honey, if needed. Gently toss with salad. Top with pine nuts.

Caramel apple pizza

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup caramel apple dip

1 Italian pizza crust (14 ounce)

2 large apples, cored and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted cashews

1/4 cup caramel apple dip

Combine cream cheese and the 1/3 cup caramel apple dip until well blended.

Place pizza crust on baking sheet. Spread mixture evenly to within 1 inch of the edge of the shell.

Toss apples with sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated. Arrange slices in spoke fashion over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup caramel apple dip over apples and nuts.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm.