Nature’s perfect fruit is difficult to resist but easy to enjoy

The onset of crisp autumn weather rings out only one thing, in cyclical fashion, like a revolving lighthouse beacon: apples, apples, apples!

Oh sure, the weather also inspires that naughty little voice dwelling in the inner recesses of the mind to occasionally bleat out warnings like, “Better get the firewood in!” “Better clean up the garden!” “Better put the storm windows on!” But who wants to listen to that boring old slave driver stuck inside there when more pleasant tasks, like baking, baking and baking some more might be done?

Apples, in the humble opinion of this gardener, are the perfect food. Easy to grow, pleasant to look at, conveniently packaged in a single serving and versatile as can be in the kitchen. This ancient food is said to have been irresistibly tempting to the earliest humans, and it’s no wonder why. Really, who among us would want to have been put to the test alongside Eve?

Luckily, here in New England we’re blessed to have a prime climate for a variety of apple trees. Perhaps you live on an old farmstead and are fortunate to reap the produce from aged apple trees. Perhaps you’ve raised your own orchard. Or maybe you would just as soon pop in the car and pluck abundant fruits from the trees of your local orchard.

Thankfully, apples aren’t particularly hard to find in Maine this time of year. In fact, their abundance is almost as old as our country: they are one of the first fruits early Americans planted. Both the seeds of apples and the trees themselves are said to have been brought to America from England, probably in 1629. John Endicott, one of the early governors of Massachusetts Bay Colony, is credited with the importation of the luscious fruits.

Apples originally came from the continent of Asia. The ancient Greeks and ancient Romans enjoyed the fruit as early as 300 B.C. Researchers have even found the charred remains of apples at a Stone Age village in Switzerland!

Apples hold a prominent place in American legend. Remember the story about a pioneer apple farmer named John Chapman, from Leominster, Mass. Chapman, who we know as “Johnny Appleseed,” became famous in the 1800s when he distributed apple seeds and trees to settlers in the region of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Legend claims that Johnny traveled barefoot wearing old torn clothes and a tin pot for a hat!

Today the leading apple growing country is China, producing about 41 percent of the world’s apples, followed by the United States. Turkey, France, Poland, Italy, Russia, Germany, Argentina, Japan, and Chile produce substantial apple crops. In the cool upland regions of Iraq and Mexico apples are also grown. Why buy from another country, or even another state? According to the 2002 USDA Agricultural Census, Maine has nearly 4,000 acres in apple production.

Overall, in the United States, about half of the apples grown are enjoyed as fresh fruit. About 20 percent are used to make vinegar, cider, wine, juice, jelly and apple butter. Another 17 percent are canned as applesauce and pie filling. About 13 percent were exported.

One medium sized apple provides about 80 calories of energy. It contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium. A single apple has more fiber than a serving of oatmeal.

Naturally, there are virtually an unlimited number of ways one may dress up the ordinary apple with spices, butter and grains to concoct autumn baked dishes that provide a whole lot more caloric energy! So ignore that little voice barking commands for winter preparation and indulge yourself for a moment with this delicious Apple Brown Betty. Among the oldest desserts in American culinary history, this sweet treat dates to colonial times. Try this quick and easy rustic dish with freshly picked apples from your home or local orchard:

Apple Brown Betty

4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Heat oven to 375? F. Lightly butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish. Blend together bread crumbs and butter, set aside. Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger, and cinnamon, mixing until well blended.

To assemble brown betty, spread 1 cup of buttered bread crumbs in bottom of casserole; top with one third of apple mixture. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sherry over apple layer, if desired.

Spread another cup bread crumbs and top with half of remaining apples and another tablespoon sherry. Make third layer of one cup of bread crumbs and top with remaining apples and sherry. Spread remaining bread crumbs on top of apples.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. Cool until pleasantly warm and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941 or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.