Brett Henderson
With back to school right around the
corner, what better way to celebrate then
with the ultimate brain food - a fresh,
crispy apple! Apples are now in season,
and it’s this food bloggers favourite
season.
Fall is the time to grab your best cozy
sweater and your comfiest sweatpants,
grab a seat on the couch and cuddle up
with a hot chocolate and a romantic
comedy. Just think of how warm apple pie
or apple crisp would round out that
picture.
Apples are filled with vitamin A, B,
C,D, E and even K. Minerals include
calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese
and zinc. All play a critical role in your
everyday health. No wonder they say that
an apple a day will keep the doctor away.
Apples even have a pretty rich
history. Apples were introduced to North
America by colonists in the 17th century,
and the first apple orchard on the North
American continent was planted
in Boston by Reverend William Blaxton in
1625. The only apples native to North
America are crab apples, which were once
called "common apples". Apple varieties
brought as seed from Europe were spread
along Native American trade routes, as well
as being cultivated on colonial farms. An
1845 United States apple nursery catalogue
sold 350 of the "best" varieties, showing the
proliferation of new North American
varieties by the early 19th century. In the
20th century, irrigation projects began and
allowed the development of the
multibillion-dollar fruit industry, of which
the apple is the leading product.
Apples appear in many religious
traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden
fruit. One of the challenges to identifying
apples in religion, mythology and folktales
is that the word "apple" was used as a
generic term for all (foreign) fruit other
than berries, including nuts, as late as the
17th century. For instance, in Greek
mythology, the Greek hero Heracles, as a
part of his Twelve Labours, was required to
travel to the Garden of the Hesperides and
pick the golden apples off the Tree of
Life growing at its centre.
Eating apples isn’t limited to a crisp
piece of raw fruit. If you’re just not in the
mood to chew, then apple cider, warm or
cold, is the way to go! Pies, cakes, cookies
and breads can all be improved by adding
apples. Apple crumble has to be one of my
biggest weaknesses.
Apples will make any teacher feel
appreciated, so keep that in mind as the
school year begins. Pick one out from your
favourite local farmers market, and enjoy,
because food matters.
Tell us on Facebook about your adventures with food this month,
or tweet us @thehubWE #foodmatters
September 2016 - The HUB 7