Nature's Bounty

Last night we were not only treated to a delicious dinner at Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Larry's in Sonoma, but we also came home with a whole bushel basket of apples freshly harvested from their Gravenstein tree. I ate one today and had apple juice flowing down my chin with every bite. Ridiculously delicious.

Here's what I know about the Gravenstein apple. It's the national apple of Denmark. In the U.S., it's found primarily in Sonoma County. The town of Sebastopol has a Gravenstein Apple Fair every year. This variety typically doesn't keep well and is challenging to harvest, so it's available only for a short time in Fall. In fact, a famous botanist once remarked:

"It has often been said that if the Gravenstein could be had throughout the year, no other apple need be grown."

If it weren't for my love of the Honeycrisp and the Pacific Rose, I might agree.

Now we need to figure out how to make these apples disappear. A pie is certainly in our future. Any other wonderful ideas out there?

+++UPDATE 10.8.08: I baked an apple pie today and it was delicious, if a little weird. The crust was overdone and the innards were a bit runny. I blame the oven.+++