3 Ways to Add Apples to Your Fall Dishes

The fruit that belongs in your chutneys, salads, and cakes this fall

“People think that apples are around all the time, and they’re kind of not,” says Michael Zentner, chef at Merci in Charleston. “That’s why the ones in the grocery store taste so bad, because they’re stored. If you stick to eating them in the fall, you’ll be much happier.”

The chef has received accolades for his food, which is hyperseasonal. “We change two or three dishes on the menu every week,” he says. That spirit also applies to his grandmère apple cake; not only can you change up the variety from Granny Smith to Pink Lady—“any apple that’s not for sauce,” says the chef—but you can rotate the fruit seasonally to include strawberries, peaches, or pears.

Most of the apples Zentner uses come from North Carolina, one of the top apple-producing states, where the harvest season runs August through October. “We try to stick to what they have at the farmers market,” he says.

Spread the Season

“Apples make a beautiful condiment,” says Zentner. He makes mostardos and chutneys for a cheese plate or as an accompaniment to pork.

Make it Crunch

The chef’s salads are always popular, and in the fall, when bitter chicories like endive and radicchio are also in season, he pairs them with apple and Roquefort cheese.

Indulge

For his grandmère apple cake, Zentner includes a touch of yeast for lightness and fluffiness. “You bake a cake, essentially, and then you whip butter, sugar, and a little bit of egg, smear the mixture over top, and you put it back in the oven again, and it makes the top of the cake caramelize.” He adds, “You can eat it for breakfast.”

Grandmére Apple Cake

Use room-temperature butter to coat the bottom and edges of two 2-inch-deep 9- or 10-inch-round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment. In a mixing bowl, roughly mix ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon yeast, and 1 tablespoon baking powder. In a separate bowl, gently whisk together ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup avocado oil, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry; incorporate all ingredients but do not overmix.

Peel and core 3 to 4 Granny Smith apples and slice into 16 half moons. Place 8 half moons in each pan in a circle fanning out from the center. Pour batter over apples, filling each pan halfway. Allow mixture to rest on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cakes until lightly golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

While cakes are baking, combine 2 sticks softened butter and ½ cup sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and continue to mix until smooth.

Remove cakes from oven and spread butter-egg mixture on top of each. Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes more, until nicely browned. Serve with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped crème fraÎche.

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