Julian Apples

Last week some friends and I went up to Ravin Hill Orchard in Julian, CA to pick apples. Patrick, the man who was tending the orchard, insists that Julian apples should never be cooked in a pie. It amused me to watch my friends proceed to ignore his expert advice and plan a backing party anyway.

Apples grown in Julian have the advantage of southern California weather, where it snows for five minutes a year and the sun shines a lot. These conditions produce a sweet appley apple that does not need the assistance of sugar and spice. So I agree with Patrick, you shouldn't bake these apples. Instead I enjoy mine raw either alone or in a simple salad.

Apple Salad:
3small apples (I got mostly Empires)
lemon juice
almonds slivered
spices (ginger and cinnamon work well)
yogurt
tahini

Mix in equal parts yogurt and tahini (I do three spoonfuls of each) toss in the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy.

My dad said I could write a dieting book telling people what to eat based on what I eat. Sadly, I thought of this already. I have a crazy theory that if people ate what I do they would be healthier. He thought that they would think they could be as thin as I am. Um, my metabolism is fierce. SO healthier would be a better thing to promote.

I say eat food enjoy life. Don't make yourself sick though.

Merinated Eggplant and Mushrooms

olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon
pinch of basil
pinch of mint
1 eggplant sliced
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1 onion chopped
4 mushrooms chopped
black pepper to taste
green onion (optional)

Mix together all ingredients except green onion in a glass or non-reactive baking dish. Let it sit for at least 30min to marinade.
Bake at 400f for 45min.
Serve over pasta with green onion as garnish

Note: I still need to adjust this recipe.

serves 4-6