Apple Picking!

It’s that time of year again, where the nights are getting cooler, leaves are changing, kids are back to school and the NHL is locked out again. The fall is one of my favourite times of the year. There isn’t any snow on the ground so you can still go outside to do things without having to worry about slipping on some ice. It’s also cool enough that I don’t feel like I am sweating away my body weight every time I go for a run, dark t-shirts are a good thing. Fall is also the time of year where I feel more inclined to turn the oven on and do some baking. So this weekend when I needed something to bring to a potluck, I decided to bake a pie.

Ate the big before I could take a picture.

Normally I would bake the crust from scratch (thanks Mr. Pillsbury) or make a yummy sauce (thanks Sarah). Instead Sarah and I went out and picked the apples ourselves.  We got two different kinds of apples, Lobos and Courtlands. Lobos are the Canadian version of McIntosh. They are crunchy and have a sweet and tart flavour. Courtland apples are another McIntosh variety of apple that was originally developed at Cornell University.

There is a great apple farm in Orleans, 1399 St. Joseph blvd. Orleans (http://goo.gl/maps/kKNMq) that lets you pick your own apples. A pound of apples is about $1.25, they also have fresh apple cider and candied apples for sale. I’ve always loved apple picking. It’s pretty amazing to see exactly where our food comes from.  Most of the food I get comes from the grocery store or farmer’s market. Living in the city means I don’t have the opportunity most of the time to see my food in any other form then when it’s wrapped in butcher’s paper or in a bag. Plus it’s just fun to climb trees! If you’re looking for something to do next weekend, think about picking some apples!