Cooking Class w/ Envy Apples + Recipes

Had a really fun opportunity to take a cooking class with Envy Apples at Central Market. When it comes to cooking, apples aren’t the first ingredient I think of for savory meals. So this was a fun opportunity to learn from the chefs, get a better understanding on how to use and appreciate the ingredient, and of course, taste everything!

Envy Apples are pretty special. It’s like a mix between a Royal Gala apple and Braeburn apple. These apples have a naturally higher citric content, which means they’re slower to brown making them great for snacks and cooking! We were able to watch the chefs demo 5 courses using the Envy Apples in each dish. Let me tell you… I’m obsessed. Here’s what we tasted:

Envy apple and blueberry baked oatmeal. This was such a delicious and comforting start of the night. I loved that the oatmeal was baked. it was seriously so yummy.

Envy Apple, arugula, fennel and roasted walnut salad. I’m a huge fan of apples in my salad. They provide a nice crunch and surprise in flavor. They went so well with the fennel and the shaved parm. I’m definitely making this at home.

Butternut squash and Envy apple soup with sage. This was probably my favorite dish of the night. This butternut squash and apple soup was so creamy and perfectly balanced! The apple flavor was very subtle and delicate and it actually paired perfectly with the butternut squash. Complemented the sweetness really well. It was also freezing that night so the soup warmed me up. They also added toasted pumpkin seeds as a garnish.

Sheet pan pan roasted fennel crusted pork loin with Envy apples and onions. Since the weather in Dallas has been so crazy, the pork loin with apples and onions was perfect since it made for a nice fall-esque meal. This is a classic pairing of the ingredients and I liked how the apples were used here.

Roasted Envy apple & pear compote with candied ginger. Obsessed! This was delicious. The chefs cut up both the apples and pears and it was amazing to see that the apples hardly browned while we went through the entire demo. This dish had lots of fun textures and paired with the little dollop of ice cream was perfect.

The experience was super fun. Central Market offers a variety of cooking classes that are hands on and also demonstrations like what I experienced. Walked away with helpful tips on how to cook with apples. Huge thanks to Envy apples for having me and I also get to share this simple salad recipe with you guys. You can also find these apples at a local Central Market.

Recipe of the Night: Fennel Apple Salad w/ Walnuts

Ingredients:

3 TB Lemon Juice
1/2 ts Fine Sea Sal
1/2 ts Freshly grounded black pepper
1/4 Cup Extra virgin olive oil

3 Large Fennel bulbs, thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 Envy apples, halved and cored, thinly sliced on a mandoline
3 Celery Stalks, thing sliced on a mandoline
1/3 Cup Fennel fronds or roughly chopped Parsley leaves
1/2 Cup toasted walnuts
1/2 Cup Arugula
2 1/2 ounces of parmesan, sahves with a vegetable peeler (2/3 cup)

Instructions:
1. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil and continuously whisk, until dressing is emulsified.

2. In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the fennel, apple, and celery. Fold in fennel fronds or parsley and walnuts. Top with parmesan shavings before serving.

Tip: Dressing can be made day before serving. Store in refrigerator. Toss with salad ingredients up to an hour before serving.

This blog is sponsored by Envy Apples. Photography by Maribel Morales Photo.

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