Rocky Ridge Orchard + Raw Apple Crisp

Sara Sullivan is a Yarmouth-based, certified nutritionist, who you may have spotted on Good Day Maine. MP discovered Sara’s healthy, family-friendly recipes on Facebook. She became an instant fan after trying Sara’s Mango Coconut Smoothie (made with 1 cup of spinach) for an after school snack. To MP’s delight, CP#2—who is afraid of green vegetables—loved it!

Sara recently launched a beautiful new web site, where you can find everyday healthy tips, and more inspired recipes on her blog. We’re thrilled to have Sara guest blogging for us today, and we can’t wait to try her new take on Apple Crisp! Take it away, Sara….

Autumn’s glory is upon us!

I don’t know about you, but I am loving the cool air, the brilliant colors of the trees, and of course, the seasonal delicacies. I find that going apple picking, drinking fresh cider, and baking crisp apple chips just feels right this time of year.

With that in mind, my family and I made the short drive to Rocky Ridge Orchard in Bowdoin to handpick our own apples.

They grow several varieties: McIntosh, Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious, just to name a few. Aside from the apple picking, Rocky Ridge has horse and carriage rides, deli sandwiches on homemade bread, cider donuts, pumpkins and a barn swing for the kids. It was a picturesque, relaxing, and fun adventure for the entire family.

And since the trip concluded with a 25 lb. bag of fruit, I promptly returned home to pull together some delicious recipes making use of our apples. Here’s a family favorite:

Raw Apple Crisp

I am always on the look out for kid-friendly desserts that do not contain refined white sugar and flour. So when I stumbled across this raw apple crisp recipe at www.food.com, I knew I had to give it a try. It was instantly gobbled up and thoroughly enjoyed. Although you do not get the comfort of a warm dessert, you do get the comfort of knowing your kids are eating healthy!

8 apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup raisins, soaked and drained

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups walnuts

1 cup pitted dates

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

To make filling, in a food processor, place 2 apples with raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg, process until smooth. In a bowl place remaining chopped apples and toss with lemon juice. Pour pureed filling mixture over top, mix well. Spoon apple mixture into a medium-sized lasagna pan and set aside. For crumble, in a food processor, pulse walnuts, dates, cinnamon and salt until coarsely ground. Do not over mix. Crumble the mixture over the apples with your hands and press lightly. Serve immediately or let marinate for a few hours for extra flavor.

Go on and visit! ROCKY RIDGE ORCHARD~ 38 Rocky Ridge Lane (Route 201), Bowdoin. Or find them on Facebook.