TRU-CAPE’S RICH BOUNTY OF
APPLES AND PEARS INSPIRE 

 

Quality, freshness, aroma, appearance, taste and juiciness are
what Tru-Cape expect from the orchards of the Southern fertile
valleys around Elgin, Grabouw and Ceres where their mild
climate makes this exquisite area ideal for their top grade fruit. 

 

WHAT APPLES AND PEARS CAN DO FOR YOU

 

Apples and pears boost your body and mind. All Tru-Cape apples and pears are rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C, and the minerals iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur, as well as fibres and pectin. 

 

* Fibre-rich and aid digestion

* Boost your immune system, promote vitality and give you a wonderful sense of wellbeing!

* Help keep you lean as they contain virtually no fat! Fast fruit that’s 100% guilt-free!

* Make slimming easy. Eat an apple half an hour before a meal and you’ll feel half as hungry as you normally would! Thanks to the fruit’s high fibre content

* Make apples and pears part of your daily diet to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancers such as colon cancer

* Delight your tastebuds with apples and pears. Superior quality apples and pears offer a range of fine aromas, flavours and textures. They make superb snacks and are excellent for baking and cooking. Enjoy them solo or combine them with cheeses, nuts and cold meats. Pure guiltless pleasure!

FRUIT LORE

 

* Handle gently to avoid bruising.

* Ideally, store apples and pears in a plastic bag in the fridge. They soften 10 times faster at room temperature than refrigerated.

* Keep apples and pears away from other foods, to prevent the fruit from absorbing other tastes and odours.

* To ripen pears that are still hard, store them in a bowl at room temperature for a couple of days. To speed up the process, place them in a loosely closed brown paper bag. To slow down the process, store them in the fridge.

* To test if pears are ripe, press the stalk end very gently, if it yields to your pressure, it’s ready to eat.

* Prepare apple and pear dishes just before serving to minimise discoloration. To delay browning of cut fruit, sprinkle with lemon juice - or dip in lemon juice mixed with water.

APPLE SOUFFLÉ
South African Chefs Academy

 

100 g Tru-Cape Granny Smith apple purée
20 g castor sugar
10 g cornflour
60 g egg white
20 g castor sugar

 

Cook the apple and blend it to a pulp. Place it in a saucepan with the castor sugar and the cornflour, add to the saucepan. Thicken whilst cooking out on the stove. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peak and slowly add in the castor sugar. Fold the egg white into the purée mixture. Butter and sugar moulds. Place the mixture in level. Bake in a hot oven 190°C for 10-15 minutes.

 

APPLE TART TATIN
South African Chefs Academy

 

2 large Tru-Cape Granny Smith apples
1 lemon juiced
50 g butter
50 g soft brown sugar
small quantity of puff pastry

 

Peel the apples, cut them into 8ths and sprinkle them with lemon juice. Melt the butter and toss them in it. Lay the apples on a tray with silicon paper. Sprinkle with brown sugar. And bake at 180°C until caramelized. Place them in a greased, sugared ramekin.  Place the pastry over the top and egg wash it. Bake at 180°C until golden. Turn and serve.

 

APPLE GRANITE
South African Chefs Academy

 

300 ml stock syrup
300 ml apple juice or Tru-Cape Golden Delicious apples, puréed
alcohol to taste

 

Granite is similar to a sorbet except that it isn’t churned. Once frozen it is scraped to form granules, which makes a good base for sorbets or is an interesting garnish around a dish. Mix the stock syrup with the fruit purée and add enough alcohol to taste. Pour into a flat metal dish and leave to freeze overnight. Take a fork and scrape granules the following day.

 

Variations: Strawberry and champagne, orange and triple sec, passion fruit and rum.

 

APPLE FRITTERS
South African Chefs Academy

 

250 ml water
75 g butter
150 g flour
1 eggs
100 g Tru-Cape Golden Delicious apples, puréed
100 g sugar
100 ml water

 

Bring the water and the butter to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour, stir vigorously until all the flour is incorporated. Place back on the heat for about a minute beating continuously. Remove from the heat and whisk until cool. Once cool, add the eggs slowly beating until a glossy texture is formed. Add the apple purée and shape into balls place in the freezer. Combine the sugar and the water and make a syrup. Once the apple fritters are firm deep fry them until golden and soak in the syrup.

 

Puff Pastry:
300 g butter, soft
130 g cake flour
260 g cake flour
75 g butter, melted then cooled
130 g water
1 g  white vinegar
5 g salt

 

For the first dough, mix together the first butter and flour. Form a 12 cm square, wrap and chill for 1 hour. For the second dough, place the flour in a bowl add the melted butter, combine the water, vinegar and the salt, slowly add the water to the flour. Add enough water needed then shape into a smaller square than the first. Wrap and refrigerate for another hour. Roll out the first dough to 15 cm by 25 cm. Place the second dough on top to cover half of the first dough. Fold the first dough over to seal the second. (The package would be 15 cm squared.) Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Do a double fold and chill for 1 hour. Do another double fold and allow to rest and refrigerate, for as long as 2 days. Make a single fold on the day which the dough will be used. Rest the dough before rolling out and shape before the final roll. 

 

The first part can be made by hand, there must be no lumps. Melted butter prevents gluten formation. Give 2 double folds and 2 single folds, gives less flakes.

 

APPLE AND CINNAMON CUSTARD CAKE
Institute of Culinary Arts

 

60 g butter
70 g castor sugar
0.5 g ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
100 g Tru-Cape Granny Smith cooked apples, chopped
155 g self-raising flour
60 ml milk
1 large Tru-Cape Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, sliced thinly
125 ml custard (recipe below)
30 g butter, extra, melted
10 g castor sugar, extra
0.5 g ground cinnamon, extra
(Makes 1x 24 cm cake)

 

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Prepare 24 cm spring form tin.  Beat butter, sugar and cinnamon in small mixing bowl until light and creamy.  Add egg, beat until well combined.  Add the apple, sifted flour and milk.  Combine gently until smooth. 

 

Spoon half the mixture into the cake tin.  Top with custard layer, then remaining cake mixture.  Spread mixture to cover custard.  Top with apple slices, pressing slightly into cake.  Bake ± 45 minutes until cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre.  Remove from oven.  Brush hot cake with extra butter, then sprinkle with combined extra sugar and cinnamon.  Remove cake from tin and allow cooling.  Serve warm or cold.

 

Custard:
125 ml milk
25 g sugar
10 g corn flour
1 egg yolk
vanilla essence

 

Scald 100 ml of milk.  Combine sugar and corn flour.  Add egg yolk and 25 ml cold milk. Mix properly. Temper hot milk to egg mixture.  Place back on heat and while stirring continuously bring custard to the boil.  Allow boiling for ± 30 seconds.  Add vanilla essence.  Pour onto cling wrap lined tray, place cling wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin.  Allow to cool before layering into cake.

 

APPLE PUFFS 
Institute of Culinary Arts

 

(Makes ± 10)

 

400 g puff pastry
1 quantity frangipane
10 Tru-Cape Granny Smith apple halves, poached

 

Preheat oven to 200°C.  Roll puff pastry out until 3 mm thick. Cut 10 apple shapes out.  Spread 15 ml frangipane on each puff pastry disc (not the stem and leaf part). Leave a 1 cm rim on all sides.  Slice poached apple evenly.  Keep apple slices together.  Place on top of frangipane.  Rest pastry in fridge for 10 minutes.  Bake ± 7-10 minutes until well puffed.  Remove from oven and glaze with poaching syrup.

 

Frangipane:
60 g butter, softened
60 g castor sugar
1 egg
60 g ground almonds
15 g cake flour
vanilla essence, orange flower water, lemon juice, or kirsch to flavour

 

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add beaten egg gradually,  Mix until well combined.  Stir in almonds and flour. Flavour.

 

Poached apples:
750 ml sparkling wine/dry white wine
120 g white sugar
2 juniper berries
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
zest of ½ lemon
5 Tru-Cape Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved and core removed

 

Combine all ingredients, except apples in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Add apples, lower the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until the apples are just tender.  Remove the apples to a bowl, bring the poaching liquid to a rapid boil and reduce until syrupy.  Keep poaching syrup for glazing.

 

PISSALADIÈRE WITH BLUE CHEESE, PEAR AND SERRANO HAM 
The Silwood School of Cookery

 

3 - 4 onions, sliced
60 ml butter
Malden Salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tru-Cape Packham pears, peeled and cut into 1cm wedges
125 g gorgonzola or creamy blue cheese
200 g puff pastry
100 g sliced Serrano ham
15 - 20 g pine nuts

 

Caramelise the onions in 40 g of the butter, this should take 40 - 60 minutes. Season and dab off any excess butter. Sauté the pears in the remaining butter until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Roll out the puff pastry out thinly into a 21 x 30 cm rectangle. Place onto a baking sheet, top with the caramelised onions, sauted pears, slices of gorgonzola and Serrano ham. Bake at 180°C for ±30-40 minutes. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top 5 minutes before the removing from the oven. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

 

APPLE AND LEMON CURD TART
The Silwood School of Cookery

 

Pastry:
125 g chilled butter, cubed
250 g cake flour
30 g icing sugar, sifted
1 free range egg, beaten

 

Filling:
4 extra large free range eggs
180 g castor sugar
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
100 ml lemon juice
100 g butter, melted
4 large Tru-Cape Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered at the last minute
2 Tru-Cape Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced, then sprinkled with lemon juice
25g Demerara sugar

 

To serve: 
cream

You will need a 27cm loose bottom tart pan.

 

Pastry: If making the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the beaten egg and bring together to form a dough. 

 

If made in the processor, combine the flour, butter and icing sugar in the bowl, then process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Pour in the beaten egg and pulse the blade until the dough starts to form a ball around the central stem. 

 

Form the pastry into a smooth ball, put inside a plastic bag, flatten into a disk and chill for 30 minutes.

 

Roll out the pastry and line the pan. Prick the base all over with a fork then chill for a further 30 minutes wrapped securely in a plastic bag.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.  Put a heavy metal baking tray to heat in the oven.

 

Filling: Beat the eggs, sugar, lemon rind and juice together in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the warm melted butter, then coarsely grate the cooking apples directly into the mixture and mix well. Have ready the thinly sliced dessert apples.

 

Remove the tart pan from the fridge and spread the lemon mixture in the base.  Level the surface with the back of a spoon and arrange the dessert apple slices around the outside edge, neatly overlapping.

 

Sprinkle the apple slices with the Demerara sugar. Put the tart on to the heated baking tray in oven and bake for about 35 – 50 minutes or until the centre feels firm to the touch and the apple slices are tinged brown. Serve warm with cream. 

 

CARAMELISED PEAR AND HALOUMI BRUSCHETTA
The Silwood School of Cookery

 

1 Tru-Cape Packham pear
20 ml butter
20 ml red wine
20 ml sugar
8 x 1 cm thick slices sourdough bread
1 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
120 - 160 g haloumi
olive oil
lemon wedges
handful rocket leaves

 

Pears: Peeled and cut pear into 8 wedges. Melt butter in a non-stick pan; add red wine, sugar and pears. Allow pears to caramelise on both sides, remove from pan, and season.

 

Bruschetta: Rub each slice of bread with the cut side of the garlic clove. Then toast on both sides on a grill. Season with Maldon salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.

 

Haloumi: Slice haloumi into 8 x 1 cm slices; heat a little olive oil in a pan, fry haloumi until light golden on both sides, season with Maldon salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.

 

To serve: Pile dressed rocket leaves, pears and haloumi onto the bruschetta, serve immediately.

 

Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing PTY Ltd
Tel: +27 (0) 21 850 1800
Fax: +27 (0) 21 850 1801
P.O. Box 3772 , Somerset West, 7129, South Africa
email: info@tru-cape.co.za
website: www.tru-cape.co.za

 

Back to COOKERY SCHOOLS REACHING FOR YOUNG STARS