Talking Apples (the computer and the fruit) in Washington

January 13, 2021

Apples, apples, and more apples! No, I’m not talking about the computer company, I’m talkin’ the fruit! (Although here’s a fun fact: According to Steve Jobs’ biography, the computer company was conceived by Mr. Jobs after he returned from working on an apple farm. He thought the name sounded “fun, spirited, and not intimidating.”)

I learned that Washington produces more apples than any other state in our country. The apple that is totally Washington is the Red Delicious; in the 80’s it was 75% of the state’s entire apple harvest. So, when I’m thinking about the state of Washington, I’m also thinking about the fruit and a delicious recipe that includes them.

Let’s Eat…in!

Brats, Apples, Onions, and Beer (It’s my German side shining through)

Ingredients for 4 | Multiply by degree of hunger, divide by number of girlfriends!

Prep time:

10 minutes

Cook time:

35 minutes

Total time:

45 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 bratwurst

2 apples, cored and sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles beer (cheers)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Step 2

Cook bratwurst in hot oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Step 3

Remove bratwurst to a plate, reserving drippings in the skillet.

Step 4

Stir apple and onion slices into the reserved drippings. Cook and stir until the onion softens, about 6 minutes.

Step 5

Return bratwurst to the skillet, nestling them into the onion mixture. Pour beer over the sausages. Season with salt and pepper

Step 6

Bring the beer to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the bratwurst is no longer pink in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Let’s Eat…out!

Staying at an Airbnb or VRBO and not able to cook? Here are a couple of great options:

Seastar Restaurant Restaurant and Raw Bar | Bellevue is very suburban and Seastar Restaurant is very Bellevue. Where a seafood restaurant in Seattle might have rough wood tables and a view of Puget Sound, Seastar has white table cloths, silver napkin rings (that they take right after you sit down and put your napkin on your lap), no view, but high-end Norwegian/Japanese furnishings.

Chef John Howie’s restaurant has received high praise and awards from Wine Spectator, FOOD & WINE, Sunset, and KING 5 Evening Magazine just to name a few. Bellevue is known for The Bellevue Collection (a high end mall two blocks from Seastar), the home of Bill Gates (about a mile from Seastar), and being the place where affluent people live and shop. After shopping with my crew at the mall, nothing tastes better than Scallop Trio tropical fruit & nuts, golden beet & truffle, black truffle creme. After dinner, there is no way I’m leaving without having Passion Fruit Panna Cotta for dessert!

The Marc Restaurant | The Walla Walla area has long been known as one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the nation, producing such crops as wheat, asparagus, strawberries and the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions (a must to be used in the above recipe). I was once told by a guy who owned a fruit store that the flatter the onion, the sweeter. I’ve gotta try the onions on the Marc Burger (burger with bacon, butter lettuce, Tillamook Smoked Cheddar, Garlic Aioli, Balsamic Onion Jam, and Hand-cut Fries) on the dinner menu at The Marc.