A basket of apples. (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

August is over, and with it, an end to local peaches. September has arrived, and so have early-season apples — many Americans’ favorite fruit.

I’ve already bought Paula Reds and Ginger Golds — both are early apples ready in August. Soon, Zestar and Jonamac apples will be ready, too. Later in the fall, other varieties will follow. There are so many apple varieties!

Apples are delicious. Bite into a fresh, crisp apple. Add apples to a salad, stew, skillet or dessert. There are so many varieties to accommodate every taste — some tart, some sweet, some juicy, some crisp, some tender.

Apples are healthy. We’ve all heard “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples contain two types of fiber: Soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber helps to keep your digestive tract healthy. The soluble fiber helps keep your blood vessels healthy, reducing cholesterol buildup. Apples contain important antioxidants (such as Quercitin and various flavonoids) that strengthen the immune system and help control levels of LDL cholesterol. A medium apple has about 80 calories.

Apples are versatile. There are so many ways to use them! One pound of fresh apples is about three cups when cored, peeled and sliced.

Apple pie is a favorite of many. There’s apple crisp, cobbler, many cakes with apples.

Waldorf salad is a popular salad with apples — but you can add apples to many other salads, too.

Add apples when you cook pork. Use them in skillets, too.

Make applesauce. And use that in cooking and baking.

What’s your favorite apple?

What’s your favorite way to use apples?

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Open Face Ham and Apple Sandwich

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A fast, easy lunch or supper.

Ingredients:

For each sandwich:

1 slice wholegrain bread or English muffin

A little mayo and mustard

Thin slice of sweet onion

1 thick slice ham

1/4 of a large apple, cored and sliced

1 thick slice cheddar cheese

Directions:

Spread bread thinly with mayo and mustard. Top with onion, then ham. Arrange apple slices on top of ham, place cheese over them, and broil in hot oven until cheese melts.

Serve hot, but be careful not to burn your tongue on the hot cheese.

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Fall Apple and Greens Salad

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Ingredients:

For the salad:

4 cups greens — any combination of bok choy, Napa, arugula, kale, lettuce

2 apples, cored and diced

1/2 large sweet onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup walnuts, optional

1 cup Concord grapes, optional

Garlic mustard vinaigrette dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey mustard

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Crush garlic. Add salt, mustard and apple cider vinegar. Whisk in oil.

Toss greens into the dressing and stir well with a fork until coated with dressing. Stir in remaining ingredients. Garnish with nuts and grapes, if using.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on X: @yvonawrites.