RECIPES 
In Britain we divide apples into 'cookers' and 'eaters' (the correct terms are culinary and dessert. Cider apples are something else again). Cookers are too acid for most people to eat raw (although when stored a long time they may be OK). No other country grows acid apples that need cooking with sugar, and France in particlar (see page on Normandy) cooks with apples more than we do, but they use sweet desert apples, never Bramleys and similar types.
So that's lesson one!

I will add specific recipes though the winter, but like a lot of men who cook, I tend to learn a few basic principles and adapt them rather than follow step by step Delia (God bless her) Smith instructions. So here are some ideas and suggestions, I will ask Julia to contribute some specifics later and will consider posting with acknowledgement any recipes I am sent at stephen dot hayes1 at virgin dot net (email adress written that way to deter spam engines, you know how to write it correctly).

SAVOURY cooking with apples.

They go best with poultry or pork in any form, especially a hog roast (such as you are liable to encounter at a Hampshire farmer's market-Hi Nick!). The simplest thing is apple sauce for which Bramley is ideal as it melts to a froth. Just peel, chop, melt in a little water and serve (you can add sugar or lemon juice to taste). Bit ordinary though-does anyone have any ideas about spicing it up? spice might do it I suppose, cinnamon, cloves and allspice perhaps, or a dash of brandy or sherry just before serving? Julia says one addition is finely chopped and cooked onion.

Somerset sausages

We found this recipe in a restaurant in Simonsbath, Exmoor in Somerset. This is our version. I can't be bothered to give precise quantities, you can work them out for yourself easily.

Cook some sausages in a frying pan in a little cider, add a bit more cider as it evaporates off. As the fat starts running out of the sausages, (prick them, obviously) add some sliced onions, plus garlic if you like it. You could do a lower fat version by grilling them first but this changes the result. Add dashes of cider as required to stop sticking and deglaze the pan while cooking (this makes the gravy). When almost done, add sliced segments  of sweet apples of your choice, Cox would be ideal, Egremont Russet, Ribston Pippin, Sunset or some other tasty apple, not Bramley and not Golden delicious! When it's ready, serve with mashed potato. I will say this once only, it applies to all the other savoury recipes, if you want to put in some mustard, Worcester or Hoi Sin sauce, gravy from the roast chicken you had a few nights ago and have kept in the fridge, or anything else you fancy, then of course do so.
NB this recipe could be adapted to other pork meat eg chops, or jointed rabbit although you would have to add some cooking oil as rabbit is practically fat-free.

Casseroles with apples. Anything with pork or chicken goes well. Dessert apples usually stay whole, Bramley will 'melt' which thickens and adds flavour. Onions are good additions.

cooking with cider .

You can use decent cider (assuming you can find some-Westons is available from big supermarkets and is hard to beat) for anything you would use wine for, but it has a coarser more robust flavour so probably not very delicate dishes like scallops, which are worthy of a good South East Australian chardonnay. I use it in stir-fries when things are sticking to the wok,  pork, chicken, rabbit or pheasant casseroles, moules mariniere (I think white wine is probably wasted cooking mussels, cider is perfect to cook and to accompany as a drink) but would probably stick to ale or red wine (and water) when casseroling beef.

Salads

apples go well in most hot or cold salads other than pure green leaf ones. The famous Waldorf salad with walnuts, celery, chopped apple and mayonnaise will be better with apples like Orleans Reinette or Sunset rather than the usual Granny Smith. Leave the skins on as they look good.  In Bayeux we had a Salad Normand which included apples, duck gizzards and anduoilletes, a sort of tripe sausage which is OK if you like that sort of thing-I can only manage a small quantity.

Sweets

the classic is a Bramley apple, the core taken out from above (a potato peeler is good for this if you don't have an apple corer) leaving the bottom skin intact, with some large raisins and brown sugar and a bit of water (maybe sweet white wine or sherry if it's a special occasion). Bake in a medium oven for about an hour, serve with custard or cream.

I won't give a basic apple pie or tart recipe here, plenty in the books, but a variant we found rather good was to layer Bramley (cooked to a froth) with sliced Sunset (which stays firm) plus some mixed spice, mainly ground cinnamon with a tiny bit of ground cloves (not too much-it can overwhelm), and sultanas. Sultanas soaked in sherry are even bettter. Pastry was laid across in a lattice. This was served to 80 people at a Botley harvest supper 3 years ago to cries of delight.

Tarte Tatin is the classic French upside-down caramelised apple tart. There are numerous recipes, essentially you fry some apples (it goes without saying they are peeled, cored and sliced and are sweet good quality 'eating' apples, Orleans Reinette for choice) then add sugar and more butter, place in a deep dish which has been buttered, add cinnamon if required, and cover with puff or sweet short crust pastry. Place in an oven at mark 5 for 3/4 hour or until turns brown (cover with aluminium foil if necessary to avoid burning). Turn over, if the apples are not caramelised enough, put under a grill as required. Serve hot or cold with creme fraiche, or indeed flambe'd at the table with Calvados. My recipe suggests 2lb (1 kilo) apples, 5oz sugar, 6 oz butter to serve 8. (sorry, 1 oz (or ounce)=25 grams).

There are lots of other recipes and I will add more as and when.

But perhaps the best apple dessert is a  seasonably ripe aromatic dessert apple such as an Ashmead's Kernel, Russet, Adam's Pearmain or Reinette served at room temperature with sherry or port (good a drink as cider is, it is not the best accompaniment to apple).

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