Recipes and Reads Culinary Labs

Recipes & Reads Culinary Lab workshops serve up comprehensive, culinary literacy programs that include hands-on demonstrations of food and nutritional literacy; food acquisition methods; food handling, hygiene and safety; culture and history of food; and consumer cost-saving techniques and meal stretching. Each of the culinary lab workshops may include the use of fully stocked mobile, kitchen carts to aid in these food-related demonstrations. The labs are strategically located at library branches throughout the county and serve all ages. Registration may be required, at some locations, for Recipes and Reads Culinary Lab workshops.

October 2026 R&RCL

Culture and History of Food – Apples

A sure sign of fall is the apple harvest. Apples are thought to have been domesticated in the mountains of Central Asia 4,000 – 10,000 years ago. The fruit trees travelled along the Silk Road and eventually came to North America in the 1600s with European colonists. Reverend William Blackstone is credited with planting the first apple orchard in 1625 near the Boston Commons. John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, travelled across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois in the 1800s, planting apple nurseries and making the fruit a popular crop.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh apples, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep dish (9 x 9 inch) with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well until all the apples are evenly coated. Pour into the baking dish.
3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top and then mix until well combined and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the apples.
4. Bake in oven for 45 – 60 minutes. Fruit should be soft and topping golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

Image credit: Image by jhenning from Pixabay.