One of the most exciting things about early Fall (more exciting than the new school year, even more exciting than Halloween!) is the plenitude of crisp fresh apples available. These gorgeous jewels make it extremely difficult to make it all the way home from the MCM without reaching into my Ecobag and devouring a juicy apple from Hale Apple Farm. On the rare occasion that self-control prevails, I immediately make this easy yet impressive-looking quesadilla, topped with raspberry salsa (made with fresh raspberries from Yerena Farms and ripe tomatoes from Tomatero Farm). It’s a great dish to throw together for unexpected guests and makes a lovely vegetarian entree, but can also be sliced into thin wedges and served as an attractive appetizer.
Ingredients
8 6” corn tortillas
2 medium-size, sweet apples, such as Braeburn or Fuji, cored and sliced thinly
8 tbsp. soft goat cheese
about fresh raspberries
1 small handful cilantro, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced finely, seeds discarded if you prefer a milder salsa
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place raspberries, cilantro, tomato, jalapeño, lime juice and salt into a food processor or blender. Puree until just slightly chunky with green flecks. Alternatively, chop everything very finely using a sharp chef’s knife. Set aside.
To assemble the quesadillas, spread each tortilla with a tbsp of goat cheese. Sandwich a few slices of apple and a few grinds of black pepper between two tortillas. Press gently to adhere the top tortilla to the bottom one and the filling. Repeat until 4 quesadillas have been assembled.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan or grill pan over high heat. Cook quesadillas, working in batches as necessary, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crispy and golden and cheese has softened.
Cut into wedges and serve with the raspberry salsa.
