The UK has an amazing 3,000 different varieties of apple, so if possible try using locally grown produce to keep this wonderful diversity alive. (See Common Ground's Apple Day for more on their importance to British culture, landscape and wild life).

Waldorf Salad

2 eating apples
3 oranges
5 radishes
4 sticks celery
1/2 cup walnut halves
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
Seasoning to taste

Wash and dry apples, celery and radishes. Peel oranges and remove skin from segments, place segments in a bowl along with any juice. Remove core from apples, thinly slice, cut into smaller pieces and add to bowl. Slice celery and radishes and add to bowl. In a frying pan, lightly toast the walnuts in the olive oil and set aside. Add the sour cream to the bowl and mix, add seasoning if required and the toasted walnuts. (Serves 6)

Apple and Parsnip Soup

700g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
4 sage leaves, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
25g butter
1.1 litres vegetable stock
150 ml single cream
Seasoning to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the parsnips and apple. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and add the chopped sage. Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in a blender. Return to the saucepan, add the cream and reheat very gently. Season to taste.

Apple, Celery and Mushroom Quiche

Pastry
175g plain wholemeal flour
50g plain white flour
100g butter
30 ml cold water
Pinch of salt

Filling
2 eating apples
3 sticks of celery
150g chestnut mushrooms
125g grated cheddar cheese
6 eggs
50g butter
Mixed herbs
Seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to gas mark 7, 220°C. Grease a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Mix together the flours and salt in a bowl, rub in the butter until mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Add water and gently gather mixture into a ball. Turn out onto floured board, knead lightly and roll out. Line the tin with pastry and prick the base with a fork. Bake for 15 mins.

Reduce heat to gas mark 4, 180°C. Sprinkle cheese on base of quiche. Fry mushrooms and celery in butter until soft. Peel, core and slice the apples. Arrange apples, mushrooms and celery on top of cheese, sprinkle over herbs, season and pour in beaten eggs. Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until the middle is well cooked.

Apple, Wensleydale and Sweet Potato Pie

Pastry
85g butter
200g plain flour
140g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
milk, for glazing

Filling
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and sliced
300g sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200g Wensleydale cheese, cut into small dice
125ml creme fraiche
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Rub the butter into the flour until mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheddar cheese and season to taste. Add 2-4 tablespoons of water (just enough to bind). Gather into ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to gas mark 4, 180°C. Parboil sweet potatoes for 2-3 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Fry the onion in olive oil until softened. Line a deep 23cm flan case with two thirds of the pastry. Fill with half of the potatoes, half the onion, half the apple, half the sage and half the Wensleydale, seasoning to taste. Repeat the layers, then spoon over the creme fraiche. Roll out the remaining pastry and cover, pinching edges together and making a tiny hole in the top. Brush with a little milk and bake for 45 minutes until pastry is golden. Cool for around 15 minutes before serving.

Apple, Sultana and Cider Cake

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
50g sultanas
150ml dry cider
125g butter
125g soft brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
225g wholemeal plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 lemon rind, grated
1 tablespoon demerara suga

Preheat oven to gas mark 4, 180°C. Grease a 20cm cake tin. Soak the chopped apple and sultanas in the cider. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour, baking powder and lemon rind. Add the soaked fruit and cider and mix together. Spoon into tin, sprinkle the demerara sugar on top and bake for 50-60 mins.

Apple and Honey Cake

125g butter, softened
125g golden caster sugar
225g self-raising flour, sifted
2 eggs, beaten
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated rind and juice
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to gas mark 5, 190°C and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, lemon rind, and juice. Fold in the flour and spoon mixture into the prepared tin. Score the backs of the apple pieces with a fork and arrange on top of the mixture, pushing down until they are just protruding. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Drizzle the honey over the top and return to oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and place a wire rack - serve warm or cold.

Apple and Blackberry Crumble Cake

Crumble topping
50g plain flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
50g butter
25g caster sugar

Cake
175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
100g blackberries, washed
350g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to gas mark 5, 190°C. Grease and base-line a 20cm springform tin. Make the topping by sifting the flour and ginger into a bowl, rubbing in the butter until the mixture is like breadcrumbs and then stir in the sugar. To make the cake base, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour between each addition to prevent curdling. Fold in the remaining flour and the blackberries and spoon into the prepared tin. Layer the apples on top and scatter over the crumble topping. Bake for 50-60 minutes, cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then serve warm with custard or cream.

Apple Chutney

900g apples peeled, cored and chopped
600 ml cider vinegar
55g pickling spice
5g ground ginger
225g raisins
450g warmed brown sugar *
2 teaspoons salt

* In order to help it dissolve quicker it is advisable to warm the sugar first in a bowl in the oven for 20 mins on its lowest setting.

Add the apples a vinegar to a preserving pan. Place the pickling spice and ground ginger into a piece of muslin and tie into a bundle with string then add to the pan. Cook gently until the apples are tender but still hold their shape. Roughly chop the raisins and add them to the pan with the warmed sugar and salt, mix well. Bring chutney to the boil then remove from heat. Remove the spice bundle. Pour the chutney into hot, sterilized jars and seal with a waxed disc and then a screw-top lid. Makes 1.8 kg

Many thanks to Sarah for the next two recipes...

Hot Apple Juice spiked with Ginger

Put 2 litres of apple juice and a 5cm piece of fresh root ginger (peeled and thinly sliced) and the juice and the zest of 1 large lemon in a large jug and leave for 1 hour to stand. Pour into a pan and heat over a moderate heat for 10-15 mins to warm through (not boil). Place 2 small red apples thinly sliced into the bottom of a heat proof jug and strain in the apple juice. Serve hot.

Apple, Peach and Ginger Relish

11/4 lb cooking apples, 8oz dried peaches, 4oz sultanas, 1" piece of fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 3/4 pint cider vinegar, 15oz caster sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1tsp cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder.
Chop everything up. Simmer 45 mins.