Fall brings a variety of delicious apples and other tasty fruits to the Ventura County Certified Farmers' Markets available now through December.

Among the selections is a new crop of apples, perfect for snacking or fall recipes. Rick and Jackie Bressler of Tehachapi who attend the Santa Clarita Market, are bringing quite a few apples to market this year. "The right growing conditions and good climate have produced a good apple crop," stated Jackie Bressler. According to Bressler, customers can expect to find Golden Delicious apples, Romes, Fuji's and Winesaps, a red-as-red wine favorite variety perfect for appetizer plates, fruit bowls and more.

Mike & Mary Shore of Santa Paula will have pomegranates and hachiya & fuyu persimmons available this year with good quantities and quality expected.

Ryan Fife of Fife Farms will have an abundance of pomegranates, grapes and dried fruit on hand. According to Fife, the pomegranates are rich in color with good sugar content making for a great ingredient in recipes, or for juice. Fife offers both varieties of pomegranates - Early Foothills and Wonderfuls.

Consumers can turn their fall selections into recipes ...

Apple Tips:

• Wash apples with soap and water before use.
• Cut any bad or softer selections of the apple.
• If using in a salad and/or desire more visual appeal, dip them in a solution of one-part citrus juice to three-parts water to minimize browning.

Apple Cobbler:

3 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

½ cup butter, melted

Put apples in the bottom of a lightly greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and egg until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over the apples. Pour melted butter over the entire dish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Pomegranates Tips:

Pomegranates are a versatile fruit and can be used as a garnish on sweet & savory dishes or pressed to extract juice.

• Cut the crown end of the pomegranate.
• Lightly score the rind in several places.
• Immerse fruit in a bowl of water and soak for 5 minutes.
• Hold fruit under water and break sections apart, separating seeds from membrane. Seeds will sink while rind and membrane float.
• Skim off and discard membranes and rind.

Turkey Pomegranate Salad

1 cup pineapple bits, drained

3 cups diced cooked turkey

1 cup celery, sliced on the slant

1 cup diced apples (Rome, Winesap, or any red-skinned variety)

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup toasted silvered almonds

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup pineapple juice

Toss pineapple in large bowl with turkey, celery, apples, pomegranates seeds, and almonds. In separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and pineapple juice. Toss dressing with turkey mix in the larger bowl. Garnish with additional pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds.

The Santa Clarita Market is held on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the College of the Canyons, Parking Lot 8.

For more information on the Santa Clarita Farmers' Market, call 805-529-6266 or visit the website at www.vccfarmersmarket.com.