fiesta for friends

Annabel picks heritage apples, then returns to her cabin to cook a Mexican-style feast of succulent slow-cooked pork with all the trimmings, followed by the easiest, most refreshing apple and raspberry sorbets ever.

On this page you'll find recipes, bonus videos and behind-the-scenes photos from this episode. All the rest of the recipes from the series are in the accompanying book, Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures.

chunky guacamole
fresh flour tortillas

Fresh Flour Tortillas

Chunky Guacamole

Mexican Rub

behind-the-scenes photo gallery

Today's adventure takes me to visit one of New Zealand's heritage apple experts, Dieter Proebst, at his orchard in Nelson.

Today's adventure takes me to visit one of New Zealand's heritage apple experts, Dieter Proebst, at his orchard in Nelson.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away...

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...
Dieter has more than 220 apple varieties growing organically on his five hectare orchard, so I'm sure to find the perfect crunchy, sweet, flavoursome apple that I'm looking for.

Dieter has more than 220 apple varieties growing organically on his five hectare orchard, so I'm sure to find the perfect crunchy, sweet, flavoursome apple that I'm looking for.
Everyone chips in to help with the harvest.

Everyone chips in to help with the harvest.
Dieter's apples bear little resemblance to the glossy, floury fruit you can buy at the supermarket when it's not apple season locally. They're not a uniform colour or size and each variety has quite a distinctive flavour.

Dieter's apples bear little resemblance to the glossy, floury fruit you can buy at the supermarket when it's not apple season locally. They're not a uniform colour or size and each variety has quite a distinctive flavour.
Dieter explains that different varieties of apple are better for different purposes. For example you should use a granny smith if you want it to go mushy when cooked, but a golden delicious if you want it to hold together.

Dieter explains that different varieties of apple are better for different purposes. For example you should use a granny smith if you want it to go mushy when cooked, but a golden delicious if you want it to hold together.
I can't wait to cook with Dieter's apples so I set up my gas burner right here in the orchard to make scrumptious apple fritters.

I can't wait to cook with Dieter's apples so I set up my gas burner right here in the orchard to make scrumptious apple fritters.
I've chopped up some of our freshly picked apples to make Cinnamon Apple Fritters. I prefer thin matchsticks because they cook more quickly and make more delicate fritters than big slabs. While the oil is heating up I've covered the apples with water – the lemon helps prevent them going brown.

I've chopped up some of our freshly picked apples to make Cinnamon Apple Fritters. I prefer thin matchsticks because they cook more quickly and make more delicate fritters than big slabs. While the oil is heating up I've covered the apples with water – the lemon helps prevent them going brown.
I'm going to take some of the apples we've picked home to Wanaka to make a simple apple sorbet that needs only three ingredients – apples, lemon and sugar.

I'm going to take some of the apples we've picked home to Wanaka to make a simple apple sorbet that needs only three ingredients – apples, lemon and sugar.