Owen Pidgeon's Loriendale orchard marks 25 years

Apples could be considered the world's most famous fruit and it is time to celebrate another harvest. Every apple tree carries a crop of individually shaped and coloured fruits, each different from its neighbour, like the stars in the sky. The colours and shades have attracted artists, over the centuries, to capture their beauty in works of art.

The amazing range of tastes is another feature of this fruit. No other fruit has such diverse textures, flavours and uses. There are more than 4000 varieties around the globe and Australia peaked at 1000 varieties in 1900. In our small way, Loriendale is helping to preserve many unique, heritage varieties and make them readily available.

Our very first harvest of three apples was from a heritage Danish gravenstein tree, some 28 years ago. The taste and smell brought tears to the eyes of an elderly German lady, who had not eaten this apple since her school days. The rich flavour of our cox's orange pippin apples is remembered by nearly every English person.

Another apple with rich memories is the small, delicious and dainty snowy apple (aka pomme de neige and much loved by Victorians. This bright red apple has pure white flesh. It was taken from France to Vermont, US and then onto Canada in 1730. Grafting wood was later brought to Australia.

Loriendale Orchard has 120 varieties of apples, from more than 20 countries. The oldest variety is the count pendu plat, which dates to Roman times. The autumn pearmain, dating back 800 years from England has been growing well. Two of the most sought-after new apples are the crisp and tangy topaz and svatava from the Czech Republic.

Loriendale Orchard is in the hills of Hall, just north-west of Canberra. It will be open on Saturday, March 28, for its 25th anniversary Apple Day festival. As a working organic orchard, the afternoon can be one of discovery as well as relaxation. Take the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon in the country.

The harvest of pears, figs and quinces is also well underway and selected varieties will be available. Stalls will be selling organic vegetables, jams and relishes, along with French crepes and apple pies made with organic flour and organic apples. A veritable harvest celebration.

Freshly pressed apple juice is produced on a 19th-century American-styled wooden press. One year our family hosted a school exchange lass from Switzerland. Linda helped to sort all the apples and take the seconds for making juice but then someone asked: "Where are all the cox's orange pippin apples?" I found crates of them beside the apple press. Cox's orange are the one exception to the rule about blemishes. However it looks, people are still very happy to take this apple because of its fine flavour.

Many helpers give their time free for Apple Day, as do the choirs and musicians. Substantial funds are raised for community development projects including an aboriginal leadership college in Darwin, the Green Pastures Hospital in Nepal and the Kibera Community School and Urban farm in Nairobi, Kenya.

Another highlight over the years has been the offers of help from people far away. Nicky Addy has returned from Hull, England, to help in her second Apple Day. Professors Peter and Robyn White come down from Sydney University to help each year, describing the day as a wonderful community event which is hard to find in the big cities.

Apple Day

The festival will run on saturday, March 28, from 1.30pm to 5pm, 16 Carrington Road, via Hall. Red apple signs along the Barton Highway will guide you. Gold coin entry donation.

Live music, coffee and barbecue lunches from 12.30pm. The specialty varieties, apple pies and apple juice will not be available before the official opening time of 1.30pm. Children can enjoy a range of safe country activities in a dedicated area.

Moroccan lamb with apple and ginger

750g leg of lamb, diced
3 mutzu or jonagold apples
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 onions, sliced thinly
½ cup dried prunes
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper

Peel, core and cut apples into thick slices. Dice lamb meat into 2.5cm cubes, putinto a heavy-based frypan and cover with water. Add ginger, coriander, cinnamon and sliced onions. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Add prunes and simmer for a further 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and the liquid becomes quite thick. If it becomes too thick, add a little water.

Stir in the honey, orange rind and apple slices and cook gently for 20 minutes, until the apple slices become soft. Serve on – or under – a bed of rice, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top, and accompany with fresh beans and tender, baby carrots.

From Loriendale Fruits of the Orchard Recipe Book.

This week in the garden

* Take some time to plan out your autumn garden renewal. Sow shelling and sugar snap peas into beds that have grown leaf crops over summer.

* Look at the boundaries of garden beds and build raised beds to save future bending.

* Turn compost heaps to aerate and add in water if there is no moisture remaining in the heap. Add in autumn leaves and animal manures to power along the decomposition process.

* When harvesting potatoes use a garden fork or narrow mattock to avoid damaging tubers. Remember to scour though and extract all the small chat potatoes.

Owen Pidgeon runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.