As you may have noticed from recent posts, we have been trying desperately to get into the fall spirit, amidst the 80 degree weather and palm trees (cue the violins). I thought, what could possibly be more fall-like than apple-picking right?! Wrong. After scouring the internet for the best orchards in the area (there are none), I hopped in the car for an hour-long road trip into the middle of the desert to what is apparently the “apple-country” of Southern California. As usual, I decided it would be a genius idea to bring my poor dog (and poor boyfriend) along on my great adventure and subject them to the million degree temperatures and my constant, overly-excited declaration of how much fun we were (I was) having. In the end, it was all worth it, and we ended up with more apples than we knew what to do with. In an effort to not let them go to waste, Esther and I whipped up these apple-Gruyere crostinis as a make-shift lunch before a matinee showing of Gone Girl. They were so quick and easy to make, and made for a perfect snack!

Apple-Gruyere Crostini

1/2 baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices

1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced

Honey

Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, add a few drops of honey to each, and top with apple slices, cheese, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until bread is slightly golden. Remove from oven and enjoy!