by Nick Benninger | August 2024
Something about visiting Appleflats’ orchard in Wellesley and recounting their origin story to a friend had me in the mood for a games night. It must have been the story that brothers Glen and Alex Smyth told me about how Appleflats started that put me in a gaming mood (the two of them would spend time each fall making crabapple jelly from a tree planted to commemorate the completion of the family homestead in 1992. The homestead, meant to house multiple generations, eventually led to their thriving business focused on the conservation of crabapples – and the trees that bear the fruit). All that talk of family, camaraderie, and wholesome fun put me in the mood to get out the crokinole board and spend some time connecting with my own family.
By the way – here’s the rest of the Smyth’s story. The tree that was planted in commemoration of the original Smyth homestead was supposed to be an apple tree, but it turned out to be mislabeled. Years later, when it started to bear fruit, the family realized they had planted a crabapple tree. But not just any crabapple tree, it was a nearly extinct, heritage variety—the Appleflats’ Crabapple.
When the brothers started selling jelly they made using the crabapples to a local cheese shop, they soon realized they’d need more fruit to keep up with demand. As they scoured the market for crabapples, they discovered that they might be the only people commercially producing them; the crabapples didn’t exist on the market. More research revealed that the tree they cared for in the yard wasn’t just a common crabapple tree, but one of significant importance.
This discovery, along with the need for more crabapples to keep up with growing demand, led brothers Glen and Alex down a path of conservation. They made two crucial decisions that set Appleflats apart. First, they started “Urban Harvesting,” letting the community know that if they had a crabapple tree that was a suitable variety, the brothers would come out with their patented harvesting tools and collect the fruit. Next, they began grafting new trees from the original tree still growing on the family property in Wellesley, creating the first high-density crabapple orchard in the world. Today, they have over 2,000 trees producing fruit, all from one happy accident.
They have also branched out from their original, fantastic crabapple jelly, and now produce spicy jelly, delicious sodas, and their unique hard cider called Crabby Boys. With all that awesomeness—from the story to the products—it’s not surprising that I was inspired to keep the fun and tradition going with a night of games and food.
In the world of food, the word “terroir” is often used. It’s a French term best summarized as “taste of place,” describing the environmental factors that affect a crop’s taste, including unique environment, cultural contexts, farming practices, and a crop’s specific growth habitat. Crokinole is about as Ontario as it gets; add the crabapples, small family farms, and the determination to keep dreams alive, and you have a recipe for something pretty special.
The original crabapple jelly made the perfect accompaniment for a grilled cheese sandwich. But not just any grilled cheese sandwich—think poppy seed rye from a local bakery, brie cheese from the county next door to Waterloo, single herd butter, and an ice-cold Crabby Boys Cider to wash it all down while playing a few rounds of crokinole. It made for a magical night with a terroir – or “taste of place” – that you couldn’t replicate anywhere else!
Crabby Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
This is a super simple recipe, meant to do two important things: highlight an incredible product that doesn’t take much more than a stage to make it sing, and get you out of the kitchen as soon as possible to enjoy some time gaming with loved ones!
Ingredients
- Appleflats Crabapple Jelly
- Poppy Seed Rye Bread
- Brie Cheese
- Butter
- Salt
Method
Preheat a large cast iron pan to medium heat. Cut the bread nice and thick, and gob on an equally thick amount of butter on one side of each slice. Layer thick sliced brie cheese in between the bread, seasoning the cheese and the buttered side of the bread with salt. Cook the sandwiches in the pan, use a lid if you have one that fits to cover the pan helping the thick cut cheese melt. Once the bread is sufficiently crisped and the cheese is melted, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest a few minutes. Just to let the cheese cool slightly so it’s not too messy when you dig in, we want it a little messy, but if you cut the sandwiched too soon the cheese will just ooze out everywhere. Next and most importantly, enjoy with big heaping spoonfuls of jelly and a cold hard cider!
I love this snack and will make it often, a simple elevation of a classic sandwich with a uniquely local jelly.
*****
Chef Nick Benninger has deep roots in Ontario’s hospitality industry. After discovering his passion for cooking at a summer camp, he trained at George Brown College. Nick co-founded the Fat Sparrow Group, operating restaurants and more in Waterloo Region. As the host of Farm to Fork TV on Bell Fibe, Nick is a keen advocate and curious explorer of the area’s farms. Now, as the Farm to Fable Chef, he works as a consultant and content creator, championing local food, producers, and the community through writing and volunteer work.