SC - Apples in summer?

[Ruth Frey]

> I'm uncomfortable with serving apples in midsummer... anybody else?

	Depends on how desperate I am for convenience, and
how pressed I am for time (as noted by others), but I would
*prefer* to go with what's in season.  I have a personal bonus
in that my city (Moscow, Idaho) has a brilliant Farmer's Market
on a weekly basis during the summer.  Stuff is cheaper, fresher,
and often tastier than the supermarket stuff -- and it's all
what's in season!  No thinking required -- just go and buy
from what's there (keeping in mind what's New World and what's
Old World, admittedly).  As also noted by others, there's a
wide range of yummy summer fruit to choose from (maybe even
late sweet cherries, depending on the year!).
	On the other hand, a different tack might involve
*dried* fruit.  Given how well dried apples keep, there's no
reason they wouldn't be available in the summer, and they're
very easy to transport and store.  The down side is that one
apple's worth of dried fruit looks really teeny, especially
compared to a whole fresh apple.  The serving size might
disappoint folks.
	Also, I have to admit that I haven't yet seen a source
describing dried apples in Period, but drying's a pretty standard
food-preservation technique, and I do know that raisins (and
currants and figs and dates and . . .) were used in Period,
so I doubt dried apples would represent a gross violation
of historical accuracy.
	Anyway, my rambling 2 cents' worth.

			 -- Ruth