Soups and other prepared foods are something you can easily pick up at Wolff’s Apple House to suit colder-season temperatures as they make their way into chillier months. And these are also great around holidays, thankfully.
Wolff’s own chef, Chuck Smith, reflects thoughtfully on the value of soups before and into winter.
“Soups in general are well-suited for autumn because they require longer cooking times on a burner rather than in the oven,” he says. “That means there will be various delicious aromas carrying throughout the house all day.”
On top of that, Smith points out that it’s especially difficult to make just a small amount of soup at a time, so knowing the yield may be sizable means it’s a good idea to have around for when family is visiting.
“As a metaphor, I think soups represent the possible harmony of varying ingredients over time—like families. Maybe as we soften with age, we become more forgiving of each others’ flaws and come together in peace. At least, that has been the case in my own experience,” he says.
Some soups currently available at Wolff’s are Sweet Potato Soup, Pumpkin Chipotle, Cream of Mushroom and Broccoli Cheddar.
Smith’s own favorite soup is the Pumpkin Chipotle, as he appreciates the smokiness of the chipotle since it’s reminiscent of the hearth and warmth so iconic of a well-built fire.
With a grateful palate for the soups currently lined up for purchase at Wolff’s, Ashley Wolff has a knack for describing them quite well to bring out the best notes in each.
And the Pumpkin Chipotle is her favorite, too.
“The Sweet Potato has a touch of maple and cream, which elicits a cozy feeling. The Pumpkin Chipotle is smooth, velvety and smoky, with just a touch of heat from the chipotle. The Cream of Mushroom is great for Thanksgiving because mushrooms are always a nice accent to the holiday meal, both as a side soup or as a premium substitute for canned mushroom soup in green bean casserole,” Wolff says. “And lastly, the Broccoli Cheddar is a wonderful autumn soup simply because it’s delicious! It’s rich, creamy, and comforting for cool fall days.”
Wolff points out that the soups fit well into seasonal recipes because their primary ingredients are harvested in these months.
“These late autumn soups all utilize ingredients that are abundant around Thanksgiving time,” Wolff says. “Pumpkins, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms are all great harvests of November.”
“As part of the Thanksgiving ‘pregame,’ we encourage customers to take advantage of our kitchen and throw down some hummus on the table,” Smith adds. “We will be making a bunch of Original, Red Pepper, and Roasted Garlic Hummus.”
Wolff highly recommends the Apple BBQ Pulled pork because of the deliciously persuasive apple notes in the sweet sauce.
Since timing is everything, and people in the world today only seem to get busier and busier with their schedules, the convenience of ready-to-go freshly prepared local food certainly speaks for itself.
“We offer soups and other prepared foods that are unique,” Wolff adds. “Smith is skilled at developing layers of flavor using interesting combinations of fresh ingredients. And so you can find prepared foods here at Wolff’s that are unlike anything else.”
And in the end, Wolff wraps the holidays and meal-time up well in saying, “Food and family are two of the best things in life!”