My favorite apples of all do not even come available until late in the season.

Unlike Annette's Red Gravensteins, the Golden Russets and Northern Spy apples that I love are late October and November apples. The Russets especially are not an attractive apple - the russeting that gives them their name means they look a little like a small potato. It's too bad that more orchards do not grow these, because they are great in any kind of baking, holding their shape and responding well to the traditional pie spices.

I found mine at Douglas Orchards in Shoreham, in the Lake Champlain Valley. It is a scenic place (although not quite as scenic in November as the October day that I took the photo above!) above the shores of Lake Champlain. The best drive through the Lake Champlain Valley is along Rte 22a, taking advantage of the side routes out to Chimney Point and Larrabees Point, taking care to be up on 22a if you can be to catch the sundown over the Adirondacks and the lake.