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An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Who hasn't heard that before?

From the time we're little kids, we're indoctrinated in the importance of this ubiquitous fruit. It appears in the Bible in the Garden of Eden and in the Grimm brothers' fairy tales. William Tell famously took aim at it. Having "apple-red" cheeks is both cute and a sign of good health.

What I do know is that local apples - in my case, Ontario apples - are in season right now, and that will last until late spring. And with all the different varieties available, you are bound to find one you like: Grab one and just dig your teeth into it, add it to your salad, make coleslaw with it, bake it, poach it, fry it. It doesn't matter how you do it - they're always good.

In fact, this time of the season, every time I enter a market, I feel like a kid in a candy store because the variety of local produce is the greatest it will be for the rest of the year. And when I think of apples, I always think of that stand at the St. Jacobs market near Waterloo, Ont. No matter when you go, there's always a lineup of people buying apple fritters. Delicious!

But there are some things to keep in mind once you've found the right apples.

I recommend buying apples as you need them. But if you buy a large quantity and need to store them, be very careful. To maintain their quality, you must keep them cold in your refrigerator crisper in a perforated bag. Apples need oxygen even after they are picked - in return, they release carbon dioxide and ethylene gas. Keeping them cold will slow down the process. And do not keep them in the same bag as other fruits.

Some apples work better with some recipes, so consult your local apple grower's guide. Of course, the best way is always trial and error. Eat a lot of them in the name of research and development. (Just a suggestion.)

I like to munch on an Ambrosia apple - its balance of sweet and sour is perfect. But for this recipe, I like the Ida Red variety because it retains its shape while cooking and has a great balance of sweet and tart.

Baked apples with walnuts and raisins

What you need

4 large apples, Ida Red preferably

4 tablespoons sultana raisins

½ cup white wine or cider or apple juice

8 ounces pound cake loaf

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

2 ounces melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

What you do

Soak the raisins in wine for about one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut about a half-inch off the top of the apples, remove the seeds and cut out some of the meat to create a large opening. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

Grind the pound cake in a food processor and place in a bowl. Mince the apple meat and add, along with sugar, raisins, wine, walnuts, orange and lemon zest, butter and enough cinnamon to please you.

Mix all the ingredients well and fill each of the apple cavities to the top, sprinkle more sugar and cinnamon on top.

Place the apples in a baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with white chocolate or caramel sauce.

Serves 4.

Massimo Capra is co-owner and chef of Mistura Restaurant and Sopra Upper Lounge in Toronto and guest chef on the show Restaurant makeover

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Beppi's wine matches

Absolute killer pairing: sweet oloroso sherry. It's typically dark and thick, oozes raisin-like ripeness and still has enough acidity to cleanse the palate. Also good would be a Sauternes or any sémillon- or muscat-based dessert wine from southern France or Australia. From the latter country: Lillypilly Noble Blend ($25 a 375-ml bottle). Another fine option is a sherry-based brandy, such as Gonzalez Byass Lepanto Oloroso Viejo Solera Gran Reserva ($75).

Beppi Crosariol