An Early-Season Appearance by My Favorite Apple

They're here! I don't normally expect the Stayman apple to appear until about October 15, but they showed up today in my travels and they are beautiful, big, tart and perfect for my butternut squash soup.

The soup is good without the Stayman, but it becomes memorable when it is the season for an apple whose peak is only a few brief weeks in the fall. The more tart the apple, the better the soup. Now, I gotta go find a good butternut squash.