It's apple time in Northern New Mexico — and, even though a late-spring frost killed off a lot of the crop, there are still apples to be found at farmers markets, roadside stands and grocery stores around our region.

This week, John Vollertsen celebrates apple season with two recipes.

The first is a salad of baby spinach, bacon, apples, dried cranberries and crumbled Stilton cheese topped with a warm vinaigrette. It's a great fall-into-winter and holiday starter. The second recipe — for Apple Rum Stew with Cheddar-Cranberry Dumplings — sounds savory, but it's actually a warm dessert. Think fruit crisp or slightly deranged apple pie with cheese.

To catch Vollertsen's tips for success, log onto this week's Cooking with Chef Johnny Vee video at www.etastesantafe.com.

WARM SALAD OF WILTED SPINACH, APPLES AND STILTON
(Serves 8)

1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
8 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled Stilton, or to taste
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
Fresh ground pepper
4 teaspoons dried cranberries

Place olive oil in a skillet and turn heat to medium. Add bacon and cook slowly until bacon becomes crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of fat in the skillet and return pan to the heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, or until shallot softens

Place spinach in large mixing bowl.

Add mustard and vinegar to the skillet and heat until bubbling. Pour vinegar mixture over spinach and toss quickly.

Divide spinach between salad plates. Scatter Stilton over salads, arrange apples and cranberries on spinach and top with fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately.

APPLE RUM STEW WITH CHEDDAR-CRANBERRY DUMPLINGS
(Serves 10 to 12)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
8 medium apples, Granny Smith or other firm-fleshed apple

In a small saucepan melt butter with the spices, maple syrup and brown sugar. When mixture is rapidly bubbling, turn off heat and stir in the rum.

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Place in a large deep buttered casserole. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the apples. Cover casserole and bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven. Remove from oven and remove lid.

Prepare Cheddar-Cranberry Dumplings (recipe follows).

Using a large spoon, break off tablespoon-size dollops of dumpling dough and drop onto surface of stew.

Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake stew, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until dumplings are nicely brown. Serve warm with whipped cream.

CHEDDAR-CRANBERRY DUMPLINGS

2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
4 ounces cold unsalted butter
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup heavy cream

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In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

Using a cheese grater, grate the butter over the dry ingredients, and stir together until mixture resembles coarse meal

Stir in the cheese and cranberries. Add cream and mix lightly with a wooden spoon until dough just holds together. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.