Head out to the farmers markets -- there's still plenty of produce, including apples and pears. Here are two great desserts. The first one is for adults only.

PG tested

• 2 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into rough 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup apple brandy or additional cider
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Vanilla or butter pecan ice cream

In a large heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except ice cream. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the a pples are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the liquid is lightly reduced about 10 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the apples, while leaving others chunky.

Divide warm apples among 4 dessert dishes. Top each serving with a small scoop of ice cream.

Note: The apples can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

-- "Short & Sweet " by Melanie Barnard (Houghton Mifflin, 1999)

• 1 large red apple, sliced thinly
• 1 large pear, sliced thinly
• 1 large orange, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• In a large bowl, combine sliced fruit. In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, and honey; blend well. Pour oil mixture over the fruit, tossing to coat well. Arrange fruit on 6 lettuce- lined salad dishes; sprinkle each with a heaping teaspoon of chopped nuts.

  Serves 6.

  -- southernfoodabout.com

  Markets

  Ambridge Farmers Market, Park Road and Route 65, 4 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

  Beaver Farmers Market, courthouse lot, Fourth and Market streets, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

  Beaver Falls Farmers Market, behind Brodhead Apartments, Eighth Avenue and 12th Street, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mon.

  Bellevue Farmers Market, Hawley Avenue off Lincoln Avenue. 3:30 to 7 p.m. Wed.

  Bethel Park Farmers Market, Bethel Park Community Center playground, 5151 Park Ave., 3 to 7 p.m., Tues.

  Bloomfield Farmers Market, Immaculate Conception school, Cedarville Street and Friendship Avenue, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

  Butler Farmers Market, Chestnut and Diamond streets, 8 a.m. to noon Sat.

  Carrick Farmers Market, Carrick Shopping Center, 2100 Brownsville Road, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wed.

  City-County Building, 400 Grant St., Downtown, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fri.

  Coraopolis Farmers Market, Presbyterian Church of Coraopolis, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mon.

  Cranberry Farmers Market, behind the municipal building on Rochester Road, 3:30 to 6 p.m. Fri; Cranberry Park on Masuda Drive, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

  Dormont Farmers Market, corner of Espy and Potomac avenues, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mon.

  East Liberty Farmers Market, Penn Circle West, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mon.

  Etna Farmers Market, Sullivan Way, 3 to 7 p.m. Wed.

  Farmers@Firehouse, 2216 Penn Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

  Farmers Cooperative Market of East Liberty, 344 N. Sheridan Ave., next to Home Depot, 5 a.m. to noon Sat. Open year round.

  Forest Hills Farmers Market, Forest Hills Presbyterian Church lot, Ardmore Boulevard, 4 to 7 p.m. Fri.

  Frazer Township Farmers Market, Pittsburgh Mills, lot 2 between JCPenney and Sears Grand, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

  Greensburg Farmers Market, North Main Street at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 3 to 6 p.m. Tues.

  Greentree Farmers Market, Green Tree Park, Green Tree Road near Parkway Center Mall, 4 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

  La Casa Narcisi Winery, 4578 Gibsonia Road, West Deer, 1 to 5 p.m. Sat.

  Ligonier Country Market, Springer Road and West Main Street, 7 a.m. to noon, Sat. Last day.'

  Market Square Farmers Market, Forbes Avenue and Market Place, Downtown, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thurs.

  Monongahela Farmers Market, Chess Park, 3 to 6 p.m. Fri.

  Monroeville Lions Farmers Market, Gateway High School, 9 a.m. to noon, Sat.

  Mt. Lebanon Lions Farmers Market, Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church lot, Washington Road, 4 to 7 p.m. Wed.

  Mt. Washington Farmers Market, 403 Grandview Ave., St. Mary of the Mount lot, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Tues.

  North Side Farmers Market, corner of East Ohio Street and Cedar Avenue, across from Allegheny General Hospital, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fri.

  Oakland Farmers Market, Sennott Street between Meyran Avenue and Atwood Street, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fri.

  Old Towne Grove City Farmers Market, South Broad Street, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

  Original Farmers Night Market, Route 50, South Fayette/Cecil area, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mon., Wed., Fri.

  Pleasant Hills Farmers Market, Pleasant Hills Presbyterian Church, Caryl Drive lot, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

  St. Catherine of Sweden Farmers Market, Wildwood Road at Vitullo Drive, Hampton, 1 to 7 p.m. Wed.

  St. James Farmers Market, St. James Parish lot, 200 Walnut St., Sewickley, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

  St. Ursula Farmers Market, Duncan Avenue at Kirk Avenue at the ballfield, Hampton, 1 to 7 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

  Slippery Rock Farmers Market, downtown, in the lot across from Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Dept., 9 a.m. to noon Sat.

  South Side Farmers Market, South 18th and Carson streets, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tues.

  Washington Main Street Farmers Market, municipal lot, South Main Street, Washington, Pa., 3 to 6 p.m. Thurs.

  West End Farmers Market, Noblestown Road at Obey Street, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

  West View Farmers Market, Perry Highway, between West View Elementary School and West View Savings Bank, 4 to 7 p.m. Tues.

  Whitehall Farmers Market, 4750 Clairton Blvd., in the parking lot of First Commonwealth Bank, 3:30 -7:00 p.m. Mon.

  Wilkinsburg Farmers Market, Ross Avenue parking lots, 3 to 6 p.m. Thurs. Free parking after 2 p.m.

  Farm stands

  Farm stands accept cash, Women, Infants and Children and Seniors/Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons; most accept food stamps. They run Wednesdays and Thursdays in neighborhoods across the city.

  Wednesday farm stands

  East Hills at Park Hill and East Hills Drive, 2:30-5:30 p.m.; Lincoln-Larimer Farm Stand, Lincoln Avenue next to the rectory, 11:30-3:30 p.m.; Millvale, Grant Street in the rear parking lot, 3:30-7:30 p.m.; Mon-Yough Community Services, Market Street and Fifth Avenue, McKeesport, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Seton Brookline, Pioneer Avenue, Elizabeth Seton Center lot, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Turtle Creek Valley, Penn Avenue in front of the WVHSC building, noon-3 p.m.

  Thursday farm stands

  Addison Terrace, Elmore Square across from Addison Community Center, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Clairton, Miller Ave. Family Dollar lot, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Hill House, 1835 Centre Ave., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Homewood-Brushton, 7140 Bennett St. YMCA parking lot, 12:30-4:30 p.m.; Hazelwood, Second Avenue in the Dairy Mart lot, 11:30-

  2:30 p.m.; Lawrenceville, 286 Main St., Stephen Foster Center, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

  Arlene Burnett can be reached at aburnett@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1577.
  First published on October 2, 2008 at 12:00 am