Well, if your name is Onika Cross, the answer will be: Delicious! Tucked away in the garden of her family's home is an apple tree in full bloom. Any time she wants to keep the doctor away, the young Bermudian just has to reach up and pluck a sun-kissed "cure'' from its leafy branches.

Her little daughter Tahirah does the same.

Planted seven years ago, the six-foot tree blooms in the Spring and, wind permitting, can yield an extended crop.

"A lot of times when the tree starts to bloom the wind comes up and we lose a lot of apples,'' Miss Cross said. "This year, we had a couple of ripe apples in May and there is a second crop ripening now. We've enjoyed about 50 so far.'' Miss Cross compared the taste of her red-skinned fruit to the Granny Smith apple -- which is perhaps not surprising, since the species on her tree is the Granny Red.

"It's crisp and juicy, just like a regular bought apple,'' she said. Her family took no particular care to raise the tree.

"We just keep it watered if we don't have rain,'' she explained. "The sun does the rest.'' But even if you're not lucky enough to have an apple tree in your garden, there are plenty available wherever fresh produce is sold.

Here are just some of the delicious ways this universally loved fruit can be prepared: CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND CIDER One 3 to 3 1 -lb. chicken 8 tbsp. butter 6 firm apples Salt and pepper 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour Scant 2 cups draught cider (hard) Bouquet garni 5 cup double (heavy) cream Chopped parsley for garnish CUT chicken into 4 portions. Melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a flameproof casserole, add chicken and brown portions all over. Remove and drain. Peel, core and slice 2 of the apples, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry in melted butter until beginning to brown. Sprinkle in flour and cook gently, stirring occasionally until flour is a light brown. Add 1 cup of the hard cider and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Replace the chicken pieces and add the bouquet garni. Cover with greaseproof paper and a tightly fitting lid. Cook in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F.) for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, peel, core and cut into quarters the remaining 4 apples. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a frying pan and fry apples until browned lightly. Place in an ovenproof dish with 3 tablespoons water. Cover and place in the oven under the casserole, until needed.

When chicken is cooked, remove from casserole and place on a heated serving dish to keep hot. Bring sauce to the boil, add remaining 5 cup of hard cider, return to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Strain and return to rinsed saucepan. Add apples and cream. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp. butter in small pieces. Reheat very gently without boiling. Adjust seasoning. Pour over the chicken. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

APPLE PIE Pastry for 2-crust, 9-inch pie 8 apples peeled, cored and cut into eighths 1 cup brown sugar OR 3 cup white 1 tsp. nutmeg Dash cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. lemon juice Grated rind 1 lemon 2 tbsp. butter Cheddar cheese (garnish) Cream (optional) LINE pie plate with pastry and arrange apple slices in layers. Sprinkle each layer lightly with a mixture of sugar, spices, salt, lemon juice and rind.

Save enough mixture for the top. When plate is very full, dot with butter and cover with top crust. Seal and crimp edges. The top pastry may be cut in strips. Bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees F.) for 15-20 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate (350 degrees F.) for 20-30 minutes more, until the crust is brown and apples are tender. Serve hot or cold with good-size pieces of cheese. Serve a pitcher of cream on the side if you wish. Eight servings.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE Proceed as for apple pie, putting the apples directly into a deep dish (10 x 6 x 13 inches). Use top crust only.

APPLE-CHEESE PASTRY SQUARES 2 cups flour 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar 3 tsp. salt 2 cup shortening 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese 3 lbs. apples 1 cup packaged dry bread crumbs 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. milk or cream 1 cup chopped walnuts Cream (optional) SIFT flour with 2 tbsp. sugar and salt. Cut in the shortening and cream cheese with a pastry blender. No liquid is needed, but be sure the cheese is worked in well. Place dough in refrigerator. Meanwhile, peel, core and slice the apples. When they are ready, divide dough in half.

Roll out half the dough thin on lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Fit into an 11 x 7 x 11 -inch pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the dough. Lay apple slices in the pastry, overlapping them in rows. Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and 1 cup sugar. Roll out remaining dough and fit over the apples.

Cut gashes in top and seal edges. Brush top with milk or cream and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 15 minutes in hot oven -- 425 degrees F. Reduce heat to moderate-slow, (325 degrees F.), and bake 30-40 minutes longer until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold, with or without heavy or whipped cream. Eight servings.

BAKED GLAZED APPLES 8 large baking apples 11 cups canned unsweetened pineapple juice 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar Few drops red food colouring Cream (optional) WASH and core apples. About a third of the way down score the skin without cutting into the apples. Steam just long enough to permit you to lift off the skins like a cap. Don't steam too long -- they'll go to pieces, so watch carefully. Acual steaming time depends upon the apples.

Arrange apples in a shallow baking dish. Make a syrup by bringing to a boil the pineapple juice, butter and sugar. Add a few dashes of red food colouring and boil 5 minutes, or until syrup consistency develops. Pour a little over each apple and place in the broiler as far away from the heat as possible.

Have the heat moderate. Baste every few minutes with the syrup. When syrup is used up, baste with syrup in the dish. When apples are thoroughly tender and transparent, they are done -- about one hour. Cool and fill centres with jellied syrup from the dish. Serve with cream if desired. Eight servings.

APPLES IN BLOOM 6 large red apples, cored 1 cup water 1 cup orange juice Grated rind 1 orange 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup sugar Cream (optional) WITH the tip of a paring knife, cut through apple skin from top to bottom so that skin is divided into six sections. Try not to cut into the meat of the apple. Place apples in a skillet, add water, cover and steam until tender.

Remove apples and carefully work off the skins. To water in the pan add orange juice, orange rind, lemon juice and sugar. Boil mixture down until about 11 cups remain. Place apples in a dish and pour sauce over them. Serve cold with cream if you wish. Six servings.

APPLES IN MAPLE SYRUP 6 baking apples, peeled and cored 3 cup maple syrup 3 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. butter Ice cream or cream (optional) QUARTER apples and arrange in shallow buttered pan 12 x 81 x 2 inches. Pour syrup over them and sprinkle with salt and dot with butter. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) until barely tender -- about 45 minutes. Baste occasionally with syrup as they bake. Serve warm or cold. They are delicious with generous spoonfuls of ice cream or plain cream. Six servings.

APPLE COMPOTE 2 lbs. tart apples 4 cups water 11 cups sugar Juice 4 lemons 1 lemon sliced 1 stick cinnamon 4 tbsp. red cinnamon candies PEEL, core and cut apples into eights. Add water, sugar, lemon and cinnamon.

Simmer until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Take out cinnamon stick. Add candies. Stir until candies dissolve. Serve warm or cold. Four to six servings.

CANDIED APPLESAUCE 12 large, green apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths 3 cups sugar 2 cups water 4 cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg MIX sugar and water together in a heavy kettle. Season with cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples, cover and bring slowly to a boil. Simmer gently, uncovered. Stir only occasionally to keep apples from cooking apart. When apples turn transparent, sauce is done. Cool.

COUNTRY APPLE DESSERT 6 large tart apples 11 tbsp. butter 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 cup cream WASH, core and slice apples. Arrange in a shallow baking dish. Dot with butter. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream and pour over the apples. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 30 minutes, or until apples are tender. Serve warm. Six servings.

APPLESAUCE CAKE 1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 11 cups flavoured applesauce 23 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup seedless raisins 12 cup chopped nuts (optional) CREAM shortening and sugar together. Add applesauce. Sift 21 cups flour with baking soda and salt. Stir into batter. Dredge raisins and nuts with remaining flour and add last. Beat well and pour into greased and floured 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Bake in moderately slow oven (325 degrees F.) for 50 minutes. Turn out and cool on rack. Six to eight servings.

APPLESAUCE GRAHAM CRACKER CAKE 1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 2 eggs yolks 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup seedless raisins 21 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 13 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup sweetened applesauce CREAM shortening with sugar and lemon rind until fluffy. Add well-beaten egg yolks, then nuts and raisins. Stir baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt into cracker crumbs. Blend thoroughly and add alternately with the applesauce to the creamed mixture. Beat until well mixed. Bake in a greased 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 50-60 minutes. Six to eight servings.

FRIED APPLES 4 red apples, cored and sectioned 3 tbsp. butter or bacon drippings Sugar (optional) Cinnamon (optional) LEAVE skins on apples and saute until tender in butter or bacon drippings.

Cook very juicy apples over higher heat. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon during the last few minutes of cooking if you wish. Don't overcook or let apples burn. Eight servings.

APPLESAUCE WITH PLUM JELLY 3 cups applesauce 1 cup plum jelly 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon Juice 1 large lime or lemon HEAT applesauce and stir in plum jelly. As soon as they are blended (about 3 minutes), remove from heat, add seasonings and lime or lemon juice. Chill before serving. Recommended to accompany pork. Twelve servings.

APPLE HORSERADISH 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. prepared horseradish 1 large red apple, coarsely grated 1 to 1 tsp. sugar SEASON sour cream with salt and horseradish. Stir in apple (there should be 1 cup). Mix well, add sugar to taste. The amount of sugar will depend upon the tartness of the apple. Six servings.

APPLE DANDY 6 tart apples, peeled and cored 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup flour 1 cup sour cream CUT apples into eighths and put slices in shallow baking dish (about 1-quart capacity). Sprinkle with brown and white sugars, and cinnamon. Dot with butter. Mix baking soda, salt and flour with sour cream. Spread over apples and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 40-45 minutes, until crust is brown and apples soft. This is good served warm with cream flavoured with a little sugar and nutmeg. Four servings.

APPLE BROWN BETTY 4 slices dry bread 1 cup melted butter 4-6 apples (11 lbs.), peeled, cored and sliced 2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup water CUT dry bread into small cubes. Toss together with melted butter. Put 1 of these crumbs in bottom of shallow baking dish. Cover with 1 the apples and 1 the other ingredients except the water. Repeat and top with the last of the bread cubes and the water. Bake in moderately hot oven (370 degrees F.) for 40 minutes, or until apples are tender. Serve with cream. Four servings.

YANKEE APPLE JOHN 6-7 tart apples, peeled and cored 3 cup sugar 3 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tbsp. butter Dough 2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. baking powder 1 cup shortening 2 cup milk SLICE apples thinly and arrange in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.

Mix sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter. To make Dough: Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Chop shortening into dry ingredients. Add milk all at once. Mix with a fork just enough to blend ingredients. Knead lightly for 1 minute on lightly floured board. Roll out to fit the baking dish and cut gashes in the dough to allow steam to escape. Fit dough over the apples, and brush the top with milk. Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F.) for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate (350 degrees F.) and bake 20 minutes more. Serve warm with or without cream. Six servings.

APPLE PUDDING 5-6 tart apples peeled, cored and sliced 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup hot water Batter 1 egg 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp. melted butter 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder Pinch salt ARRANGE apples in bottom of a 6-cup casserole. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dot with butter and pour hot water over all.

To make batter: Beat egg; add sugar gradually, beating until thick. Stir in melted butter. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture and spread on top of apples. Bake half an hour in moderately hot oven (375 degrees F.). Reduce heat to moderate (350 degrees F.) and bake 10 minutes more. Serve hot with cream or a lemon sauce. Four to six servings.

SUN KISSED AND SCRUMPTIOUS -- Miss Onika Cross shows off the beautiful apples growing on a tree in her family's garden. Just six years' old, the tree has yielded a sizeable crop, which her family has been enjoying since May.