Winter Compote

  figs, plums, apples, pears, blueberries…the dehydrator works overtime for a few weeks every summer. We reap the benefits all winter long. There is dried fruit for munching during class, on backpacking trips, in oatmeal on Wednesday mornings, mixed in with spicy greens and pasta for dinner. Dried fruit is tastier than “ripe” fruit that has traveled thousands of miles to the grocery store, too. Occasionally, though, we miss a juicy tidbit. When that happens, I make compote. My new, lidded, bowl makes the process even easier.

One of the benefits of eating local food is foot foraged, home dried, absolutely ripe and sweet when harvested

1.       Fill the bowl with a mixture of fruits. I like the plums and figs because they are bulkier. Then I add pears and apples for a smaller bite. I also break up a cinnamon stick or crack open a cardamom pod.

2.       Pour boiling water over the fruit. I don’t quite cover it because more water just creates more juice.

3.       Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight. I used to cover my bowl with a plate, which worked fine. Now, with my new, lidded bowl, I snap the lid on.

4.       Move the bowl into the fridge. The new bowl is perfect for this step, too.

5.       Eat with yogurt, or oatmeal, or on pancakes, or on its own.

6.       You can add to the mix after it has set. If you add bananas or nuts, eat it all. If you add citrus, it can sit for several days all together.

7.       Repeat.