There's one thing I can say about lockdown, it's been very timely with the fruit. Last year we had the feijoas, this year it's the kiwifruit. Not so timely with the kids — last year there were none and this year two have appeared. Don't get me wrong — it's not all bad. They have their uses. Particularly in the kitchen.
Youngest daughter came up with the idea of a kiwifruit challenge. She had done something similar with bananas during her summer holiday earlier in the year. Too many bananas, a few mates and a kitchen. Into teams they went and cooked up a storm. So now it was our turn with the furry little brown things.
Four people, two teams and an awful lot of ripening kiwifruit. Hopefully not too chaotic in a pretty small kitchen. We were allowed 10 minutes discussion, a further 10 minutes or so researching and then it was game on. As adults we took the road most travelled and opted for the obvious choice — apple, peach and kiwifruit crumble. We grabbed the premium pozzy on the island bench, peeling, chopping, mixing and even can opening — bit of a cheat there. I added a few small tweaks to Grandma's tried and true to give it a bit of pizzazz and hopefully win the top prize — something about the pleasure of taking part and learning to cooperate.
Team of two children (grown-ups now) were particularly sneaky down their end of proceedings. Whisperings and clattering, elbows buckled in an attempt to cover their bowls, making sure we averted our eyes if we happened to pass by. Our fruit-laden beauty bubbled away under its sugary topping while they laboured over their hidden gem. All would be revealed, although theirs involved the freezer so there would be a fairly long wait.
The oven timer pinged, oven mitts were donned and hey presto, Team Kids looked sufficiently surprised at our surprise dish. We covered it in something creamy and hoed in to that sweet lockdown delight. Theoretically it was now their turn to wow us, but theirs was by no means ready and our tummies were very full. We all decided to wait until the next evening to sample their kiwifruit concoction.
