Stone fruit is at its peak at present so make the most of it.
One of my favourite things about summer is the fruit. I have always been mad on it - from being a small child and eating apricots up north on my grandparents' farm to receiving boxes of cherries at Christmas time and eating peaches straight off the tree at my aunt and uncle's in Hawke's Bay. A summer filled with stone fruit is a glorious thing.
At a wedding in Glenorchy I was utterly delighted to see dessert simply stated "Central Otago stone fruits and wedding cake". So simple, seasonal and absolutely delicious, it was definitely my kind of dessert.
They had cut up stone fruit - nectarines, apricots, peaches and whole cherries and mixed them with berries and dark chocolate. It was great.
There is something magical about the fruit grown in Central Otago. I'll never forget the enormous cherries bought from a roadside stall just out of Queenstown a few years ago. It was about $20 for a bag, which I was at first shocked by. When I tried them though I understood. They were glorious.
I decided recently to do future-me a favour and try some preserving. My parents had found about 100 Agee preserving jars under their house that had been my great-grandmother's. She was creative, I'm told, and I thought I owed it to her to put them to good use.
I began with brandy, which complements fruit and baking well, then moved on to gin and vodka. You can get really creative - it just might be a bit much on your porridge before work.
The sterilising process is simple - wash them in hot soapy water before drying them out in a low oven.
The cherries done in gin were a delight - a cherry and a couple of teaspoons of the syrup will turn a cheap bottle of bubbly into the base of a gorgeous-looking cocktail.
Likewise, apricots done in brandy didn't last the suggested time of preserving, as they went into this cake.
I had some of the stewed plums left, too, so squished them into the top of the cake as well - you can get truly creative. Wrap a piece of string or a ribbon around the jar and it makes the perfect gift for the stone fruit-lover in your life.
The salad is one I had at a friend's a few years ago in Wellington. If your avocado is ripe, the nectarines will be forgiven for being a little on the crunchy side.
I've meddled with it over the years - I've made dressing and added herbs. I always go back to basics though - there is something so satisfying in simply assembling a couple of ingredients and being rewarded with the taste. As I've noted below, serve it with fish or haloumi for a perfect late-summer dinner.
I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. Enjoy the summer fruit bounty while it lasts.
Nectarine and Avocado Salad
Nectarine and avocado salad. Photo / Doug Sherring
Serves 2-4 as a main or side
This refreshing salad is a simple combination of ingredients. It's perfect for a late-summer barbecue, as a side dish or as a main meal alongside fish or haloumi. You could add fresh herbs such as mint or basil, but I prefer it just as it is.
½ red onion, thinly sliced 1 lemon 1 ripe avocado 2 small nectarines 50g feta
1 In a small bowl place the sliced red onion, and cover in lemon juice. Set aside. 2 Cut the avocado and nectarine into cubes or slices. Place in a bowl. 3 Add the red onion and lemon juice. Carefully mix together. Add a little more lemon juice. 4 Crumble over the feta, and serve and enjoy.
This is a great cake that works well with different fruit. I have made it for years with tinned plums, but fresh apricots when in season are gorgeous with the almonds. Spelt flour is now much more widely available and I find it gives the cake a great, light texture. Plain flour works just as well though.
7-8 ripe apricots, cut in half and stones removed ¼ cup brandy (or water) 1 tsp brown sugar 125g butter 200g white sugar 2 eggs 150g spelt flour (can use plain flour) 1½ tsp baking powder 50g ground almonds 220g natural yoghurt
1 In a saucepan, place the apricots, brandy (or water) and brown sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes at a low-medium heat. Set aside and allow to cool. 2 Preheat oven to 190C and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper and butter. 3 Cream together butter and sugar very well, until pale and fluffy. This can take up to 10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 4 Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture. Fold together with a spatula or large spoon until incorporated. Add yoghurt and ground almonds. Fold into the mixture; it will be quite thick. 5 Scrape cake mixture into the prepared tin. Take apricot halves and press gently into the cake mixture, cut-side up. Drizzle over a little of the brandy liquid, if you are using it. 6 Bake for 50 minutes until golden. Turn the oven off, but leave the cake in the oven for a further 30 minutes or so if you have time. Dust the cake lightly with icing sugar, and serve with yoghurt.
Boozy Fruit Jars
Boozy fruit jars. Photo / Doug Sherring
I've been reading a bit about preserving fruit in booze and about rumptof, a German and Danish dessert served at Christmas, which basically consists of stone fruit preserved in rum. It's the perfect way to continue enjoying stone fruit well into autumn and when they're preserved like this you could use them in desserts, baking, cocktails or a boozy brunch. They also look great as gifts. I did cherries in gin, apricots in brandy, plums in brandy, and nectarines in vodka.
You will need: • A selection of sterilised jars, for preserving • A selection of stone fruit • A selection of spirits • White sugar • Optional: spices such as cinnamon sticks and star anise
1 Fill each jar with cut fruit, making sure you remove the stones (except from the cherries, leave them whole). 2 Fill the jar to about one quarter with white sugar (over the fruit). 3 Top with the spirit you are using, leaving about 1cm from the very top. 4 Seal the jar and gently shake and move the jar to allow the sugar to dissolve. 5 Keep in a cool, dark place for at least six weeks. Once open, use within a couple of days.
These are a simple way to use stewed fruit beyond breakfast time. Stirring them through cream and yoghurt makes for a mixture of a syllabub and an Eton mess. You could also add your favourite nuts and some dark chocolate, and meringue if you wanted. Make these in small individual glasses or tea cups and serve with a teaspoon.
For the stewed plums 2 cups cut plum pieces, stones removed 1 cup brandy 2 tbsp brown sugar
For the puddings 300ml cream ½ cup yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 ladyfinger biscuits Few squares dark chocolate, sliced roughly into slivers.
1 Place plums, brandy and sugar in a saucepan. Allow to nearly boil, before lowering to a very low heat and simmering for about 20-25 minutes. Set aside and cool, and keep in the fridge until you're ready to use it. It will last for a few days in the fridge. 2 To make the puddings, gently whip the cream and vanilla. Add the yoghurt and 1 cup of the stewed plums and gently fold together. 3 Layer the fruity cream mixture into small serving glasses, crumbling the ladyfinger in between layers. You could add more fresh fruit as a layer if you wished. Garnish with dark chocolate slivers.
