Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Fruit Compote with Cheese

1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
Dash gray sea salt
1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced 1/4-inch thick cubes
1 cup pears, 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 wedge sharp Cheddar
1 wedge Gorgonzola

In a 4-quart saucepan or pot bring the first 6 ingredients to a simmer. Stir slowly to dissolve the sugar in the liquid. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and the cheese. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the fruit. Turn off the heat then stir in the lemon juice. With a slotted spoon remove the fruit to a bowl. Bring the remaining syrup to a simmer and reduce until lightly thickened or when the bubbles formed on the top become small. Remove the syrup for the heat and when it is cool pour it over the fruit. The compote can be held in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

from here

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A recipe! For real! I know, it's been a while. Of course, it's not mine, I didn't make it and there aren't any step by steps. But, this is that compote my sister in law made on Thanksgiving. It was wicked, wicked good. We ate it on crackers with sharp cheese. The contrast between the cheese and the sweet, spiced compote was just awesome. I could have filled myself up on that alone if my basting duties didn't remind me of what was to come. So that's really it, no rambling, no babbling. Just make this stuff and watch it disappear.There will probably be at least one more cleanup post, but I've got a few things in the works. There will be more recipes next week, I promise.

20 comments:

Palidor said...

I've never thought to combine fruit compote and cheese. The contrast between sweet and salty must be really tasty!

Angie's Recipes said...

I heard somebody said "cheese", so I smiled and popped in immediately! I love Gorgonzola!

vanillasugarblog said...

Oh man I bet these went really well together. I am all over the fruit & cheese combo! Nice!

pigpigscorner said...

I always enjoy cheese with something sweet, this is great!

Karen said...

This just *looks* like a Thanksgiving dish... all that fruit - very bountiful!

Hungry Dog said...

I think this sounds great. Thanks for posting!

Dewi said...

Sounds so good. Perfect for winter, adding cheese will make it really scrumptious!

Jenn said...

Fruit compote is always great. I can just imagine pairing with with many dishes. Love it!

Wandering Coyote said...

Bob, this is gorgeous! I love it!

Reeni said...

This sounds so good. I love the sweetness of it with the bite from the cheese. Just delicious!

Bob said...

Palidor: It is! I wouldn't have thought of it myself.

Angie: Then you should try this. ;)

Dawn: It was a great combo.

pigpig: Me too, frankly I wish I had more.

Karen: Doesn't it though? It has "harvest festival" written all over it.

Hungry Dog: You're welcome!

Elra: The warn spices do make it nice in the cold weather.

Jenn: Me too. Like stuffing a pork loin with it...

Wandering Coyote: Thanks! I'll pass on the compliments to my SIL. ;)

Bob said...

Reeni: I'm just getting into sharp cheeses and I've found I also love the sweet/sharp thing. Good times.

Anonymous said...

An ideal dessert at our house! We love cheese, and I think a fruit compote is a great pairing!

Noob Cook said...

looks healthy and wholesome! :)

Joanne said...

Fruit and cheese - sign me up. Especially if that cheese is gorgonzola. One of my favorites.

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely recipe. It's unique to recipes in the blog-o-sphere today and quite welcome. Kudos.

monicajane said...

I love all things fruit and cheese :-)

The Duo Dishes said...

Oooh, you could put that in some puff pastry too and bake it up. Yum!

sophia said...

That sounds GREAT! I've always been all for the cheese and fruit combo...sweet and savory is the best!

NKP said...

What a great complement to cheese! Perfect for holiday entertaining.

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