Sunday, September 14, 2008

Fruity Kazooty

One small problem with trying to offload your overload of homegrown summer fruit on friends is that some of those friends have fruit trees of their own. So you have to agree to take a bag of theirs, which basically resets your odometer.
You still have just as much fruit.
But it is different fruit, good fruit!
I long ago stopped trying to bake all the fruitage into pastries. I just don't want that much dessert.
And I'm not much of a jam user (besides, think of all the extra sugar that goes into preserves).
I'm still ga-ga over a plum clafoutis we had a few weeks ago, and I think that one needs a do-over.
But I finally realized I just want the fruit plain, for the most part. Not so very much of it, though. Not all the time.
Solution? I roasted the fruit. Cleaned, cut up, pitted, and layered in buttered baking dishes. At 350ยบ, of course, and for how long? You'll know. Just pull them out when they're the way you like them. I like them not too soggy.
The flavor intensifies. It's like "once-removed" from fresh tree fruit, kind of the way cured salami is once-removed from fresh pork.
I popped half the cooked wedges into freezer bags, and we can enjoy them during the coming gloomy weather.
The other half is in containers in the fridge. We like to nibble on bits of gently roasted pears and peaches and apples (the plums are too gooey; they've got to go into a clafoutis pronto) with bits of baguette, shavings of charcuterie, chunks of cheese.
At last. The pressure is off.

25 comments:

Anna Banana said...

What do you think about freezing the roasted fruit? Or are you going to try to eat it all before it goes Bad.

Era said...

Ohmygah (I've stolen this from you, sorry). That picture is gorgeous and mouth-watering. I love to roast roots, but I never considered fruits!

kudzu said...

Fruity kazootie? Gooey clafouti? You're going all soft in the verbiage to match the fruitage.

Sounds like you're learning the "First, do no harm.." approach to easy eatin' of a harvest.
If you're grilling something, try wrapping peeled, halved pears/apples/most any stone fruit individually in alum. foil (seal tight) with a few drops of water or brandy or -- whatever -- and put them on the side of the grill for about half an hour. Get out the creme fraiche. Dessert.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Oh the joys of a proper freezer, the kind you can store in, sigh, lucky you!

Greg said...

Gonna try your plan with some apples that came our way

peter said...

You can also compote them and can them in jars- which leaves freezer space for pesto and the heads of your victims.

Ana said...

You can water-bath can most fruit in water instead of syrup.. not too hard.

The Spiteful Chef said...

Your life is SO much better than mine! My friends won't even bring their own cheap beer, let alone awesome fruit. Kidding, of course, since a)I have no friends in Texas and b)in these parts the closest most "folks" get to a fresh fruit or vegetable is the red substance on Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Perhaps for the lycopene found in red produce? More likely for the carcinogens.

Kevin said...

Brilliant!

Unknown said...

Brillant. Summer sunshine fruit in the freezer for winter. I love it!

meathenge said...

Ah to HECK with foil. Place them directly on the grill and add some smoky wood bits!

I have spoken, it's my gospel.

Rev. Biggles

Dagny said...

That's it. I need some outdoor space for trees and other plants.

And now I'm thinking of dried fruit -- specifically dried apricots. Dipped in chocolate. It's a good thing I've eaten lunch already.

Although now I'm thinking about roasted pears. With a little bit of really good vanilla ice cream on the side. *sigh*

cookiecrumb said...

Anna Banana: I might not have been clear. Yep, half of the roasted fruits are in the freezer. Life is good.

Era: Rooty Kazooty!! Right on.

Kudzu: You know, you'd be a great writing coach. You catch all my silliness.
I love "do no harm." Merci.
And I love the grilled fruitage.

Morgan: Not proper! It's just one of those stupid above-the-fridge slots. I'd love a real chest freezer.
But! The way to make your freezer work for you is to EAT the stuff you put in there.

Greg: Lucky you!

Peter: Oh, not enough room in there for that. We just impale the heads on large spikes lining the path to the front door. The mailman doesn't deliver anymore.

Ana: News to me! I'm not much of a canner, but I'm *thisclose* to trying. Thanks.

Spitey: I confess that I do eat Doritos like a madman. I know all about that red stuff.

Kevin: xoxo

Lannae: Thanks. I just didn't want *sweetened* fruit preserved, and now I'm happy.

Biggles: Totally. Grilled, smoked, roasted fruit is all the hot thing this year. You can even make cocktails from it.

Dagny: I've lived in many a space where I couldn't grow stuff outside, so I share your frustration. I am just SO lucky now.

Sam said...

I am SO unsophisticated. I am all about stewed fruit. love it.

cookiecrumb said...

Sam! This is all due to you. Stewed, roasted. The important thing was to preserve the fruits. Thanks for the idea.

Michelle said...

Ah, I am jealous of the abundance of your fruity kazooty fruitage! And your gorgeous picture (nice job!!). The only thing I have scores of right now is bananas - bananas, bananas all over the place! I have frozen them, cooked them into just about everything I can think of, and made lots of smoothies. I suppose I might be able to roast those too...?

Sara said...

I froze a bunch of nectarines and plums because there was no way we could eat them all. I've been making applesauce from our apple tree and freezing that too.

Heather said...

That's what I do, too! Grapes that are about to turn off, plums, tomatoes, quince. Roast and freeze. It's the only way.

Zoomie said...

I recognize some of my babies in there!

The Spiteful Chef said...

Doritos are NOT the same as Flamin' Hot Cheetos! For example: I would eat Blazin' Buffalo Ranch Doritos at my last meal, yet I believe anyone who eats Flamin' Hot Cheetos should be shot on sight.

cookiecrumb said...

Michelle: And there you sit with your multiple banana trees. I wish we could trade.

Sara: Nothing wrong with applesauce!! Where's the pork?

Heather: It IS the only way. Thanks for the props. I didn't even think about doing it with grapes. Didn't know. But then, we only harvested two grapes this year. :)

Zoomie: Credit to you for the prettiest roasted fruit in the photo, the peaches. Yumz.

Spitey: Ah! We agree. I bet Sarah Palin eats Cheetos.

Dagny said...

I haven't seen Flamin' Hot Cheetos since I taught middle school. The kids like them topped with that nacho cheese sauce from a can. Once you've seen them, it's not a thing that is easily forgotten.

cookiecrumb said...

Dagny: You can get that sauce in a can??
I guess it's been way too long since I've shopped in a conventional supermarket... Drool!

Dagny said...

Don't know if they sell the stuff in grocery stores. This was an "institutional size" can.

What galled me was that the school actually had a full kitchen with cooks. Wednesday was my fave lunch -- baked chicken wings and collard greens with a hunk of cornbread. And the teacher's price was something like $3.

Sweet Bird said...

I totally want all that fruit. I'd have a canning bonanza.