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Ingredient Fri Jul 31 2009
Apricot-vanilla compote
Fresh, local apricots are only around for a few weeks. At the market, you'll see different varieties of apricots with varying degrees of rosy blush -- or sometimes little blush at all. Avoid fruit with any hint of green. It's perfectly OK to select firm fruit; you can allow the apricots to soften at home.
For this compote, you'll need about a half pound of apricots -- six small to medium fruit. Apricots are easy to prepare. Slice in half and the pit pops right out. If your apricots are on the larger side, slice in half again so that they are in quarters.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the apricots with 1/4 cup of sugar, about a tablespoon of water and half a vanilla bean, which you have split in half lengthwise to expose the seeds. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit falls apart.
Once the mixture has cooled, fish out the vanilla bean. If you'd like, you can also remove the skins from the apricots. They should fall off easily.
Store the compote in the refrigerator for a week or so. Use it as a sauce over ice cream, as a stir-in for plain yogurt, or as a topping for toast, pancakes or -- my current obsession -- waffled french toast.
Daniel Shumski works for an orchard and blogs at Fruit Slinger. Follow him on Twitter.
