Last week I (and by default the rest of the family) undertook the Local Harvest Challenge. The main aim of the Challenge is to put us back in touch with the source of our food. As a society we purchase the majority of our food from supermarkets, where choice and supply are dictated by Colworths. The Challenge encourages the sourcing of food from local suppliers and growing your own food wherever possible.
I elected to complete the Feast-sized challenge, which was to commit to eating only locally and sustainably produced food. Typically I shop at farmer’s markets and local businesses, so I figured that this challenge would be easy. Not so. I found that it is very easy to find local sources of fresh fruit, vegetables and high quality local meat. However, aside from wheat flour and good quality extra virgin olive oil, it is very difficult to source local staples within Western Australia.
I tried hard though. I made yoghurt from Western Australian milk, shunned the imported USA onions for locally produced (and cheaper) ones from Myalup, and ate only locally produced meat. The highlight of the week was probably the locally caught Tailor that I bought for dinner one day. It had been caught in Mandurah at lunchtime and was on our plates by the evening.
We also started to plant out the vegetable garden for winter. If all goes well we should be eating our own silverbeet, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, peas, leeks and fennel through winter. Carrots, beetroot and more broccoli are yet to be planted.
Taking the challenge made me think much more closely about what I was buying and consuming. It turns out that whilst most of what my family eats is locally produced, there are still areas for improvement. At least I have something to strive for next year.
One of the downsides of shopping at farmer’s markets, however, is that I become over-enthusiastic about the local produce on offer and tend to buy more than can be readily consumed in a week. This is how I came to have a pile of rapidly softening plums and nectarines in the fruit bowl. The best solution when faced with this situation is to make compote, which is really just a fancy name for lightly stewed fruit. I favour making compote in the oven, because then I don’t have to worry about it sticking to the saucepan.
Compote can be made with any fruit, including dried, but is particularly good (in my opinion) with stone fruit. It can be eaten hot or cold, for dessert or breakfast, and freezes really well.
Oven Roasted Fruit Compote
Ingredients
- 4 nectarines stoned and quartered
- 8 large plums stoned and quartered
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 vanilla pod split
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamon pods
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Pile the cut fruit into an ovenproof dish. The fruit should fit snugly and can be piled up slightly.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and stir gently.
- Nestle the spices into the fruit.
- Pour in just enough water to moisten the bottom of the tray. The fruit will generate more liquid as it stews.
- Cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the fruit has softened and released its juices.
- Serve hot or cold.
Notes
this sounds great, will try. btw, do you have advice for roasting veggies? I cooked a whole pan full of some last night but they ended up a bit mushy. am I supposed to cook them very quickly on a high heat or more slowly on a lower heat?
Thanks Jen. Cook them at 180C – 200C and make sure they are not too crowded in the pan, or that the pan is too deep, otherwise they will steam rather than roast.
Hi Tania, I work in the same building as your husband – he sent me a link to your website last week, it’s beautiful! My husband and I have been paleo for over 3 years now, so your husband and I have great food, and lots of eating, in common. This baked fruit compote has been added to the “Christmas menu” for this year, can’t wait to try it! We’ll try it without added sugar and let you know how it goes. Thank you for posting it!
Hi Mandy. Thanks for stopping by. If you select really sweet fruit you should be able to get by without sugar. Let me know how it goes.
Tania, thanks again for the recipe, it was a huge hit at Christmas, my family really enjoyed it. We used WA plums, peaches, nectarines, and I didn’t use extra sugar. It was the right and of sweet and tart for most of the family but my dad and sister drizzled a little honey over theirs. We served it with Greek yogurt and clotted cream. Just divine. I bought some more stone fruit yesterday at the markets to make this again.
Hi Mandy. I’m glad that it worked out for you and that it was well received. Thanks for the feedback.
The fruit compote sounds delicious and want to try it but wonder how many people the recipe as it stands will serve?
Thanks Lyn. I think it all depends on how you serve it. I would aim for 4 people, although if you need to serve more then just add more fruit and a few more spices. It is a truly flexible recipe so just play with it to suit the number you are feeding. It is also good in the fridge for a few days so better to make too much than too little 🙂
Many thanks Tania for your prompt reply! Am looking forward to trying it out. Will let you know how it goes!