Les Fruits du Vieux Garcon-Old Bachelors Macerated Fruits

I have been hosting a preserving class once a month since April and WOW, has it ever been fun!  Women (and men) from all walks of life, interested in preserving the best fruit and produce Michigan has to offer, by freezing, canning and preserving in BOOZE! 

One of our favorite projects is the fresh fruit macerated in vodka!  Since this recipe takes some time, the anticipation is building and we may need some designated drivers by November's class!

I originally noted these recipes in many French country cookbooks and recipes, as well as seeing them jarred and sold to me at The Boulevard Market.  My thought was: Oh yes.....I need a big jar of that.

There is no recipe per se, it's all about what is in season, fruit wise, a large jar and plenty of booze.
 Here is what you need:

1 Gallon Jar with lid
6 different fruits about 8 ounces each, washed, stems discarded, halve the larger fruits (peaches) and discard pits from stone fruits
Large bottle of Vodka or Cognac
3+ cups of sugar

Sterilize jar and layer in your first fruit, I used cherries.  Cover with about 1/2 cup of sugar and pour in enough vodka to completely cover the fruit.  Cover with top loosely and store in a cool dark place.  Continue adding fruits as they come into season, covering each addition with sugar then vodka.  Let rest for at least 3 months in a cool dark place.

These fruits are incredible mixed into cakes and baked goods, served with ice cream or custard.  The actual vodka is lovely as a dessert cordial, reduced to syrup for pancakes or made into a spritzer with club soda.  The options are endless and delicious!

   

Roasting grapes...

Years ago I read an old Italian recipe about roasting grapes.  I thought it an odd thing, as I don't think about baking or cooking with grapes all that much.  Over the years, I have developed the most fantastic recipe for roasting grapes.  It's a recipe that combines the quintessential sweet/savory combination and is so easy to prepare.  It's also a recipe that looks so fabulous and elegant, is easy to eat and can be prepared in advance and assembled quickly.  It's also a great way to use up less-than-perfect fruit. 

Mascarpone cheese is a triple creme cheese from Italy or the US and it comes in a tub.  It's delicate and barely sweet, spreadable and whip-able.  It has a generous shelf life and works well as a frosting, thickener for sauces and smeared on most breads.

ROASTED GRAPES & MASCARPONE

1 baguette, sliced in 3/4 inches on a bias
1 8 ounce carton Mascarpone
1 pound seedless grapes, red or black look the best
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3-4 Tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
On a lined baking sheet, lay out grapes that have been cut into 3 grape bundles, leaving stems still attached in a single layer.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast about 15 minutes until grapes are wrinkly, but not fully collasped.

 
Place baguette slices on a lined baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes until slightly golden brown.  Let cool and spread each slice with Mascarpone cheese, about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle with a bit of raw sugar and top with  a roasted grape cluster.
Serve immediately.

Grapes can be roasted in advance (even a day ahead of time) and kept refrigerated until ready to use.

Roasted grapes are also fantastic in green salads or fruit salads or to top a simple pound/loaf cake with a bit of whipped cream.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!  Someday I will live in Italy with a tiny vineyard and eat roasted grapes all through the harvest season....dreams are nice aren't they? 

Dessert...add your own fruit!

My grandmother, Frances Prochaska, was an amazing woman. I grew up on the farm across the road and we visited every day. She was an important example of the woman I wanted to become and I can only hope I am a quarter of what she was. Baking was something we did together often. Grandma was not a fussy baker with frostings and such but made simple, farm style, comfort desserts usually with her own fruits!

This "cobbler" recipe was her favorite and now my favorite! It is great with absolutely any fruit, takes pantry ingredients, is delicious and SIMPLE, taking only minutes to put together! I tend to put this together with supper and bake it while we are eating, then serve piping hot with a scoop of ice cream!

I had blackberries on hand, but use any fruit or combination of fruit. Peach/blueberry is classic, but peach/raspberry is yummy. You can add additional spices or a glug of brandy or liquor. I LOVE to use salted butter! Because the butter is a main component and flavor, use something of really good quality and I like the barely salty-sweet combination that salted butter provides.

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup all purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar, divided into 3/4 of a cup and 1/4 of a cup
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Pound Fruit, cleaned, pitted, sliced (whatever you need to do to it!)

Place stick of butter in a casserole dish (I use a 5X7) and place in oven to melt while oven is preheating to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder until throughly blended. Add milk and whisk until just smooth.
Pour batter on top of melted butter-DO NOT MIX- and top with fruit-DO NOT MIX-sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar on top-DO NOT MIX and bake for 40-50 minutes until a lovely dark golden brown.

Rich, buttery, crispy, sweet & salty....easy. You can even use canned fruit if you're in a pinch. Praise and thanks can go to Frances Prochaska.

Pie Social at The Market

Last night was our 1st Annual Pie Social at The Boulevard Market. We had a great time meeting new people and sampling great pies! Each attendee brought a pie and copies of their recipes to share! I will be posting some of the recipes in the future as they were all great and unique...it's nice to have something new in my repertoire of recipes! Thanks so much to all who joined us! I am always so grateful that Tecumseh is such a wonderful community to live, work (EAT) and play in!