“THE FRUGAL GOURMET ‘IT SEEMS to me a very good thing that we are plac- ing new emphasis on fresh fruit in today’s diet. Ym. not just talking about health; Ira talking about wonder- ful flavors. _ .When'I was a child the variety of fruits available to us was very ‘limited. My ‘mother and I- would pick .strawberries- and wild lackberties and she would can e peaches’ and: pears: These. were all ‘great, but aside: from an “apple or. “orange, that was about it. ° You \walk-into a fruit “market. Rowadays and..are totally over-’.. whelmed “by. the* wonderful and - 'vast:selection of. fresh fruits from all over the world... When my. boys were growing up “my: wife refused. ‘to: feed ° them - snacks of cookies’ and sweets after . «school... Instead, ; fruit was: always ” availabié and: offered after .a day’ books and in”. -of bard work. at the: - ‘the playground: . PN This is still the’ way. they snack. a ‘A good habit for all of us!:* . : FRIED FRUIT: SALAD - e "2. (Serves 8). eae | love: “fru ‘ter. When I-described this dish.to _- my assistant: Craig he ‘marched in- . ‘to the kitchen’.and took’ my origi-.. nal: thinking. several steps closer:to - glory vas “He added. the orange ‘liqueur, ‘then topped: the whole. thing: off : ‘swith, blueberries.. ‘The: blueberries. - bleed a wonderful: “color and’ fla- : : ‘vor all over this: dish: .-F' This is fine for. parties .and great: “for a.summer evening--mea). .On- “the other: hand, ali these fruits are ‘in the dead of winter, so © _ > this dish’really. Knows no season. 3 Red Delicious apples” inquisitive Cook © “fried in alittle bute 1 medium-sized pineapple 4 bananas 3 tablespoons butter Y, cup Grand Marnier (orange- flavored liqueur) 1% tublespoons fresh lime juice 2 cups fresh blueberries 43 cup fresh mint ieaves Peel, core and cut the apples in- to wedges. (If you are not going to prepare this dish right away, hold the apple wedges in cold water with a litle lemon juice. This will keep them from turning brown. Drain well before using.) Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Trim off the cut- side skin and cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and then into quarters. Trim out the tough core. Cut the pineappie into 1-inch jeces. Peel the bananas and slice them into %4-inch pieces. Heat a large frying pan and add the butter and apple wedges. Saute over high heat for about 3 minutes. and add the. pineapple. Saute about 2 minutes and add the bananas. Saute all over high heat and add the Grand Marniez. Continue cooking and tossing the fruit to burn off the alcohol. Add the semaining’ ingredients - and toss together over the heat for - _about 1 minute until the blueber- ‘gies begin to color. the dish. Serve immediately. |. . BAKED APPLES | (Serves 4) 7 “This is 2 very good version of a Canadian classic. It is so simple that your kids can make their own. If. you behave yourself they might make one for you. 4 Red Delicious, apples : 6 tablespoons butter, melted -¥s cup chopped walnuts M% cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Core the apples, leaving them ‘whole. Place them upright in a small baking dish and drizzle with the butter. - Combine. the chopped walnuts with. the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the: mixture into the cen- ‘tres. and over the tops of the ap- ples. Bake at 375°F for I hour. FRUIT COBBLER (Serves 6) ‘ “This Tecipe can be used with ‘almost’ ‘any of. your favorite fresh fruits. : This is an easy way to prepare 4 ‘great dessert, and you can use just about any fruit you wish. Peel, core and pit the fruit be- fore using, if necessary. ‘4 cups fresh fruit (whole blueber- MUFFINS ARE deceptively simple quickbreads. Just two bowls. One holds the dry ingredients; the other, the iiq- uids. Mix wet with dry and voila! A perfect muffin. Or that’s what the recipes tell you. There’s a caveat to creating really first-class muffins, howev- er. They depend upon minimal mixing. The ratio of flour to liquid in most muffin recipes is the trickiest of all flour mixtures, With such a high proportion of liquid, it’s easy to overstir. The more you stir, the more gluten develops. And the tougher the muffins become. In addition, muffin recipes have less sugar-than ‘cakes or cookies. One of sugar’s functions in baking Wednesday, September 23, 1992 - North Shore News - 47 REWS photo Mell Lucente APPLES AND oranges were at one time juet about the erly fruit avaliazie in markets - nowadays - most produce sections include fresh fruit from all over the wozid. ries, blackberries, sliced peaches, pitted plums, whatever you like) Ys cup all-purpose flour a cup sugar 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut up ; % cup apple juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon cold water Place the fruit in an 8°’x 8’’ baking dish. Combine the flour, sugar and butter in a small bowl. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour and sugar until crumbly. Bring the' apple juice to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place the cornstarch in a small glass and stir together with the cold water until smooth. Simmer a couple of minutes until clear and thickened. Pour over the’ fruit in the baking dish. Sprinkle the crumbied flour mixture over the top. Bake in a _ preheated" oven ai 350°F for 45 minutes or until bubbly and gold-_ en brown. | PEAR TART. -. Gerves 6 to 8) A tart, I used to tell my sons, is avery fancy big cookie with class. That was enough for them. a If. you’ will’ bother to take a. minute‘to arrange ‘the fruit in an “attractive manner on top of this very rich dough you will impress everyone in the neighborhoad. DOUGH: % cup butter, at room is to act as a tenderizer. Without sugar’s mediating, careful mixing - is even more important. Fat also affects tenderness. Muffins with a high fat content not only taste richer, but also have a softer crumb. Unlike in cakes and cookies, a solid fat is melted or an oil is us- ed. Fats for muffins are consid- ered part of the liquid and are mixed with the mitk and egg mix- ture. Stir the batter only until the dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Though it seems unusual, the batter oud te lumpy as it’s spocned into a muffin cup. There "may even be the odd vestige of flour that disappears as the batter bakes. And what's a perfect muffin? Seldom do recipes give us criteria from which to judge the ideal temperature 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar 1% cups 2!l-pucpose flour. FILLING: - 4 ripe pears 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Ys cup apple jelly Cream the butter and confec- tioner’s sugar together for the dough. Add the flour and cut together with a pastry blender un- til coarse and grainy. . Place in. a plastic bag. and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 10” tart pan. Piace on a sheet: pan and bake in a preheated oven at 425°F. for 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Peel and core the pears. Slice them into thin wedges and shingle | them on the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Sprinkle with the sugar ‘and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Melt the jelly in a smali satice-. ‘pan. Brush the top of the cooked tart with the jelly. Allow to cool and serve. PEACH TART . (Serves 6 to 8) Prepare the dough and tart shell - ‘as for the Pear Tart (recipe above). Fill the cooled tart shell with peeled and sliced peaches (about 4 te 5 peaches will do). Sprinkle. with 2 tablespoons sugar and bake as for the. Pear Tart (recipe above). Glaze with product. A blue-ribbon winner is sym- metrical, with a slightly rounded top. Its surface is pebbled or bumpy. A pale, slick crust; or a . top that peaks, means there are likely tunnels inside. Tunnels are the mark of over- mixing. They show that the leav- ening gases have had to work hard to drill their way through a tough’ batter. « In doing so, they leave long narrow holes that run from the bottom to the top of the muffin. The volume of a freshiy baked muffin should be about double that of the batter. It should feel light, in proportion to its size. These are indications that the leaveners aré well balanced; ‘they have been able to lift the batter to the highest possible height just be- fore it sets in the heat of the oven. © - bake, melted - apple. jelly -and allow to cool. . . JAM TART. (Serves 6 to 8) : . Prepare the dough and tart shell: : as. for. Pear’ Tart (recipe above). Fill the cooled tart shell: with . about 1 cup or so of-your. favorite - jam and bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes’ or. until the: crust- is. lightly brown and the jam: is bub- ly. No additional sugar. or apple jelly is needed. STRAWBERRIES ¥ WITH. . > BALSAMIC VINEGAR... :¢ Gerves 4)::- : Sometimes. the ‘description ‘of. a dish leaves -you:in. anticipation of ‘a flavor: in total confusion. This i ‘is: such a description. « __ -Vinégar’ on - strawberries? wef are. using: that very.” old and: mild” : and’ deep. and rich vinegar. from. Modena, Italy, the “balsamic ~ vinegar: that. is aged. for.20 years: .: ‘What it-does for.a-ripe strawberry. ~ bed. , . carronly be tasted, ‘not descri - 1 pint ripe strawberries 1 tablespoon: ‘sugar’.(oF taste) - 2 tablespouns | balsamic vinegar Hull. the strawberries and cut thern in-half lengthwise. Place in a - bowl -and. carefully - toss with. the - sugar and vinegar... Toss just before serving | and of- fer them im fancy glasses...“ mixing required for first-class muffins | ‘A. good muffin is tender and: breaks apart easily, ‘It should be slightly moist inside, with an even. texture. | And as you taste that fist bite, : the flavor should be pleasing. :Flat er unpleasant overtones mean the : recipe is not well balanced. Perhaps there isn’t enough ‘acid to complement the baking soda. Ox. maybe you've mis-measured : something,. a mistake that’s easily. . made if you're baking in a hurry. Quickbreads. come. by- their name. honestly. They combine quickly and don’t take long to Blueberry, orange and pecan bran, ginger muffins, and cornbread are favorites among the endless varieties. And though recipes seldom tell you, they’re all finest when lightly mixed.