A couple of weeks ago, my husband returned from the Delta with BUCKETS of pomegranates, quince, pumpkins & persimmons. This was weeks after we cleaned out the 40 fig trees on the island to make our famous balsamic fig jam. My husband's business acquired a marina in the Delta last year, and attached is a bountiful 16 acre island. I have used the persimmons in salads, carved the pumpkins for Halloween, even gilded the pomegranates for the upcoming Thanksgiving centerpiece. The quince, however, was the big challenge! What is a quince??? It really is a cross between an apple and a pear, but the texture is awful! It definitely tastes better cooked. I recently catered a Spanish dinner and my client had purchased Manchego cheese and Membrillo. Membrillo is a Spanish quince paste, which is the quinced cooked down with lemon & sugar. Problem solved! I will make Membrillo to serve for the upcoming holidays. Hello! Make sure you have 2 days and a lot of patience! This was the most painstaking cooking project I have ever endured. I found a fabulous blogger online named Alejandra, as she chronicles her quince journey, so I credit her with the recipe. Check out her blog archive for November 2008 if you dare make the membrillo paste! The results: beautifully rich, burgundy colored paste that goes well with salty and creamy cheeses, Serrano ham or just on toast! Enjoy the fruits of your labor this season!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Farm to Table
A couple of weeks ago, my husband returned from the Delta with BUCKETS of pomegranates, quince, pumpkins & persimmons. This was weeks after we cleaned out the 40 fig trees on the island to make our famous balsamic fig jam. My husband's business acquired a marina in the Delta last year, and attached is a bountiful 16 acre island. I have used the persimmons in salads, carved the pumpkins for Halloween, even gilded the pomegranates for the upcoming Thanksgiving centerpiece. The quince, however, was the big challenge! What is a quince??? It really is a cross between an apple and a pear, but the texture is awful! It definitely tastes better cooked. I recently catered a Spanish dinner and my client had purchased Manchego cheese and Membrillo. Membrillo is a Spanish quince paste, which is the quinced cooked down with lemon & sugar. Problem solved! I will make Membrillo to serve for the upcoming holidays. Hello! Make sure you have 2 days and a lot of patience! This was the most painstaking cooking project I have ever endured. I found a fabulous blogger online named Alejandra, as she chronicles her quince journey, so I credit her with the recipe. Check out her blog archive for November 2008 if you dare make the membrillo paste! The results: beautifully rich, burgundy colored paste that goes well with salty and creamy cheeses, Serrano ham or just on toast! Enjoy the fruits of your labor this season!
