A Kitchen Primer

Dried fruit, stewed with spices and an orange or lemon, makes a fine dessert by itself, as a topping for vanilla ice cream, or as filling for a pound cake.  The recipe is a slight elaboration of one I found in Laurel’s Kitchen.  Quantities are approximate.

• 1 lb dried peaches or apricots
• 1 lb dried pears
• 1 lb raisins or dried currants
• 1 orange sliced thin, peel and all.
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 4 or 5 whole allspice
• 6 or 8 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• (optional) 1/2 cup sugar or honey

Chop the dried fruit into bite sized pieces, or smaller if you intend to use as a filling.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the fruit is plump and soft.

Refrigerate. Will keep more or less indefinitely

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