By Lynn Nishimura, Columnist
One of the best things about a farmer’s market is that the fruits and vegetables are often in season. If you want to be sure, you can always check a seasonal calendar — but many markets also carry produce year-round, so nothing should stop you from cooking with your favorites.
Preserving fruit when it’s at its peak is a wonderful idea. I want to share one fruit I’ve come to appreciate, the lesser-known quince. It has a beautifully complex flavor — tart, sweet, and fragrant — and pairs especially well with blue cheeses like Roquefort cheese when transformed into fruit paste, also known as Spanish membrillo. There is no comparison. Homemade versions are hands down better than versions from a store, and you can add your personal touch to an original recipe.
The texture of non-industrial, farm-fresh produce is an experience in itself. For my quince fruit paste, I started with pesticide-free fruit and slowly transformed it into a candy-like treat using sugar, lemon, and vanilla. You can use other fruits to make different flavors. For vegetables, you can pickle onions, cauliflower, and cucumbers.
That balance of flavors is what makes simple ingredients feel gourmet. There are so many ways to prepare and enjoy seasonal fruit:
- Canning
- Juicing
- Freezing
- Preserving
When fruit ripens in abundance, it invites creativity. Purple plums can be turned into rich jellies, and apples into comforting applesauce. When preserving, an enamel dutch oven is a nice tool to have when working with sugar. It’s important to work in a sterilized environment, especially for canning. A properly sealed jar will have a lid that is slightly indented— not popped up.
Enjoy experimenting with food science this season — and don’t be afraid to try something new in the kitchen.