Simple fruit desserts
By: Faith Bahadurian – Special Writer
This is the perfect time of year for summer fruit desserts. Peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots are in the markets. You might also find some local late-season berries at the farmstand, but even those from elsewhere seem to have extra flavor.
Most of the summer was so hot that my idea of a peach dessert has been limited to simply leaning over the sink and eating one. But now we’re getting cooler weather, so I’m willing to turn on the stove, and maybe even the oven, to take advantage of late summer fruit.
I recently eased into this when I had a few peaches (New Jersey peaches, of course!) that absolutely, positively had to be used up that evening. My eyes also fell upon a partially consumed bottle of Muscadelle, a sweet dessert wine that I’d had sitting around far too long.
Before you could say excusez-moi, those peaches were halved, pitted, and simmering away in the French wine. I threw in a few green cardamom pods and some pink peppercorns, and once the peaches were tender, I removed them, reduced the syrup, then strained it over the peaches. I didn’t even bother with whipped cream or yogurt that evening, but the poached plum recipe, below, will make doing so worth the extra trouble.
I love fresh apricots, maybe because of my Armenian heritage, and when I see fresh ones in the market in the summer, I can’t resist. The small rosy-hued ones from Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, N.Y., are especially scrumptious, but if you find larger apricots, give the Arabic recipe, below, a try. The recipe calls for 13 apricots, which I thought was strange until I realized it was likely so each guest could have two, and no one would have to take the last one, a lovely solution to a question of etiquette.
Scandinavian food is trendy, and another easy-to-pull-together dessert is the Kropsua, an eggy Finnish dessert pancake, below, that you’ve maybe also enjoyed for brunch. It takes to almost any fruit you have on hand, just cut the fruit up and lightly sweeten, if desired, during the baking. Some versions have a lot of butter in them, but this one uses a lick of vegetable oil, instead, so I would be sure to use whole milk. No fruit on hand? Use jam or preserves instead, especially if you’ve just put up some of your own.
PLUMS IN PORT WITH CLOVE CREAM Adapted from "Mediterranean Flavors, Cali fornia Style," Cindy Mushet, Scribner, 2000 Serves 4.
2 cups tawny port
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 vanilla bean, split 1-3/4 pounds firm-ripe plums
Clove cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Halve and pit each plum, then cut each half into 2 or 3 wedges. Place the port, sugar, spices and vanilla bean in a medium sauce pan, bring to a low boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add plums, bring the mixture back to a boil, then turn heat to low and poach plums for 6 to 12 minutes, or just until softened and are easily pierced with the tip of a small knife.
Remove from heat, lift out plums, and place in bowl to cool. Return pan to medium heat and reduce liquid by half, to about 1 cup. Cool to room temperature, then pour over plums. Store in a covered container in refrigerator until needed.
Use electric mixer to whip cream, sugar, and cloves on medium speed to soft peaks. Do not over whip. Divide plums between serving dishes and top with cream.
BADEMLI KAYISI (Baked Apricots Stuffed with Almond Paste) From "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food," Claudia Roden, Knopf, 2003 Serves 6.
13 large ripe but firm apricots
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons rose water
Make a slit in each apricot and remove pit.
Blend the almonds, sugar, and rose water to a soft paste in the food processor. Take lumps the size of a small walnut and roll them into balls. Push them into the apricot slits, and press the apricots to squeeze the filling gently.
Arrange the stuffed fruits on a heatproof dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until they have softened a little. Keep an eye on them, and remove if they start to fall apart too quickly. Serve hot or cold.
KROPSUA From "Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book," Ballantine, 1987 6 servings.
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Vegetable oil to brush baking pan
Fresh berries or fruit, sweetened if desired, or jam or preserves
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch cake pan in the oven and heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt. Whisk in milk and then flour to make a smooth batter. Remove the hot pan from the oven and quickly brush with vegetable oil to coat lightly.
Pour in the batter all at once and bake about 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. When removed from the oven, the pancake will collapse immediately. Sift confectioner’s sugar over the top and serve hot with the berries, fruit, or preserves.
Read Faith Bahadurian’s blog at www.packetinsider.com/blog/njspice (also www.twitter.com/njspice).
What’s a birthday party without a cake?
Local bakers are competing for the assignment to create a cake for the party celebrating Princeton Public Library’s 100th birthday. The party will be Sunday, Oct. 10, on Hinds Plaza and inside the library and will feature a variety of Princeton entertainers and organizations.
Six finalists for the cake competition have been selected from a pool of applicants. The winner will be announced Sept. 1.
"The more whimsical the designs, the better," says library Executive Director Leslie Burger. "We are looking for a cake that reflects our theme of words, ideas and community and can be a centerpiece of this wonderful celebration."
Finalists in the competition are Three Tiers Cake Studio; Vikki Hilton of McCaffrey’s Market; Chris Houwen of McCaffrey’s Market; La Bella Cakery; The Whole Earth Center Bakery, and Jen’s Cakes & Pastries. Design submissions range from a three-tier cake with lettering reflecting the library building’s cornerstone artwork to a multilevel, off-kilter creation piled with "books."
While the winner of the competition will create the cake, all of the finalists will have a hand in the celebration. Each will bake 200 mini-cupcakes for the party, which begins at 1 p.m. and continues until 5 p.m.
Music, exhibits, tours, and special entertainment for children are all part of the celebration. The cupcakes and winning confection will be set out at 4 p.m. in the Community Room, and everyone is invited to indulge their sweet tooth while singing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday."
The panel of judges for the cake competition consists of Ms. Burger, Princeton Township Mayor Bernie Miller, Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman, library Board of Trustees president M. Katherine McGavern and representatives from Johnson & Johnson, corporate sponsor of the birthday cake.
Meet the Millstone at Eno Terra Restaurant
Our land and water are intricately intertwined. To celebrate this amazing relationship, Terra Momo Restaurant Group is teaming up with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, central New Jersey’s first environmental group, for a special afternoon of food and fun at Eno Terra restaurant in Kingston.
On Sunday, Sept. 19, from 2 to 7 p.m., the community is invited to enjoy local produce prepared by Eno Terra from their very own 1-acre farm, while enjoying an array of family-friendly activities in and around the Millstone River at the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park in Kingston.
Attendees can meet the aquatic insects of the Millstone River, enter an "all natural" boat race, make a fish print to take home and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Watershed Association’s StreamWatch water testing.
Plus, participants can take a tour of Eno Terra’s Canal Farm or visit historic Rockingham (shuttle provided), enjoy a wine tasting, learn how to live "River-Friendly" and sign up for the Watershed Association’s first-ever fall Stream Cleanups in Princeton and South Brunswick on Sept. 25. Everyone who arrives by bicycle will receive a special prize.
A benefit for the Watershed Association, the event will celebrate our land and water.
"What we do on our land has a direct impact on the health and quality of our water," said Jim Waltman, Watershed Association executive director. "Eno Terra sits at the heart of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed and with its ‘eat local’ approach is the perfect place to celebrate the harmony between land and water."
Carlo and Raoul Momo, co-founders of Terra Momo Restaurant Group, agree. "Eat local defines our cuisine and reminds us of the source of our raw ingredients," said Raoul Momo. "By cultivating these sources, Eno Terra supports local businesses, provides the real satisfaction of fresh and flavorful food and minimizes our impact on the environment. We are proud to support the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and its environmental mission."
Eno Terra will serve light fare, including hors d’oeuvres and dessert, by the Delaware & Raritan Canal throughout the afternoon. Inside Eno Terra, Executive Chef Christopher Albrecht will present a family-style feast, including hot and cold antipasti and a market grill course. This "farm fresh" dinner will be served in seatings starting at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
To attend, call Eno Terra at 609-497-1777 to make a reservation. Fee: $49 per adult and $15 per child under 12 (children 5 years and under, free). Please specify the 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. dinner seating. Payment is taken in advance and no credit cards will be accepted at the door. All event profits benefit the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.
Eno Terra is located at 4484 Route 27, Kingston.
To learn more, visit thewatershed.org and enoterra.com.

