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A Quince Essential Christmas

Season Ten, Autumn/Winter 2009

A Quince Essential Christmas

This week we celebrate the holidays with a Quince Essential Christmas.  We have a comforting and delicious Lamb, Quince, and Cider Stew, which is perfect for family gatherings.  And for dessert, our Quince and Tahini Love Letters are sure to fill your house with cheer.  We also go over how to poach quince in a sugar syrup, which is very simple, but no less delicious. 

Cooking Show Video

This is a comforting stew that draws on the natural sweetness of Winter root veggies: parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes. We cook it in hard cider, our favorite local beverage. The aromatic herbs are rosemary, thyme, and hyssop, but you can adapt it to whatever aromatics you want. You can also substitute goat meat for the lamb if you would like to try something new.  We love goat meat, as it is quite healthy and flavorful, and can be found sustainably raised at many farmers markets around the country.

December 22, 2009   |   4 comments
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Cooking Show Video

These little free form tarts are made by filling a tahini crust with quince compote. They are tiny and sweet, with a hint of sesame. When you make these tarts, you poach the quince over a long period of time, which leaves you with a beautiful quince scented syrup. You can use this to top yogurts and cheeses, or as a pink-hued syrup to sweeten cocktails.

December 22, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Desserts, Fruit, Mediterranean, Winter
Tasty Tip

Quince is not palatable in its raw form, so it needs to be cooked for a long time in order to unveil its dramatic color and delicious aroma.  Simple make a syrup with 2 parts water to 1 part sugar.  Add vanilla or another aromatic to the syrup as it boils- we love the delicate herbiness of rosemary.  When the syrup comes to a boil, add the slices of a cored quince and let simmer until cooked through and bright pink.  Cool and store in the syrup.  Serve over ricotta, ice cream, or yogurt with its syrup and some chopped nuts.

December 22, 2009   |   1 comments
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