Ingredient of the month – Apricots!
When it comes to travel, trains are my transport method of choice. WiFi, lots of leg room, and no long queues. And the best bit? You can take on board all the food you like! Travelling via plane is a little bit more limiting. If there were no restrictions, I’d be the passenger on board with bags stocked to the brim of fresh fruit and vegetables! When I’m travelling a lot, I try to buy as much seasonal fruit as possible – and right now is the perfect time to sample delicious apricots in the Northern Hemisphere.
Over the past eight months I’ve been travelling throughout regional France researching and shooting my new book ‘My Little French Kitchen’, and I have been lucky enough to visit many sensational markets. I wish I could have been there in apricot season! I did get to see lots of lovely apricot blossom flowers though :)
'Apricot Trees in Blossom', by Van Gogh (saw lots of these blossoms during my road trips in France)
When you’re buying apricots at a produce market, try to choose the fruit yourself (rather than busy stall holders haphazardly picking it for you!). Look for apricots that feel plump and slightly firm to touch (to avoid buying fruit that will bruise easily). Apricots are ready to eat when they are nice and soft. Not worth eating unripe stone fruit – your tummy won't thank you!
Despite their softness, apricots are actually quite a hardy fruit (compared to their relatives – plums and peaches), and can fare pretty well in colder climates (although they don’t like frost!). Fresh apricots are good to snack on when you're feeling under the weather – they are packed with Vitamin C, and are a good source of fibre.
I think super sweet apricots are best enjoyed totally on their own – you don’t anything to enhance their lovely golden and summery flavour. When dining out, I’m always drawn to menus (mains or desserts) featuring apricots, like this lovely
lemon posset with poached apricots
. And we're spoiled for choice in Paris at this time of year, with the
boulangeries
whipping out all sorts of apricot concoctions.
So delicious. From my favourite bakery in Paris
When I'm not hunting down apricot pâtisseries in Paris, I love serving fresh apricots with cheese platters (the sweet flavour of the fruit goes particularly well with goat's cheese). You can of course use dried fruit too, but for me – fresh is best.
Even when you try your hardest to source good quality, tasty apricots, sometimes you might come across a lacklustre bunch. Not to worry! Tarter, slightly less ripe apricots are perfect for roasting. Simply place apricot halves (with the seeds removed) on a baking dish, drizzle with honey and your favourite nuts or crumble topping. I like to line the baking dish with salted butter, as the salt works well with the apricot flavour. Here’s a good recipe (you can substitute the almonds with other nuts).
For a simple breakfast alternative, I love homemade stewed apricots and fresh yoghurt (don't go overboard when adding sugar whilst stewing, or the fruit can turn far too sweet). If you can get your hands on fresh goat's milk yoghurt, this makes for a particularly yummy morning snack.
Now, recipes aside for a moment. This sweet short film (entitled 'Apricot') by filmmaker Ben Briand, investigates first love, apricots, summer playdates and memories.
http://vimeo.com/8076064
I love using fruit in both sweet and savoury recipes, and the texture, colour and sweetness of apricots definitely lends them to both sweet and savoury dishes. Time to go to the market and stock up on summer apricots while you can!
If you're looking for recipe ideas, here's some inspiration:
Little Apricot Cakes (so cute)
Lamb and Apricot Meatballs
Apricot Cherry Compote
