Something Sweet for the Table

By Marilyn Hunter

Serving a little something sweet on the dinner table is an unspoken rule in the South. Even before dessert, we enjoy the combination of savory meats and sweet fruits, and we love making compotes with fruits of the season. It’s so simple and fast to make a compote – it can be done before the pork is out of the oven or off the grill.

Ben is now old enough and tall enough to stir pots on the stove, including stirring to make this compote, as a way of helping prepare dinner. But he learned a valuable lesson not long ago: that melted sugar syrup is hotter than hot water and sticks to your finger if you “take a dip.”

Sometimes it takes trial by error to learn lessons in the kitchen. His Southern nana is proud that he’s learning traditional cooking at a young age. Who knows? He might be the recipient of her handed-down recipes.

This quick recipe is one of the first things I learned to make. It’s perfect for overly ripe fruits that need to be eaten. It tastes great as a warm fruit salad. You can stir in your favorite summer berries, too, just before serving.

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Peach and Nectarine Compote

2 tablespoons butter
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
2 nectarines, pitted and sliced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cinnamon

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Add the peaches, nectarines, brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes if you’re going to serve it as a warm fruit salad, or for 15 minutes if you plan to use it as a topping for pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

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