More uses for fruit ~ Ham Pie Sandwiches

01 June 2007

More uses for fruit


For the most part I would think your summer stone fruit is dribbling down your chin raw. Maybe it's peeled if you are fussy and you're eating a peach, but that's about it. I mean, I realize I have pie in the title of this business, but actually making peaches or cherries into pie? In summer? You'll kill them! Pie is all about fall: apples and nuts and pumpkin.

In contrast, here's what to do when you just get so sick of all that beautiful fresh fruit: put it in wine.

I like to use really dry wine here, just because I like dry wine (although I am a big sucker for the summer rosé, which is generally sweet). Dry wine works really well with fresh fruit because it keeps everything from getting cloying. You get delicate, firm fruit in a crisp, cold liquid, as opposed to sweet fruit that absorbs even more sweetness from a sweet liquid. This time we had Dry Creek fumé blanc, which is a varietal of sauvignon blanc. This stuff is excellent value, shall we say. I really, really like sauvignon blanc. Another good one we've had recently is Zolo, which is at least South American and I think Chilean. Either that or it's Argentinian. We gradually bought all of them at the store (all five) and now there are no more. It is tragic.

This version of fruit in wine is good for the early part of summer, before you start to die a little inside every time you open the front door. Wait until it gets really hot, and we'll break out the sangría.