I On my way home from the store, I buy an assortment of apples, dip them into a paper bag without looking at them, and crunch into the skin, pulp, and core. Just as the leaves fall every fall, the desire to nibble on as many different apples as possible never wanes while heirloom apple season approaches. Good russets as hard as Blackpool Rock are Ashmead Kernel, Worcester Pearmain and if you’re lucky Crisp, a ruby red devil.
This week I added apples to two salads. The first two are a salad of young kale leaves with Cox’s signature orange and maroon aromas, sharp crunch, and roasted peanut dressing. Later that week, I tossed a few crisp, slightly tart, chilled Worcestershires into a simple salad with walnuts, chicory, Lancashire cheese and walnut oil. I left the skin on and coated it right away, which preserved the bright color of the flesh.
The first pears of the new season appeared at home a few weeks ago. The first was an icy, crispy, rough-skinned conference, which I enjoyed with chunks of Irish coulair, which had a texture similar to sweet, well-aged gouda. Next up is the simplest pear tart, made with a shortcake-like batter and poached pears. It’s really a cheat, but nothing worse.
The late, wet spring has resulted in just one more Doyenne du Comique, which is admittedly quite beautiful, in the espalier outside the kitchen. I didn’t see many bees, butterflies, or wasps until the flowers finished blooming, so I was waiting for a smaller harvest than usual, but it turned out to be a harvest. This pear is eaten in a very quiet ceremony, its juicy, luscious flesh being eaten like a delicacy. My only golden pear is so precious that I might even get its own paring knife and linen napkins.
kale, apple, peanut
Young curly kale leaves have a sweet, nutty flavor without the pungent cruciferous aroma of larger leaves. Serves 3 people. Completed in 30 minutes
About dressing:
crunchy peanut butter 2 tablespoons
honey 2 tablespoons
roasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon
Tamari soy sauce 1 tablespoon
lemon juice 2 tablespoons
kale leaves 2 large handfuls
dessert apple 2-3
gammon 250g thick slices (optional)
peanuts 50g, salted, roasted
Combine peanut butter, honey, and sesame oil in a small bowl, add soy sauce and mix well. Add the lemon juice little by little, tasting as you go. I found that about 2 tablespoons gave me just the right balance of nuttiness, sweetness, and acidity.
Wash and tear the kale leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Cut the apple in half, remove the core and thinly slice. Add them to the kale leaves, pour in the dressing and toss gently to combine.
Heat an overhead grill or griddle pan. Season the gammon lightly with black pepper and cook over or under the heat until the fat is golden brown and translucent. Remove from heat and slice into thick slices. Toss with kale, dressing, and roasted peanuts.
Pear shortcake tart
This is the simplest tart made with just pears, sweet bread, and tart jam, without the need to line a tart case or make cream. I poached pears from scratch and it took about 30 minutes, including the time to peel them. The poached syrup can be stored sealed and refrigerated for several days and used again. If you’re really short on time and want a nostalgic taste, you can also use jarred or canned pears instead. Serves 6 people. Complete in 2 hours
Granulated sugar or caster sugar 100g
cloves 4
cinnamon stick 1
pear 4, each weight is approx. 200g
for pastries:
flour 160g
butter 100g
caster sugar 60g
almond flour 60g
egg yolk 1
water 2-3 tablespoons
apricot jam 4 tablespoons
ice cream or cream serve
Pour 1 liter of water into a large pot, add the sugar, cloves and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Peel the pear. Cut in half, remove the core with a teaspoon, add to the syrup and reduce heat. Continue to simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until translucent. Remove the pears from the syrup and set aside to drain.
To make the pastry by hand, place the flour in a large mixing bowl, cut the butter into small pieces, and rub it into the flour by hand until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add sugar and almond flour and mix. Lightly whisk the egg yolks, add enough water (about 2-3 tablespoons) and mix into the breadcrumbs to form a firm, easy-to-roll dough. Form into a ball with your hands and refrigerate for 30 minutes while you prepare the pears. If desired, finely grind the flour and butter in a food processor, add the almonds, sugar, beaten egg yolk and a little water, transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball using your hands. Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Set the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6 and place the baking sheet in the oven to heat. Roll out the dough into a 20x30cm rectangle and transfer to a second baking sheet. Crimp the edges as desired or leave them plain. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and dry to the touch.
Slice the pears into thin slices and place them on top of the cooked rectangular pie crust, overlapping each pear slightly until you have used all the pears. Warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan and brush liberally over the pears. Heat the overhead (oven) grill. Place the tart under the grill for a few minutes until the jam begins to bubble, then remove from the heat and let stand until settled. Remove from the oven, let stand for 15 minutes, and serve warm with ice cream or cream.
Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater
