My beautiful mama grew up in stone fruit country and these roasted summer fruits remind me a lot of her. Vibrant plums, luscious cherries and plump apricots; and the beautiful Pinot Noir wine those flavours permeate. Growing up, we always ate a wide range of fresh fruit and my mama made sure we got some beautiful stone fruits in the summer months.
This dessert is simple in execution and utterly divine in the result. I like to make a double batch and keep a jar in the fridge. Tossed over vanilla ice cream, it is lovely and simple for a dessert. In keeping with the theme, I like to roast these divine fruits in a splash of pinot noir from Otago and a drizzle of honey. Our dear friends bought us a little bay tree a couple of years ago. It has grown and grown, and now we need a bigger pot. It is seriously is the gift that keeps on giving. A fresh bay leaf whizzed up with brown sugar adds a herbaceous element to this dessert. The bay leaf prevents it from becoming too predictable and the grind of pepper adds a gorgeous contrast. This addition is entirely optional, but lifts the dish from classic to interesting with complex flavours.
I like to use a combination of plums and peaches. I adore the way the colours bleed into the paleness of the peaches. When roasting they create a natural tie dye where the colours blend into each other. Instead of peaches, you could also use peaches or apricots; any stone fruit that takes your fancy. These roasted summer fruits also makes the best pie filling if you have any leftover. It is complex with the bay leaf and a wondrous dinner party piece. Or if pastry and pie isn’t your thing; a roasted summer fruit crumble is utterly divine.
Ingredients
- 600gm of halved and pitted stone fruit
- 6 fresh bay leaves
- 1 cup pinot noir
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Honey to drizzle
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the stone fruit cut side up in your roasting tin until they're all snug and close. You want them submerged into the sauce a little bit, so take your time finding the right vessel.
Scatter the bay leaves over the top and then gently pour over the wine, lemon juice and zest. Sprinkle with half the sugar and then place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes or so, lightly basting once or twice throughout. Drizzle the honey over just as they come out of the oven and leave to sit for a few minutes. The fruit should be golden, sticky and smelling utterly heavenly.
Serve with vanilla ice cream...
