(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . What's For Dinner v.18.09 Apricots! [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-09-02 As I remarked at the end of July, I got a LOT of apricots this year. I needed to do things with them. I canned and dried large batches, but I also searched out and tried new recipes so those preserved fruits would be more useful this winter. My most frequent use of dried apricots other than plain snacking, is fruit compote. Dried prunes, apricots, apples, cherries, cranberries, whatever is in store, simmered soft and served with a little beaten cream. Tagine ? why not? The recipe is for starting from scratch, but it worked well in a small batch with the leftover of roasted lamb I had in the freezer. 3 pounds boned lamb chunks 3 Tbsp oil 1 large onion, chopped salt and pepper ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp saffron threads Brown the meat, add the onion and spices, just cover with water, and simmer covered until very tender. Add 2 pounds pitted fresh apricots and cook uncovered until they soften and liquid is reduced. Pastry ! Ground walnuts and chopped dried apricots, both from my own land. The gluten-free puff pastry does not puff, but it is tasty. 1 sheet puff pastry 1 large egg, separated ¾ cup sugar 1 cup finely ground walnuts 1 cup chopped dried apricots ¼ tsp cardamom set aside 1 tsp of the egg white. Mix the rest with the remaining filling ingredients. Preheat oven to 375º. sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with flour and roll the puff pastry out to about 15x20 inches if possible. Spread the filling on this, leaving 1/2 inch borders on three sides and 1 inch on the side farthest from you. Beat the egg yolk and paint it on the dough borders. Use the parchment to help you roll up the pastry like a jelly roll. Slide it onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 25 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Roast duck with Apricots. Yes, the ducks are now in the freezer, not the barnyard. And this will be done with canned apricots through the winter. sorry, I forgot to photograph this until I had put the leftover away, and turned it back out into the pan to take the pic. Season the duck with salt, pepper, and ½ tsp ginger. Prick or slash the skin in multiple places so the fat can render. Roast for one hour at 400, pour off the fat (save for cooking!) and turn over the duck, roast for another hour. Blanch and peel 1 pound baby onions (note: why would you bother with baby onions when you are going cook and mash them up anyway? I used regular red ones.), brown them in oil for 15 minutes, add ½ tsp ginger and ½ tsp cinnamon, 2 Tbsp butter, and 1¼ pounds fresh apricots. cook until softened, add 3 Tbsp. each lemon juice and honey, and cook until jammy. Serve on the sliced duck meat. Rice pudding with apricot compote . Just add sugar and lemon juice to a jar of apricots and simmer it down. It should be a jammy consistency. Apricot-raisin relish to go with any sort of meat, or on bread, or use your imagination. I served it with baked turkey wings. chop 1 cup tart dried apricots, mix with 1 cup raisins, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a pan and cook the fruit over low heat for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup water, 2 Tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Cook on low for 20 minutes, stirring and being careful not to scorch it. Thanksgiving Pumpkin Rice. This makes a spectacular feasting dish, put the whole thing on the table and scoop rice mix and pumpkin flesh together. my pumpkins from the garden were very small one 9-11 inch pumpkin 1½ cups short grain rice 2 Tbsp butter ½ cup chopped walnuts ½ cup chopped dried apricots ¼ cup chopped dried sour plums or dried cranberries Soak the fruits for 10 minutes and drain. Wash the rice in several changes of water and set aside. Fry the walnuts and fruits in the butter for 5 minutes and mix with the rice. Wash the pumpkin, cut a lid and scoop the seeds as if making a jack-o-lantern. Set it in a baking pan so it stands upright. Spoon the rice mix into the pumpkin. It should be only half full. Add boiling water to an inch above the level of the rice, and 1½ tsp salt. Put the lid on and bake at 400º for 2 hours or until tender and rice is fully cooked. Kurdish Stew Cooks quickly, hearty and flavorful. ¼ cup oil ½ tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp nigella 1 pound minced or ground beef, lamb, or chicken 2 cups cooked split peas 1 Tbsp tomato paste (I used 1 tsp balsamic vinegar instead) ¾ cup dried apricots 3 medium waxy potatoes (I used parsnips instead) cut into 1 inch pieces 6 cups water or stock 2 tsp salt Heat the oil in a large pan and add the spices, stirring briefly. Then add the meat, peas, paste, and apricots, fry for a minute or two. Add the potatoes, salt, and water or stock to cover by an inch. Simmer for 20 minutes or longer, until potatoes are tender. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/2/2180662/-What-s-For-Dinner-v-18-09-Apricots Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/