Butter Spiced Nectarines Food

SPICED RICE WITH NECTARINES

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Cut 2 nectarines into wedges and toss with olive oil and a big pinch each of cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Grill until marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Chop and toss with 3 cups cooked rice, the juice of 1/2 lemon, a splash of olive oil, a pinch each of cumin and cinnamon, and 1/4 cup each sliced almonds and chopped dill.

BUTTER-SPICED NECTARINES

Steps:

• In large pot combine sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until mixture begins to brown, stirring constantly.
• Add nectarine wedges to butter mixture, stirring to coat. Cook, gently stirring about 4 minutes or just until nectarines begin to soften. Stir in water and lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
• Bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Ladle fruit/juice evenly into hot sterlized 8oz jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and add lids.
• Process in water bath for 15 minutes, start timing once water is boiling.

SPICED NECTARINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add 3/4 cup sugar and beat until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then lemon juice and lemon peel. Beat in flour until smooth. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Arrange enough nectarine slices atop batter in concentric circles to cover completely; press lightly to adhere. Mix cinnamon and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle over cake.
• Bake until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour (50 minutes for plums or pluots). Cut around cake to loosen; remove pan sides. Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature.

SPICED BUTTER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. As foam rises to the top, skim and discard it. Continue cooking, without letting butter brown, until no more foam appears. Add onion, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cardamom, oregano, turmeric, and basil and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand until spices settle. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve before using. Spiced butter may be kept in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 weeks.

CARAMELIZED NECTARINES

Steps:

• 1. Set a strainer over a bowl and cut the nectarines into the strainer, so their juice collects in the bowl.
• 2. Heat the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the nectarines and sauté them until they sizzle and their juices reduce and begin to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over them and sauté until the juices further thicken and the sugar caramelizes slightly, about 1 minute. You may want to increase the heat under the pan to medium-high. Add the lemon juice and sauté until the juices thicken, then add any nectarine juice that collected in the bowl, and shake the pan so that all is well blended. Let the nectarines cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the juices are very thick, which will take a minute or so. The total cooking time will be about 6 minutes.
• 3. Transfer the nectarines to 4 warmed dessert plates, or to a warmed serving dish, let sit for about 4 minutes so they are not blistering hot when served.

SPICED BUTTER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. As foam rises to the top, skim and discard it. Continue cooking, without letting the butter brown, until no more foam appears. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cardamom, oregano, turmeric, and basil and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the heat and let stand until the spices settle. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve before using.

SPICED NECTARINE SAUCE

Steps:

• If you'd rather, peel the nectarines; I like having the peel in there.
• Melt butter in small saucepan over medium high heat.
• Dissolve brown sugar in the melted butter, then add the cubed nectarines and the rest of the spices.
• When mixture starts to simmer, turn heat down to low.
• Simmer in order to achieve desired consistency and allow flavors to blend. You will want this to be chunky, with some textural variation--chunks of fruit in a thick, medium-brown sauce. This may take 5-10 minutes. Remove pods before serving (? I'm actually not sure if you can eat them).
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or cool and refrigerate.
• My note: this was excellent with hot multigrain cereal! I cooked the cereal first and then added the sauce, about 1:1, stirred it in and warmed it up along with the cereal for a few minutes on low/simmer. Yummy!