Tri-Fruit Cardamom Compote

As the first winds of autumn blew my newly-pixied bedhead this morn’, I yawned over the waffle maker while tightening my grip on a sharpened knife. Waffled out I am.

Instead, toppings! I scrounged together a mélange of late-summer/fall fruit–the final adieu of peaches, two apples, a neighbor’s pomegranate stolen while walking my golden–and a few nose-tickling spices to create this compote. The sweet cardamom brightens up the semi-tartness of the fruit while lime juice and fresh ginger keep the flavors compelling. Cinnamon–the vanilla of spices–was added on reflex. Although the fiber-y crunch of the pomegranate arils isn’t ideal in a compote, at the very least they give one the excuse to type that most pleasing of words: aril.

This compote bespeaks perfection on a Roasted Carrot Waffle, perchance you have a few lurking in your freezer. Alternatively, dine Chez Emily and I’ll plate you one of my ten.

Inspired by the Apple, Ginger, & Cardamom Compote at Green Kitchen Stories

Takes 40 minutes
Makes a little more than a cup

2 heaping cups Fuji apple (2 small apples), cored & chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup pomegranate arils (1 pomegranate)
1 1/4 cup peeled peaches (2 small peaches), roughly chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled & finely minced*
juice of 1/2 lime
2-3 T unrefined sugar, depending on the tartness of your fruit
1/2 cup water
1 T green cardamom pods, freshly ground*
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 tsp ground allspice

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat down to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until all the water is gone. Don’t forget to stir every so often, adjusting sugar, lime juice, and spices to taste.

*A Magic Bullet is your best kitchen buddy here. Measure out 1 T of cardamom pods first, grind, empty, and then whiz a 1/2 inch nub of ginger. Easy.