Wednesday 11 July 2007

Shaking the Tree

Apricots were drawing the tortoises to abandonment of their usual summer interest. Jaws snapping they pushed - well, apricot-coloured - fruit along till it hit border hedging of box or trimmed lavender where, cornered, it would offer itself to them until they were delirious.

So yesterday I picked the trees clean before the fruit plunged to tortoise-levels of consumption.

Heavy-bottomed pan, splendours of heaped fruit, spoons of honey, tightest-fitting lid, low flame. The question is: should I add brandy, grand marnier, calvados, marc de champagne, or leave the compote to its own devices to develop that alcoholic whoomf the tortoises have been enjoying from the windfalls?

Update: The idea of adding a spoon of compote to a glass of any of the above has been greeted with acclaim.

7 comments:

Newmania said...

An Italian Laurie Lee ,pity you don`t add any of the frisky elements the picture needs , the word Langurous begs for an appearance.

hatfield girl said...

Tortoises frisk.

lilith said...

OOOH I am drooling!

hatfield girl said...

If I try out any more of Mr HG's brilliant suggestion on adding the compote to the drink rather than the other way round, I'll be drunk L, never mind the drooly bit.

hatfield girl said...

That Scottish yoga practioner is really leading the way; think of us all in the garden practising our apricot-fired exercises.

lilith said...

You are going to be smashed HG! Have you organised supervision?

hatfield girl said...

Nah, L too much work to do, we aren't even going on holiday.