Dried Fruit Compote

Dried Fruit Compote is warm and homey comfort food, with the concentrated depth of flavor that comes from drying fruit. Eat it plain, with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche, or over hot cereal or as a topping for ice cream or cake.

This is one of those recipes where you can make up your own version, so here are the basics.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Choose organically grown unsulphured fruits, available at your local natural food store or online (type "organic dried fruit" into your search engine and you'll get a whole list).

serves 2 to 4

1 1/2 cups dried fruits (just one fruit or any combination)
zest of one lemon or half an orange
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/2 cup fresh orange, apple, or white grape juice
1 tablespoon butter

1. Place the dried fruits in a bowl and cover them with warm water. Set aside to steep 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Pour off the water and put the soaked fruits in a baking dish along with the zest.
4. Mix the sweetener with the juice and pour over the fruits.
5. Dot the top with butter.
6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes more.