Fruit-wise, it’s a glorious time of the year, with hawkers arranging pyramids of colour on pavements and shelves piled high in fruit and vegetable markets and supermarkets.
Grapes are much in season, but I have yet to find a dessert recipe that improves on grapes au naturel - at best, dip chilled bunches in whisked egg white, then in icing sugar for a buffet display.
Otherwise, these are best enjoyed one by one, picked off the bunch…
Spanspek supplies are slowing, but there are still watermelons, along with an abundance of stone fruit - loose-pip and taaipit peaches, plums, nectarines and new-season pears - all of which can be found at pleasing prices.
Figs are best picked from your or a neighbour’s tree as they don’t travel well, but they are such fashionable fruit right now that supermarket supplies are increasing as venerable orchards are coaxed back into production.
If you are producing a Mediterranean meal, they are almost essential ingredients for either first or final courses.
The time for berries has come and gone, but packets of frozen varieties mean sauces and coulis can still be easily made.
Fresh sliced fruit - and fruit salad - are, of course, the easiest way to present dessert, with or without yoghurt or ice cream as accompaniment.
But when we want to offer guests something a little more sophisticated, we need ideas for fast fruity finalés.
In keeping with contemporary lifestyles, simplicity is the keynote, with seasonal fruit getting a brief grilling - which can accentuate its flavour - before being paired with a sauce or topping.
Also in fashion are Gallic creations such as gratins and clafoutis, ideal for cooler evenings.
Put aside thoughts of traditional tarts and pies until autumn, when apples and quinces come into their own, and make the most of our late summer fruit - within weeks their season will be over.
MARSALA PEACHES WITH MASCARPONE
Pretty, trendy and made in minutes. Use large, firm, freestone peaches.
Keep it local by replacing marsala (a Sicilian dessert wine) with one of our excellent soetes - muscadel, jerepigo, tawny port or a noble late harvest wine would all suffice. You could replace the mascarpone with cream cheese, but the result would not be as yummy. The original recipe comes from Marie Claire Dining, published by Murdoch Books.
1/3 cup marsala or muscadel
2T brown sugar
2T orange juice
4 peaches, halved
150g mascarpone
One-and-a-half T icing sugar
3T marsala, additional
Combine first measure of marsala or muscadel with sugar and orange juice and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Pour this over the peach halves and leave to macerate for 20 minutes.
Combine mascarpone and icing sugar and mix until smooth.
Place peaches and marinade in a hot preheated frying pan and cook about two to three minutes on each side until peaches are golden.
Divide peach halves among four flat plates.
Place a spoonful of mascarpone next to the peaches and make small indentation in the mascarpone. Fill this with the extra wine.
Pour pan juices over peaches and serve warm.
Serves four.
PEARS WITH MAPLE SYRUP YOGHURT
A dessert to put together in minutes between courses and quantities can be increased as required.
Imported maple syrup can be replaced with locally produced golden syrup or try some moskonfyt for a seasonal treat.
Use soft brown sugar in place of demerera if preferred and Greek yoghurt for the sauce.
Vary the fruit as well - firm peaches or mangoes could replace the pears.
The basic recipe comes from Marie Claire Dining, published by Murdoch Books.
2 large firm pears, sliced
60g butter, melted
1/3 cup demerara sugar
1 cup thick yoghurt
1/4 maple syrup
Brush pears with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Place slices on hot, preheated flat grill or frying pan and cook for one minute on each side until golden.
To serve, stack slices of pear on serving plates, top with a spoonful of yoghurt and drizzle with syrup.
Serves 4.
BAKED FIGS, ITALIAN-STYLE
Here again, I would use a luscious Cape “sticky” or sweet dessert wine such as white muscadel or noble late harvest in place of imported marsala.
The recipe comes from Simply Italian, by Sophie Braimbridge.
50g hazelnuts
Butter for greasing
16 figs, halved
150ml sweet marsala or local dessert wine
2T honey
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
200g mascarpone
Preheat oven to 190ºC and toast the hazelnuts for about eight minutes, then chop them finely.
Butter a gratin dish that will make a snug fit for the halved figs and arrange them in the dish.
Drizzle the sweet wine and honey over the figs.
Mix the lemon zest, nuts and mascarpone together and spoon a little into each fig.
Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the juices have reduced into a syrup and the figs are soft.
Pour the syrup over the figs and serve warm.
Serves 4.
PLUM CLAFOUTI
For cooler evenings, clafoutis are perfect and the topping takes only a few minutes to mix.
Serve warm rather than hot, with vanilla ice cream.
This comes from Modern Classics book 2, by Donna Hay.
Softened butter for greasing
Castor sugar for dusting
7 red plums, halved and stoned
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1t vanilla extract or essence
1 cup cream
3 eggs, preferably free-range
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease an eight-cup capacity ovenproof dish with butter and dust with castor sugar.
Arrange the plums in the dish, cut side up.
Combine flour, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl, add the cream and whisk together.
Add the eggs, and whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter around the plums and bake for about 35 minutes or until pudding is puffed and golden.
Serves 6. - Cape Argus