Like a lot of people, we eat fairly healthy meals during the week and spoil ourselves somewhat on the weekend. Specifically, Sunday brunch is a free-for-all in our house. My husband’s buttermilk biscuits are legendary. His pancakes are sinful and his waffles, pure decadence. And don’t even get me started on his breakfast pizza! When I’m on kitchen duty, I tend toward frittatas and eggs in purgatory, but he’s all about the sweets. Last Sunday, he made French toast from the sourdough he’d baked earlier in the week – and there are few things as delicious. But here’s where we differ: Marshall loves pancake syrup on his breakfast dishes, and I’m just not into that. I want jam, or maybe fresh fruit drizzled with good, raw honey on mine. (He thinks I’m kind of frivolous that way…) Last weekend, I made an easy fruit compote to top the French toast, and even he admitted it was really good. I used fresh strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries to make it, but it’s easily made with apples or peaches or blueberries or apricots (you’d need to reconstitute the dried version, obviously). The key is the ginger, which provides a perfect snap in the flavor profile.
This was great a day later on granola and plain yogurt, too, and it makes a perfect topper for vanilla ice cream or even oatmeal. Simple, easy, quick. Brunch just got better, and I didn’t think that was possible.
Makes 1 cup
1 pint strawberries
½ pint blackberries
½ pint raspberries
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (see note)
2 tablespoons agave nectar
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated cinnamon
Note: I like a really tart compote, so I use lemon juice. A more mellow liquid would be apple juice or orange juice.
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring and mashing the berries, until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled, as desired. Store refrigerated in a jar with tight-fitting lid for up to 1 week.
