Apricot Compote with Green Almonds/At the Core

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Not a very long time ago, I held a wide-eyed, chubby little girl on my lap . I giggled alongside her as I showered her with kisses and tickles. She was adorable and sweet, and the best part was…she adored me too. I could do no wrong in her eyes. 

Things are a bit different now.  She has grown to be a teenager. Some days I just love witnessing her growing into an intelligent, sharp, and witty young lady. Other days, she is a teenager in every clichéd sense of the word–moody, angsty, and thoroughly annoyed by most everything.  I’ll admit that on those days I’m occasionally nostalgic for that adoring little child–the one whose sweet little hand was always reaching to hold mine.

I was thinking about those days as I was shelling green almonds recently. A green almond is exactly that–an almond that hasn’t yet matured.  It has a fuzzy exterior and a soft center that, when left to mature, will eventually harden into the nut that we are familiar with.  Most of us would simply dismiss these as unusable and wait for them to develop into something acceptable. However, if we cut away the rough exterior, we are rewarded with a wholly unexpected surprise. They have a completely different flavor and texture than mature almonds. They’re fresh–herbal and citrusy with a crisp bite.

As I carefully peeled back each outer green shell, I thought about how some plants are so different in their various stages of growth. The truly astute gardener and cook will appreciate these differences and find ways to draw out the best flavors during any stage. It’s pretty clear where the analogy is going here.

We often disregard teenagers as immature beings that we must tolerate until they grow up. What a mistake this is. Anyone willing to patiently peel away the layers is rewarded with a fresh perspective, and a surprisingly tender core.  So, even if I cannot hold my teenager on my lap anymore, I can still sit next to her and put my arms around her. I can choose to appreciate the unique flavor she adds to my life, and try to understand her heart.  She may not reach for my hand much anymore, but she still needs me.  I’ll be sure to be present now…before she matures and hardens and the shell is harder to crack.  

Here in Colorado, I can only find green almonds at the Middle Eastern Market, and for just a small window of time in late spring/early summer.  I love to pair them with apricots which are in season at the same time. If you cannot find green almonds, you can sub in mature ones. Almonds are actually related to stone fruits such as peaches and apricots. When they’re immature, you can certainly see the family resemblance. Stone fruits also have a seed that looks remarkably like an almond.  Don’t eat those, however, as they are super bitter, and incidentally, contain a toxin called amygdalin that turns into poisonous cyanide when eaten. Anyway, the flavors of stone fruit and almonds (green or mature), pair beautifully! 

Apricot Compote with Green Almonds

This recipe is adapted from Alice Waters' book Fruit. Use ripe but firm apricots that will hold their shape after poaching, Green almonds are wonderful in this recipe, but if you cannot find them, you can substitute mature almonds-preferably Marcona, if you can find them.

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Ingredients

  

• 1 pound fresh apricots halved, pitted, and cut in quarters
• 2¼ cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ pound green almonds about 12
• 1½ cups water
• One 2-inch piece vanilla bean

Instructions

 

• Toss the quartered apricots gently with 3 tablespoons sugar and set aside to macerate for about 1 hour.
• With a small knife, cut the green almonds along the crease, then twist to open. Pop out the kernel inside, and using the knife and your fingers, peel away the white skin to reveal an even whiter kernel. Collect all the green almonds in a bowl and discard all the scraps. Cut the almonds into slivers and set aside, covered with a damp towel, until ready to serve.
• Stir together 2¼ cups sugar and 1½ cups water in a medium-size nonreactive saucepan. Split the piece of vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into the saucepan, reserving the pods for another use. Bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar and break up the bits of vanilla seeds.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the apricots, and poach them in the syrup for about 5 minutes, until very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
• Remove from the syrup and let cool. Divide the apricots among 4 dessert plates, spoon a few tablespoons of the vanilla syrup over each serving, and sprinkle the slivered green almonds on top. Serve alone or atop ice cream or fresh ricotta cheese.