Prune Pudding

This time-honored dessert is the stuff of women’s dreams — and men’s nightmares. It requires the “flight of fancy” enjoyed by Russian aristocrats in the 19th century and the finesse of a chef like famed molecular gastronomist Ferran Adria. Now is the time to employ both of these talents to reinvent this truly classic dish with a modern twist.

The key is to use a flash fried halved apple instead of mashed potatoes or any type of mash. This dessert plays off that phenomenal citrusy flavor brought to you by the watercress and citrus slices and avoids the problem of overpowering egg yolks by adding a dash of yogurt. This is a dessert that appeals to anyone and no one, but please, treat your guests to a classic.

*A guide to selecting varieties of apples

For this recipe, I use Certified Organically Grown Grown Apple and Honeycrisp.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. halved, steamed or boiled organic apples, such as Honeycrisp or Honeycrisp McIntosh
• 8 oz. organic organic cider vinegar
• 5 oz. (1 lb) Organic Frozen Chilled Quinoa (or either frozen or real wheat)
• 10 large handfuls frozen watercress or other small chopped raw watercress leaves, leaves and stems
• 8 whole, ripe pears, cut in half lengthwise

• 8 large handfuls of organic mini baby arugula leaves

  Directions

• 1. Wash, wrap in plastic and freeze
• 2. Combine quinoa and watercress in large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar. Allow to soak and soften until the watercress or watercress is slightly softened.
• 3. Place quinoa and watercress mixture into freezing bag and stir to combine.
• 4. Meanwhile, using large tongs, push watercress packet (which looks like a small pancake) down onto the apples and apple slices with pancake shape.
• 5. Repeat with all of the apples, coating each apple with two teaspoons of watercress mix.
• 6. Preheat a griddle pan over medium high heat.
• 7. After a few minutes, lay the apples on the griddle on each side and cook until brown. It will look like they are caramelized in color. Remove the potatoes and apples from the griddle pan to a plate.
• 8. In a pot with a saucepan, stir the quinoa mixture to dissolve the seeds and spices. Continue to cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the apples to the saucepan and pour into a sauté pan or small saucepan over medium heat. Allow to heat.
• 9. Add the pears to the saucepan and cook until they begin to caramelize. They will look burnt to the touch. Remove the pears from the saucepan and add the quinoa mixture to the apples and pears.
• 10. Stir the mixture over medium heat, ensuring that the watercress is covering all of the apples, before adding any of the watercress. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed by the apples.
• 11. Check the apple mixture regularly, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking.
• 12. If you are worried about sticking, pour liquid mixture from the pot, to half the desired amount.
• 13. Add 1 tablespoon of water to each cup of the batter and stir to combine.
• 14. Spoon enough of the batter in 1 portion on the skillet and place over medium high heat. When the top is lightly browned, flip the mixture.
• 15. Cook both sides until browned to desired crispness and meltiness.
• 16. Remove the skillet from the heat and place on serving tray.
• 17. Remove the apples and pears from the griddle pan and slide into the bowl of almond slivered honey mustard. Put a spoonful of honey mustard onto each plate and drizzle with a little water from the pan. Serve hot with 1 tablespoon of the warm honey mustard on each plate.
• DISCLAIMER: Please consider using a licensed professional in front of the children or present at the event to ensure that your child’s experience in eating may be enjoyable and safe. Any other methods of preparation are totally optional.
• When selecting the fruit for your children’s May platter and in establishing your menu planning, please ask about the variety of produce offered by market vendors and local farmers markets. How long does it take produce to grow and for mature? Ask about care instructions such as how much water it needs in its whole and at each stage of growth as well as for handling and storage.
• This article is from the May 2019 issue of EatingWell Magazine.