We have been getting quince from our quince tree. It is that time of year. The Havran is completely empty, but the Van Deman still has a good number of (much smaller) fruit.
The quince are sharp and astringent, and quite hard to chew, when raw. Not pleasant at all. However…
If you grate or shred them, and then steam and boil them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, the sharpness mellows and creates a citrus-like edge with a flavor unlike any other fruit. Simmer until almost to an applesauce consistency.
When casting about for other flavors that might pair well with quince, we thought about walnuts as a potential option. After all “Quince and Walnut Crumble” sounds like a dish that a Redwall Friar might cook up for an afternoon tea on a rainy November day.
And we have a naughty dibbun who can be set to work grinding walnuts (he loves it).
The crumble crust is pretty standard, whole wheat flour, oatmeal in more-or less equal amounts, salt and baking powder, with melted butter to glue it all together. Put about half of this in the bottom of the baking dish, then sprinkle the walnuts on top in a solid layer.
Then pour the quince paste on top and smooth into a consistent layer.
A good 1/2 inch thick or more is not amiss, as a lot of the liquid will bake into the crust, and the quince layer will shrink and gel somewhat.
Top with the remainder of the crumble crust.
Drizzle on the rest of the butter.
350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Or until the top starts browning.
We left it to cool overnight and had it for breakfast the next morning.
The three older kids liked it a good deal. Ellie even went back for seconds (she is slowly relinquishing her title as the world’s pickiest eater, but Winnie seems to be picking it up.
So there you have it. Next time you have a couple of pounds of quince lying around, try some quince and walnut crumble.
Little Farm in the Big City 