QUINCE CRANBERRY COMPOTE

This sweet and sour dish, almost a chutney, also makes a fine accompaniment to poultry or pork.

Makes about 3½ cups.

3 cups water
¾ cup sugar
3 large quinces, peeled, cored, cut in thin slices and cut again across
in half
1 cup dried cranberries
3 3-inch strips orange zest
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
½ stick cinnamon
6 cloves
2 teaspoons whole brown mustard seed

Put the water and sugar in a medium-size pot. Bring to a boil; cover and boil gently without stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the quince slices, cranberries and all the spices. The syrup should just cover the solids. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the quince flesh becomes tender and pink in
color, about 1 hour.

With a slotted spoon, remove the solids to a bowl; when cool, discard the orange zest and cinnamon stick, and the cloves if you can find them. Boil the syrup left in the pot until thick. Cool the syrup and pour it over the quinces and cranberries. Cover and chill; it will keep for a week or more.

Serve at room temperature.

Recipe by Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely