Late Summer Fruit

It is hard to believe that summer is almost gone. Peach season is nearly over, and strawberry season is just a memory. However, the late summer and early fall fruits are ripening. My husband’s fig trees and grapevines are prolific right now. And apples and pears will soon be flooding the supermarkets. These fruits are a boon to diabetics because of their low glycemic index (the rate at which a food turns to glucose in the bloodstream).

Fruit is such an important source of nutrients. Figs are loaded with minerals and fiber. Muscadine grapes are touted as a health food because of their powerful antioxidants. Pears are also highly rich in nutrients, and we all know, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." All of these fruits are wonderful just eaten out of hand, but sometimes I like to be creative. Of course, I try to prepare fruit without added sugar using non-caloric sweetener instead. The fruit itself is a source of fructose (the naturally occurring sugar found in fruit); however, it is moderated by the fiber content. Added sugar only adds empty calories and raises the glycemic index of fresh fruit.

Fresh Fig Salsa

1/4 cup diced green pepper 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 small vine-ripened tomato, diced
1/2 cup cubed pineapple, fresh or canned2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 cup diced firm ripe fresh figs

Combine the green pepper, jalapeno, and onion in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomato, pineapple, lime juice, lime zest and coriander and pulse a few times until the tomato and pineapple are coarsely chopped.

Put the diced figs in a small mixing bowl. Add the ingredients from the food processor and stir. (Dice the figs by hand so they will not turn to mush. Mine were small so I just cut them into eighths.) This salsa goes well with grilled chicken or fish.

Poached Figs

10-12 small ripe figs
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons measures-like-sugar sweetener
Sugar-free whipped topping

Trim the figs and set aside. Mix the wine, water, cinnamon and allspice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to barely simmering and add the figs. Poach 15-20 minutes, stirring once (very gently) halfway through the cooking time. Remove the figs with a slotted spoon.
Turn up the heat to medium and boil the poaching liquid to reduce to 1/2 a cup. Stir in the lemon juice and sweetener. Pour over the figs. Chill. Serve with sugar-free whipped topping.

Muscadine Grape Sauce

1 1/2 pounds muscadine grapes,
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup measures-like-sugar sweetener

Wash the grapes and remove from the stems. Squeeze each grape until the pulp pops out. Put the pulp and juice in one sauce pan and hulls in another. Bring the pulps to a low boil and simmer 20 minutes or until the seeds are released. Cover the hulls with water and boil over medium for 15 minutes or until tender.

Put a wire sieve over the pan with the hulls and add the pulps stirring and pressing until the pulp falls into the pan with the hulls leaving the seeds behind in the sieve. Boil the mixture over medium low, stirring occasionally, about one hour or until the sauce is somewhat thickened. Add the vinegar, cinnamon and allspice and boil another 10 minutes. Stir in the sweetener.
You should have about 1 pint of sauce. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Use as a condiment with meat.

Baked Apples

4 apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup measures-like-sugar sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons heart-healthy margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the apples and core but leave the peel on. Brush the centers with lemon juice. Mix the sweetener and cinnamon. Fill each apple center with the mixture and top with 1/2 a tablespoon of margarine.

Put the apples in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Apples and Cheddar

This is a beautifully simple way to enjoy apples, but be careful with the cheese because of the sodium. Cheese is a favorite indulgence of mine; I slice it very thin with a cheese slicer to make it go further. I like apples and cheddar for a bedtime snack.

1/2 apple, sliced
1/2 ounce reduced-fat cheddar, thinly sliced

Sandwich cheddar slices between the apple slices and enjoy.

Pear Crisp

3 pounds ripe pears
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup measures-like-sugar sweetener
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping:
3 tablespoons measures-like-sugar sweetener
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Peel and core the pears and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss the pears with the lemon juice. Combine the sweetener, cornstarch and cinnamon. Toss with the pears to coat. Put the pear mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle over the pears. Bake 40 minutes. Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.