It’s nice to serve up a special dessert for Passover. Cakes are more difficult to prepare as you are not able to use normal flours, and anyway I think most people would prefer something a little lighter. This fruit compote can be served warm or cold. What makes it so delicious is the flavour of the rose water, and the pomegranate adds a crunchy texture that compliments the berry fruits perfectly. You can buy bottles of rose water in the supermarket and for those of you who are short on time, I have even seen packets of prepared pomegranate seeds in Marks and Spencer.

There is a lot of buzz lately about this exotic fruit. Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine and
green tea.

Antioxidants can protect us against viruses, bacteria, pollution, heart disease and cancer. Scientists in Israel have shown that drinking a daily glass of the fruit’s juice can reduce the risk of heart disease. research also suggests that pomegranate juice might help reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Pomegranates feature richly in mythology as a symbol of birth owing to its abundance of seeds, and ancient egyptians were often buried with pomegranates in the hope of rebirth.

Happy Pesach!

Makes 8 portions

Ingredients
2 large ripe peaches or pears
4 large ripe red plums
40g butter
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp rose water
150 g raspberries
100 g redcurrants
150 g blackberries
2 pomegranates, cut in half and de-seeded

Method

• Halve the peaches or pears and plums.
• Remove the stones and pips and cut each half into four pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan and place the plums and peach slices into the butter.
• Cook for 2 to 3 minutes before turning over and sprinkling with the sugar.
• Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes and then pour over the rose water.
• Gently stir in the remaining fruit and heat through for approximately one minute.

Annabel Karmel is a bestselling author of 16 books on feeding babies, children and families, including Favourite Family Recipes published by Ebury. For more information, visit www.annabelkarmel.com