Ontario Golden Plum, Rhubarb and Sweet Cherry Sauce

"People came from miles around for their cider." Jayne Berger

 

Mmmmm, cider... I have always been a huge cider fan, that's for sure!
The first time I was in England visiting the family, I tasted 'scrumpy' cider (cloudy cider) and loved it! The next time I was back in England, my cousin Terry and I visited London and his best mate Dan took us on a day trip to Oxford. It was a sunny Sunday and after a long morning of strolling and punting along the river, we officially declared it 'Cider Sunday' and got down to business. Dan took us on a whirlwind tour of just about every pub we could find and hurray, at one of them, good ol' srumpy cider was on tap! Yippy! Needless to say, we had fun in Oxford! A couple for years ago, I hopped the pond once again with my cousin Terry and my youngest brother Jordan and his girlfriend Jen. We took a trip to meet up with Dan once again and though it was unofficial, it certainly turned out to be 'Cider Thursday'! 'Magners' hard apple and hard pear ciders were everywhere and we loved it!
So, now that you know a bit about my longtime affection for cider, you'll understand that when I spotted a sign along a country road that read 'Cider Estate', I was elated! The hard cider at 'The Spirit Tree Cider Estate' in Caledon is delicious! Kev and I have been enjoying it all week! Kev loves his 'Ice Cider,' while I am loving my 'Cider Reserve.' And, of course, I had to try cooking with the cider as well! Yum!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Golden Plum, Rhubarb and Sweet Cherry Sauce
(makes about 2 cups)

1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, small chop
1 clove garlic, fine chop
1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup 'Spirit Tree Cider' (hard)
1/2 cup golden plums, pits removed and sliced
1/2 cup rhubarb, sliced
1 cup cherries, pits remove, quartered
2 Tsp brown sugar
pinch of sea salt

.in a pot on medium low heat, add butter, onions, garlic and thyme, cook until soft, 8 to 10 mins (do not colour)
.add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 mins, until the rhubarb is soft (add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce)
.adjust seasoning (add a bit more sugar if you want a sweeter sauce), serve this sauce with grilled pork chops, enjoy!

This sauce turned out lovely! I liked it a bit tart (Kev thought found it reminiscent of cranberry sauce.), but please feel free to sweeten up the sauce if you prefer! It makes a great accompaniment for pork and of course, this recipe is completely local and of the season!