​Nectarine slice

By Liane Arno

We bought a dwarf nectarine tree some years ago now and until this year we had only had either fruit that withered away, or simply didn’t grow.  There was some black gunky stuff (technical term) that seemed to inhibit the growth and that was in addition to some leaf curl.  Matt tried white oil as well as the occasional curse to urge it into fruitfulness but failed. 

Then last year as we visited the Edible Gardens Weekend we came across one gardener (whose name escapes me) who said that she had had the same problem. Chemicals hadn’t worked for her either, so she just snipped off the offending leaves every time she passed.

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This year we followed her advice and we have a healthy looking tree bearing nectarines in great quantities – and being a dwarf at an easy picking height.  I have supplemented my muesli with nectarines in the morning, and we have given some away, but couldn’t keep up.  So I decided on trying to cook a slice. 

I hesitate to give you the recipe given the need for four eggs in these days of egg limits in the supermarket – but I think it is worth it even if your bacon and egg breakfast is sacrificed.

In a bowl sift in

• 150g plain flour and crumble into it 100g of butter

Add

• 100g sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• Make a soft dough – not too sticky.

Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.  Pop the dough in and press down to cover the bottom.  Pop into a 200 degrees oven for 20 minutes until pale golden brown.  Sprinkle with

• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs and then cover with
• 2-ish cups of nectarines

Pop back into the oven for 10 minutes.  While in the oven, on high speed in a mixmaster

• 3 egg whites until firm

Fold into a bowl that has

• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp flour

When the 10 minutes is up cover the slice with the egg mixture and cook for another 10 minutes.

If you want to be posh you can dust with icing sugar before serving.