My husband and I can’t seem to figure out if we actually save money at Costco. We usually end up buying things we don’t need (or have space for) with money we don’t have. The truth is, I figure it’s worth buying paper towels (my guilty pleasure), tissues, napkins and such in bulk. But when I start to venture down the forbidden aisles – like the produce, I’m in trouble. Don’t get me wrong, the stuff looks delicious. But I don’t have a family of 10, it’s not Pesach, and I don’t need an entire carton of apples!
Alas, here are my top three things to avoid when heading to Costco:
#1 Don’t go to Costco hungry
#2 Dont go to Costco with your kids (or else you’ll end up buying them toys and books that they don’t need just to calm them down).
#3 Don’t go to Costco without a shopping list. Prepare a list in advance and buy ONLY what is on that list.
Why am I going on and on about Costco? Well, for starters, I did not follow cardinal rule #1 and I went to Costco hungry. Thankfully, I did not buy that humungous bag of chips to snack on, but rather, I loaded my cart up with cartons of California prunes (fancy plums) and black grapes. Then I got home. And I looked in the fridge. And I realized. I. Have. No. Room. For. Cartons. Of. Costco. Fruit. Enter this trusty compote recipe and problem averted :)
This crimson compote is intoxicatingly delicious, not to mention beautiful to look at. Because the grapes are so sweet, I avoided adding any more sugar. Instead, I used some Moscato wine which added a delicious fruity flavor. You can serve this up by the cup, ladle over pound cake, or spoon over ice cream.
Black Grape & Plum Compote
16 california prunes (or use 10 plums)
2 small bunches (about 3 cups) black grapes
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Moscato wine
Method:
Wash plums, remove pits and chop into pieces. Wash grapes and remove from stems. Add fruit, lemon and moscato to a pot and simmer over high heat until it reaches a boil. Lower the heat and continue to cook until the fruit starts to fall apart (about 15 minutes). Using a potato masher, mash the fruit and continue to cook until thickened (another 15 minutes).
Looks great! thanks again!
looks so refreshing!
I DID buy that humungous bag of chips. You are absolutely right about not going hungry! AND I love the idea of pairing grapes and plums for compote. I’ve never done that but will try it because I love plums AND grapes AND compote!
Does this need to be made with seedless grapes?
Hi Chana, yes it does.
The plums do not need to be peeled? Can I just use plums? I don’t have grapes but a lot of overripe plums.
Hi Nechama, you don’t need to peel the plums. If you aren’t using any grapes, you may need to add some sugar to counter the sourness.