Pear Mostarda

What is and what can be? We make preserves, condiments and accompaniments to unite ingredients and bring dishes together. Occasionally looking at how an ingredient is brought to the table can bring a sense of excitement to a dish. In the fall we often look to sturdier and bolder condiments from mostarda to boozy vegetable relishes. Their form is often traditional, finely diced pieces brought together in a balanced harmony. What if we looked at the form in which the condiment arrived at the table? We worked a bit with bitter tomato marmalade fruit leather as part of an ice cream dish, why not turn mostarda into a chewy strip to balance lightly powdered cheese? That is exactly what we did. We pressure cooked dried pears, pear juice and mustard seeds together, pureed the mixture, strained it and dried it as sheets. The result is a tart, slightly spicy, and delightfully chewy expression of a traditional mustard fruit. What other forms and functions should we be looking at?