Hot Curried Fruit

Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact.

Place them in a large non-aluminum pot with enough water to cover.

Add the sugar, spices, and lemon juice.

Cover the pears with a round of waxed paper cut to fit the interior of the pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the pears can be easily pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, slice away the skin and pith from the oranges.

Remove the pears to a serving bowl and add enough syrup to cover.

Place the oranges in the cooking liquid and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Peel and seed the melon. Cut into long 1-inch strips.

Add the melon strips to the poaching oranges and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove to the serving bowl.

Add the grapes and lemon slices to the poaching liquid and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl.

Add the curry powder to the liquid and whisk to dissolve.

Cook the syrup until reduced by half. Strain through a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth.

Drain away any juices that have collected in the serving bowl and pour the syrup over the fruits.

Serve the fruit with a little of the crystallized ginger julienne spooned over each portion.