Sweet Roasted Plums

Saturday 31 August 2013


























This weekend I was both excited and disappointed to see plums at the market.  Excited because plums! disappointed because, like blackberries, they hail the beginning of the end of an all too fleeting summer which still feels impossible to me.  My absolute favourite variety are victoria plums which are an English plum with a yellowish colour flesh and red mottled skin.  They are small and sweet and pop in to my mouth far too easily.

I am no stranger to roasting fruit.  It is one of my favourite ways to make a quick and easy dessert.  I decided to roast some of the plums with a little maple syrup and a drop of balsamic vinegar.  The flavours worked perfectly and the plums were transformed becoming soft, sweet and caramelised in the oven.  They are perfect with ice cream, or natural yoghurt which is my favourite way to have them.  I think they would be fantastic on pancakes.  I’m ready to embrace Autumn, the sun is still shining but the temperature has dropped a little.   There is a nip in the air when I get up early for work.  If this is the kind of food I am going to be eating then it will make saying goodbye to summer a little less painful.



























I based my method here on Heidi Swanson’s recipe for roasted strawberries in her book Super Natural Every Day.
8oz, 225 g plums, washed and cut into quarters
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup depending on how sweet you want them
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
A few drops of balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  In a small bowl whisk together the syrup and oil.  Toss the mixture with the plums so they are well coated.  Arrange the plums in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet.  Roast for about 40 minutes until the juices are beginning to thicken and the plums are soft and caramelised.  Scrape the plums in to a small bowl and add a few drops of balsamic vinegar.  Serve warm or let them cool and refrigerate.


6 comments:

  1. PLUMS. These roasted guys sound so simple & delicious. Our backyard plums are ripe in June, so I'm definitely going to have to keep this in mind for next year--or, you know, roast some peaches now. :)

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    1. You need to roast some peaches. That would be amazing!

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  2. That's the way I feel about plums too. I especially love htem when they're used in cooking, cooked down into a jam or just stewed down in their lovely juices. But then it means it's no longer summer!!! :( Then again, much as I love summer I relly love that in between period between summer and fall because it becomes cooler and everything yummy comes into season and ther's still the odd day of sun. So, it's all good Caz :) This is the best time ever!

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  3. Ooooh Caz these are rustically stunning... I've yet to try the Victoria variation, but there's something to look forward to next year in England. Isn't it amazing how just a touch of maple and balsamic brings a whole new life to fruits in the oven? Such a beautiful thing. As sad is it is to see summer go, I know we're all ready to pounce on fall flavours.

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    1. Thanks Irina, you are so right, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar do bring out the best in fruit roasted in the oven. It's a winning combination!

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