Category: Plums

No. 608Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Wild Plum Streusel

Wild Plum Streusel | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Wild plums gathered  from the seaside coast of California are the basis of this luscious, buttery-rich Orcas Island Wild Plum Streusel, a Little Jewel from the Recipe Membership Collection.

WILD PLUMS

A very random collection of dead-ripe small plums were brought to me by a friend, so ripe I had to act fast not to lose their lusciousness. The plums were different varieties of almost-wild trees growing up along the California coast. These were found at a coastal farmers market in the over-ripe bin. I adore plums and since these plums were more-than-ready to use, I was on the hunt for a recipe. I have many plum recipes on my blog, but this one caught my eye.

Wild Plum Streusel | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

 

This recipe hails from Orcas Island. I have been near the area but never to Orcas Island, it looks so beautiful. All of the San Juans are amazing. Vashon Island off the coast of Seattle is one island have to I traveled to and loved. Orcas Island is further north and sits firmily in the within the San Juan Islands. Definetly worth a visit.

OK, the plums are the interesting thing about this recipe. The orcas plums used in the original recipe  are slightly tart, and the wild-ish ones gathered  from north of Santa Barbara I used were also slightly tart. Everyone who tried this streusel commented on how they thought it would be sweet, but instead it was slightly tart. I liked this aspect of the streusel. Try to locate some small tart plums, for the full flavor of the orginal recipe. A cherry pitter will speed things up in removing the pits. The pitted plums are placed on top of a quick cake batter that creates the base of the streusel. Soft buttery cake on the bottom, sweet-tart plums with the streusel topping- yum! Serve with a scoop of gelato.

Wild Plum Streusel | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

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No. 561Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Italian Prune Plum Torte

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plums are in season, but savor them now in this classic Italian Prune Plum Torte, the newest Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Collection.

ELUSIVE ITALIAN PRUNE PLUMS

I wait every year for this time, scouring the markets for the elusive Italian prune plums. Then one day on a walk through the market, there they are. Usually they set off to the side in smaller crates alongside the other plums. I grab my shopping bag and purchase a generous amount enough for the torte and a small batch of jam.

Italian Prune Plum Tart | Bijouxs Little JewelsItalian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TORTE VS TART

So, what is the difference between a torte and a tart? A torte, from the Italian word torta means “cake.” So, a torte has a batter base, more like a cake. A tart like this one is baked on a crust like this one on my classic Plum Tart. Once you look at them both the difference becomes apparent.

ITALIAN PLUM TORTE

This cake or torte is very easy to prepare. This recipe originated from Marion Burros. 40 years ago and The New York Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for this Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1995. A very iconic recipe.

A simple batter is topped with the plum halves, sprinkled with sugar and baked until the plums are bursting.

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plum Torte \ Bijouxs Little Jewels

My grandmother had an extensive garden and grew this variety of plums, as well as a couple others. She mainly ‘put up’ jam and preserves with the stone fruits.

I have been baking this torte since 2012 since I first became aware of Prune Plums for my original Plum Tart post. So moved, I posted my favorite poem from Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams. This is just to say…

No. 558Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Plum Tart

Plum Tart| Bijouxs Little Jewels

THIS IS JUST TO SAY…Plum Tart is a taste treat recreated from my past, a humble childhood treat originally fashioned from scraps of leftover pastry sprinkled with sugar, baked crisp and topped while still hot from the oven with a spoonful of homemade plum preserves. Close your eyes, take a bite of Plum Tart – a grown up version of little jewel from the kitchen. From the archives my beloved Plum Tart, a true little Jewel.

THIS IS JUST TO SAY
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
William Carlos Williams

Plums, the most delicious fruit celebrated in this poem from the familiar favorite childhood book Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle, were abundant in my Grandmother’s garden – so abundant that jars and jars of plum preserves could be produced without any notice of the many ripe plums I would snatch from the trees, either by climbing on a stool or using a stick to dislodge the luscious fruit for my avail. Bijouxs Plum Tart is a recreation of a taste from the past, simple and humble, yet as delicious as the fruit itself.

The recipe, if I dare call it one, involves a simple slab of pie dough rolled into a large, rough edged circle, topped with cut ripe plums, then folding the edges of the dough in wide pleats over the filled tart with a sprinkle of sugar and baked until golden brown and crisp. But to fully recreate the aforementioned childhood treat, the baked tart is brushed with an ample dose warmed red currant jelly, which replicates the fresh plum preserves that topped the pastry scraps.

Enjoy the summer!

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