One of the best things about living up here in the sticks is summer. It’s hot. At the moment it’s actually really, really hot. Almost too hot to sleep. Heat means that stuff grows in the ground. Like crazy. I get to pick roses from my yard for at least six months of the year and they’re not all mildewy and spindly like they were in back in San Francisco. But probably the very best thing about summer is the abundance of food that gets exchanged amongst friends.

I have been the grateful recipient of fresh eggs, cucumbers, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, and just this past week, a huge bag of sweet, just-picked, ripe to the point of bursting, purple plums. The whole kitchen smells like a jammery. If there is such a thing. Faced with all this abundance, you have to get creative as a cook, which is another thing I like about summer. While Monkey has been gorging himself on the plums, sneaking one out of the bowl every time he walks past, last night I decided to roast some of them.

This recipe is super easy and tastes so much of summer that you’ll just have to try it.

Roasted Plums

By alice

March 28, 2016

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• Prep Time: 15m
• Cook Time: 15m
• Total Time: 1h 30m

Ingredients

• Ripe plums – about 3-4 per person; washed; halved and stoned
• Dark, soft brown sugar, I used organic muscovado sugar for its deep, almost smoky flavor
• Coconut oil (although you could use butter if you eat dairy)
• Creme fraiche for serving, if you eat dairy; if not, you could whip some full fat coconut milk that has been in the fridge overnight.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange the halved plums, cut side up, in an ovenproof dish. If they’re snug it’ll help prevent the juices from drying out.
3. Sprinkle lightly with sugar – you don’t need much as the plums are already so sweet. It’s more to add a different layer of flavor.
4. Place a tiny dab of coconut oil or butter on each half.
5. Now, I prepared mine ahead of time (about an hour or so before putting in the oven) and the juices started to flow and the sugar started to dissolve which I think is a good thing, so I recommend you do it too. But no biggie if you are short on time.
6. Pop in the oven for about 15 minutes – keeping an eye on the dish so it doesn’t get too dried out.
7. Serve warm with anything you like, creme fraiche, ice cream, whipped coconut milk. Or just as is!

Nutrition

• Servings 4 people