In Praise of

… Plums

This month we showcase plums, which are closely related to greengages, damsons and sloes. Of plums proper, some are red, some orange, purple or black and they are jam-packed with fundamental nutrients, minerals, cancer prevention agents, and fibre. You can eat plums fresh or dried and they are in season from August through to October.

Plum & Almond Crumble Slice

Prep:15 mins Cook:1 hour and 5 mins

Ingredients

250g pack butter (this must be very cold) 225g caster sugar 300g ground almond 140g plain flour, plus 25g 2 eggs 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder 6 Victoria plums , stoned and cut into sixths 50g flaked almond

Method

Heat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Butter and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Put the butter, sugar and ground almonds into a food processor, then pulse until the mixture resembles very rough breadcrumbs. Spoon out half the mix into a bowl and set aside. Add 140g flour into the mix in the processor and whizz until it just forms a dough. Tip into the tin and press down with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. To make the filling, put the remaining butter and the sugar and almond mix back into the processor, saving a few tablespoons for the topping. Add the eggs, the 25g flour, cinnamon and baking powder and whizz to a soft batter. Spread over the base.

Top with the plum pieces and a little extra caster sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining crumble mix and flaked almonds. Cook for another 20 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool in the tin before slicing.

Plum, Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake

Prep: 25 mins Cook:50 mins

Ingredients

175g butter , plus extra for greasing 500g Victoria plums 175g light muscovado sugar 175g self-raising flour 175g ground hazelnuts 3 eggs 1 tsp baking powder 50g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa), chopped 2 tbsp hazelnuts 2 tbsp redcurrant, damson or plum jelly

Method

Heat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a round 20cm cake tin. Halve and stone four plums, set aside for later, then roughly chop the remaining plums. Put the sugar, butter, flour, ground hazelnuts, eggs and baking powder into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins, until smooth and light. Stir in the chopped plums and chocolate, then tip into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Arrange the halved plums over the top of the mixture, pressing them down lightly, then scatter over hazelnuts. Bake for 40-50 mins until the top is golden and the cake feels firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out, remove the paper and cool on a wire rack. Heat the jelly, then brush over the top of the cake before serving.

Roasted Beetroot, Plum and Pecan Salad

Prep:15 mins Cook: 15 mins

Ingredients

4 large beetroot (about 500g), peeled, ends trimmed and spiralised into thick noodles 1 tbsp olive oil

4 ripe plums (about 200g), cut into wedges 60g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped 1 small pack mint, leaves picked, some reserved for garnish

For the dressing

1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ tbsp red wine vinegar ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses

Method

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Toss the spiralised beetroot in the olive oil and some seasoning in a roasting tin, then spread out into an even layer. Roast for 15 minutes until tender. While the beetroot is roasting, combine the dressing ingredients together in a jug with a little seasoning. To assemble the salad, toss the rest of the ingredients in the roasting tin with the cooked beetroot and dressing. Serve on a sharing platter, garnished with a few reserved mint leaves.

Jane O’Hagan

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