Big, dark purple plums always remind me of Septembers return to school days. My sensory association dates back to 1970 when I started elementary school. As a recess snack, my mother tucked plums into my school bag daily for the first week of grade one (there wasnt kindergarten in Alberta). And during that time of tremendous change, the luscious fruit was a consistent source of comfort for me, in a sweet-sour juicy way.
Nutritionally, plums are a good source of potassium, vitamin A and the flavonoid, anthocyanidins, which may act as antioxidants. Anthocyanidins are also found in blueberries and other black-coloured fruit, strawberries, rhubarb, red cabbage and red wine.
Of course, many of us are aware of how plumsespecially their dried form, pruneshelp keep our bowels on track. But according to the University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter (March 2009), scientists dont completely understand their laxative effect. Its believed that its not so much related to the fruits dietary fiber content as it is their high quantities of sorbitol and other substances that promote regularity.
Last weekend I brought a plum crisp to a crab cook-out on the beach. Fruit crisps are one of those desserts that provide bakers with rich results despite a modest effort.
Using plums as the base isnt the usual go-to fruit for crisps but I gave them a try after seeing a recipe online. Since then, Ive made crisps with indigo blue Italian prune plums and large dark purple plums with a yellow flesh, the Santa Rosa variety. I prefer the deeply satisfying aroma and flavour of the latter.
This recipe, which is my own, doesnt have a lot of sugar added to the plums. I like the contrast between the slightly tart fruit and the oatmeal cookie-like topping. This dish is best served within two hours of baking, spooned over vanilla ice cream.
Plum Crisp (serves 12)
What you need:
2/3 cup instant oatmeal
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour, divided in half
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes, plus extra for buttering dish
3.5 pounds large, ripe dark purple plums, pitted and cut into half-inch slices
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of a small lemon
What to do:
Preheat oven to 375 F and make sure rack is in middle of oven. Lightly butter a 9 by 9 non-metal baking dish.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine oatmeal, brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour and cinnamon. Add cubed butter and incorporate into mixture using a pastry blender or clean hands. Once the mixture is a crumbly texture, set aside. This step can be done up to four days in advance; cover and refrigerate until needed.
In a large bowl, combine sliced plums with remaining 1/4 cup flour, sugar and lemon zest. Stir until plums are well coated. (This step can be prepared two hours ahead of time.) Transfer to buttered baking dish and evenly crumble oatmeal mixture over plums. To prevent juices from overflowing onto oven floor while cooking, place dish on a baking sheet.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until juices are bubbling and fruit is tender when poked with a sharp knife. Oatmeal topping should be golden brown. Loosely cover dish with aluminum foil if topping begins to burn during baking process.
Linda Watts is a registered dietitian. Send questions to [email protected].
