Plum the heights of summer
In the boarding school books I read as a child, the best thing you could get in a tin was condensed milk. Part of me still agrees – it’s so bad for you and yet so good, but if I held a tin-based midnight feast now, I’d also make sure it included a hefty can of black doris plums.
The very best ones are grown and processed in Hawke’s Bay (an irony not lost on me considering my own boarding school years there were filled with metallic-tasting tinned peaches and pears). But I digress.
Black doris plums are the only canned fruit that doesn’t taste like it was processed in a huge factory. Their syrup is sweet but not sickly and their intensely flavoured flesh is tender and juicy.
Drop one on your favourite white T-shirt and it will stain it forever like the ghost of plum feasts past, but it’s just about worth it.
Treat yourself to a tin or two – and add one at a foodbank the next time you’re passing. At this time of year we all need a sweet reminder of summer’s bounty.
Black doris plum & coconut clafoutis Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
Strictly speaking, a clafoutis is only considered worthy of the name if it contains cherries. I think it’s OK to bend the rules a little in this case, where the tart plums punctuate an eggy batter.
Any leftovers are delicious cold for breakfast. If you like, reserve the syrup and heat it up to pour over the finished pudding when serving. 2 eggs 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons caster sugar 1⁄3 cup plain flour
1 ⁄ teaspoon ground cardamom
2
1 cup coconut cream
1 x 800g tin black doris plums, drained and stones removed
50g white chocolate, roughly chopped (optional) Icing sugar, for dusting
Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a shallow ovenproof dish (such as a 25cm enamel pie plate), and set aside.
Put the eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, cardamom, and coconut cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and pour into the prepared dish. Push the plums down into the batter and scatter over the white chocolate (if using).
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and set in the middle. Leave for five minutes, then dust with icing sugar and serve in wedges with a dollop of coconut yoghurt or cream.
Black plum daiquiri Serves 2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: nil
This is an adults-only drink that mixes tart and sweet with a decent kick of rum. If you’re making them for more than two people (or one very thirsty person), puree the plums in advance and keep them in a covered container in the fridge. 1 cup drained and de-stoned black doris plums 1-2 tablespoons plum syrup
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1⁄2 cup rum
A handful of ice cubes
Put the plums in a blender and whiz until smooth. Alternatively, push them through a fine sieve with the back of a wooden spoon.
Put all the remaining ingredients in the blender and whiz until smooth, or put everything into a cocktail shaker and shake until well blended. Taste and add more plum syrup or lime juice as desired. Strain into two coupe or martini glasses and serve immediately.
Black plum & banana smoothie Serves 1-2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: nil
If you’ve got a stash of frozen bananas in the freezer, here’s a way to use them up. Alternatively, add a handful of ice cubes for frosty smoothies. The best way to ensure you don’t let a plum stone wreak havoc on your blender blades is to count the plums as they go into the cup – and count the stones that come out. 3⁄4 cup drained and de-stoned black doris plums 1 banana, peeled and sliced 3⁄4 cup milk of your choice (non-dairy milk is fine) 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A tiny pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth. Taste – add a spoonful of plum syrup if you want more sweetness, and add a little more milk if it seems very thick. Pour into a glass (or glasses) and serve immediately.