Money Saving Meals

Plum perfection Christmas

Friday, 23 December 2011

Plum pudding, plum jam, plum sauce – this fruit is popular the world over. For me it's the ultimate Christmas fruit because when I was growing up, my gorgeous mother, Margie, seemed to spend the entire week before Christmas over a bubbling preserving pan dealing with the plums from a bumper-cropping tree in our garden. The tree was such a prolific producer it was hard to keep up with supply and fruit lay around fermenting on the ground.

One year we rescued a tipsy thrush who had plum over-indulged – it took him several hours to sober up! Every year, she created pots and pots of beautifully labelled plum jam, plum chutney, bottled plums and one year plum liqueur. Tense times with so much else to do! But it all got done somehow and her sisters-in-law were presented with their pots of jam on the day. The rest was for us.

My father, was particularly partial to a dollop of her tangy plum chutney with his Christmas ham – a lunchtime meal that seemed to be served the whole of January.

I was reminded of all this today at the Bondi Farmers Market where producers from Young were offering trays and trays of plums at bargain prices. Since Money Saving Meals is all about making the most of what's in season, here are some plum perfection serving suggestions to try:

• Halve, remove stone and add plums to fruit salads and compotes or serve with cheese or fruit platters.
• Purée plums (stones removed of course) for sauces, sorbets and ice-cream – or even plum soup.
• Top stewed plums with a sprinkle of toasted muesli and a dollop of yoghurt for a breakfast with a difference.
• Poach plums in red or white wine with a stick of cinnamon and serve hot or cold.

Here are two desserts for the Christmas table for those who want something other than the traditional plum pudding.

Baked fruit medley

This deliciously simple baked fruit medley from Catherine Saxelby and Jennene Plummer's Zest cookbook makes a fabulous finish to festive fare. When stone fruit is in season, Jennene suggests you ring the changes and top a selection of plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots with flaked almonds and bake for 15–20 minutes.

Serves 4–6

¼ cup pure maple syrup
30g/1oz light margarine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 green apples, quartered (retain skin and core)
3 pears, quartered (retain skin and core)
200g/7oz dried figs or the softer dessert figs
3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and sliced
low-fat ice cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Combine the maple syrup, margarine, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until melted and well combined.

Arrange the apples, pears and figs in a baking dish. Pour in the syrup and toss gently so the fruit is evenly coated.

Bake for 15 minutes. Add the rhubarb to the dish, stirring in gently so it is coated with syrup. Bake for a further 10–15 minutes until the fruit is tender. Serve warm with a scoop of low-fat ice cream.

Oven-roasted plums with couscous crumble

Who doesn't love a crumble? This ever-so-easy and economical and amazing tasting dessert is from Kate McGhie's award-winning book, Cook: Recipes, stories and kitchen wisdom. Sadly it's out of print, but second-hand copies are around (from Amazon UK) and we are hoping the publisher will offer it as an eBook soon. You'll find that the gentle cooking of the plums in the oven develops the juices and flavours perfectly and the fruit will keep its shape. The lovely couscous topping with crunchy pecans has warm notes of cinnamon. Serves 6.

12 plums, halved and stones removed
½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
½ cup water
1 cup couscous
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp softened butter

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Scatter the plums in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the caster sugar and add the water. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the couscous according the packet directions. Stir through the nuts, brown sugar, coconut and cinnamon.

Pile the crumble mixture over the top of the plums and dot with the butter. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the mixture is bubbling.