Plum Recipes | Recipes

Eat the season: February

Every month we choose an exceptional ingredient and showcase just how special it is with supplier stories and unique recipes designed to get the best out of these star products – this month it’s Flavorking plums

Top of the crops

Fresh, healthy and perfectly ripe, this month’s star of the show is Flavorking plums. A unique hybrid of red plums and apricots that’s known by gardeners as a ‘pluot’, they taste distinctively of sweet bubblegum.

These exclusive fruits are only available for a limited time throughout the year so, whether you pop a couple into your lunchbox or buy a punnet to try out one of our delicious recipe ideas, now’s the time to head into your nearest store and get your hands on this ruby plum variety.

Recipe: Roast maple plums on waffles with bacon

Ready in 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

6 ripe plums, halved and stoned
2 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to serve
15g salted butter
8 rashers smoked, streaky bacon

For the waffles:
3 large eggs, separated
190g wholegrain spelt flour
1½ tsp baking powder
30g salted butter, melted; plus extra for greasing
1½ tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp milk
300ml low-fat, natural yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the plums in an ovenproof dish, cut-side up. Drizzle with syrup, add 60ml water and dot the fruit with butter.
Roast for 15 minutes, or until the plums are soft and caramelised, but keep their shape.
Cook the bacon in the oven for 7-8 minutes, until crisp. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. In a second bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
In a jug, mix the melted butter with the egg yolks, syrup, milk, yogurt and vanilla extract. Gradually pour this into the flour mixture, mixing until smooth and thick.
Gently fold in the stiff egg whites with a large, metal spoon.
Make the waffles in a waffle iron. Alternatively, make pancakes in a large, greased frying pan, adding small ladles of batter with room for it to spread.
Turn after 1-2 minutes.
Serve the waffles or pancakes layered with the bacon and topped with the plums and a drizzle of syrup.

Nutritional info per serving

Calories: 620
Fat: 29g (saturated 12.8g)
Carbohydrates: 26.8g
Sugar: 25.2g
Fibre: 4.3g
Protein: 21.7g
Salt: 2.73g

Roast maple plums on waffles with bacon recipe

Recipe: Plum, mozzarella and tomato salad with basil dressing

Plum, mozzarella and tomato salad with basil dressing recipe

Ready in 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 handful basil leaves, roughly chopped; reserve some leaves
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
4 ripe plums, halved, stoned and sliced into wedges
550g ripe tomatoes, halved or sliced
250g mozzarella, drained and roughly torn
30g pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method

To make the dressing, whizz the basil in a food processor with the olive oil, half the lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.
Toss the plums and tomatoes in the remaining lemon juice, then spread out on a serving platter with the mozzarella, pine nuts and reserved basil leaves.
Season lightly and drizzle with the dressing.