SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with Farm Fresh to You because of their commitment to encouraging strong roots for a better food and agriculture system for all. I am part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. All opinions presented are my own.
For the past couple of weeks I've been enjoying Black Plums in my Farm Fresh to You Organic Snack Pack, Mini Box subscription.
Does this mean I'm tired of plums yet? No way! I love plums. (And if I was tired of plums, Farm Fresh to You makes it super easy for me to substitute them with something else or add them to a don't ever send me this list.)
What it has meant is that I've had the opportunity to play with serving plums different ways: freshly washed straight out of the fridge, sauteed, and baked. I've also been having fun coming up with creative recipes that showcase the bright flavors.
When you get your Black Plums home, resist the urge to put them in the refrigerator. Store your plums away from sunlight at room temperature. When you refrigerate them, you loose some of the delicate flavors. And trust me, fresh plums, especially those Farm Fresh to You delivers, are sublime. We've been eating ours just raw, but decided to be a little more creative this past weekend.
Two Tips for Picking the Sweetest Plums
Now when you're picking plums, you may have been passing by the best ones for baking based on how they look.
Have you put back plums that look liked they were bruised? Admit it: you have. I certainly have! But those are the ones you want! Well, let me rephrase that. If the fruit is noticeably heavy for its size and firm, you want the ones that appear to have "bruises." Those are really areas of super concentrated sweetness.
Also, when the skin of your plums slightly wrinkles after a few days in the fridge (I know we're not supposed to do this, but we all do), don't throw them out. They're perfect for baking. When the skin of your plum is wrinkled, it's a little dehydrated. What that means is that the sugar -- sweetness of the plum -- is even more concentrated!
Recipe: Chilled Plum Avocado Soup
Plums are at their peak right now and are the perfect compliment to light summer wines like Rose, Viognier, or Pinot Gris. Surprise guests at the beginning of your early Fall gathering with a cordial glass of chilled plum avocado soup to go with their wine.
This playful soup is sure to surprise guests as depending how you finish it, with olive oil or vinegar, it appeals to both sweet and savory fans.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total Time: 45 minutes plus 2 hours to chill
- Yield: 30 appetizer servings
Ingredients (makes six cups or about 30 appetizer servings)
- 1 pound Black Plums, roughly chopped
- 13.6 fluid ounces (1 can) Unsweetened Coconut milk
- 8 fluid ounces Vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons Dashi Miso Soybean Paste
- 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 3 Hass Avocadoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- Feta crumbled, for garnish
- Bacon bits, for garnish
- Crushed Red Pepper flakes, for garnish
- Cultivar Wine Crushed Lemon Olive Oil, for garnish
- Noble Tonic 04: Pharaoh’s Heirloom Lemon Matured White Wine Vinegar (or Champagne Vinegar), for garnish
Instructions (Prep: 30 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes; Chill: 2 hours)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place roughly chopped Black Plums on a foil-covered sheet pan and place in oven.
- Bake plums for 15 minutes or until it’s easy to remove the peel. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- In a medium pot, combine Coconut Milk, Vegetable Broth, Dashi, and Nutmeg and bring up to a simmer, roughly 15 minutes on medium heat. Be careful not to boil the coconut milk as that will cause it to curdle. Once the liquid begins to simmer, remove from heat and let cool.
- Add skinned, baked plums to cooled liquid.
- With an immersion blender, blend the plums and liquid until smooth.
- Once the plums and liquid are smooth, add the avocados and blend with the immersion blender until smooth.
- Optionally when done strain the soup to remove any skin or fiber for a truly smooth soup.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator. Let chill for two hours.
To serve place three Tablespoons of the soup into a shot glass or cordial glass. Top with a 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled Feta, 1/4 teaspoon of bacon pits, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Finish by drizzling either 1/4 teaspoon of crushed lemon olive oil for those who prefer a sweeter, creamier soup or 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar for those who prefer a lighter, savory soup. Serve immediately. Do not let either the olive oil or vinegar sit on top the soup as it will cause the soup to oxidize and turn brown within a few minutes.
Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.
DISCLOSURE: While I was paid to write this article, I did not receive a subscription for my review. I currently have a weekly Organic Snack Pack, Mini Box subscription that I have delivered to our home. I frequently add to the basic subscription depending on my family's preferences. All opinions presented are my own.
