Foraging: Wild Plum Torte

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Have you ever noticed bright, plump, purple fruit while walking on one of the Bay Area trails? You might even smell the fermented fruit that has dropped on the ground. Some people mistake them for cherries or just pass them entirely but they’re delicious, tart and sweet wild plums.

Right now they are at the peak of flavor, ripe and ready to pick and trees are loaded with them. But with a bumper crop on every walk, I was out numbered trying to eating them. I brought home so many I had to double my original recipe in order to bake up the very ripe fruit I just picked.

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Half and pit about 50 wild plums.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 cup unbleached flour

  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

  • Pinch of salt (optional)

  • 4 eggs

  • Halved Plums

  • Sugar, fresh lemon or orange, 2 vanilla bean "caviar" (scraped seeds) and cinnamon, for topping

PREPARATION

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl.

  3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla bean "caviar" and eggs. Beat well. Add juice from pitting the plums.

  4. Spoon the batter into pan. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter.

  5. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, cinnamon and citrus juice.

Bake 1 hour. Serve warm. A dollop of creme fraiche, scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard is a delicious accompaniment for a summertime treat.

What is your favorite recipe for wild plums?

This is based off The NY Times recipe by Marian Burros, Original Plum Torte.