It's that time of year again. The dreaded end of summer - goodbye to the easygoing, laid back, whatever goes, kind of attitude. Goodbye to fabulously sweet local corn from our favorite purveyor in Chestnut Ridge, NY. Goodbye to no jacket or sweater needed.
But lest you think this is going to be one downer of a post...Hello, Italian Prune Plums! These delicious little plums herald the changing of the guard from summer to fall and they appeared last weekend at our local farm stand - I scooped up a container and raced home. I could always make my September stand by, Freida's Viennese Plum Cake, but I was craving something more coffee-cake-y.
I found the perfect recipe on-line (where else?) in a Times-Picayune article from 2007, titled Plum Cake with Crumb Topping (Pflaumenkuchen mit streusel). I am a sucker for anything "mit streusel."
It couldn't be easier and it's got a great batter that you work with your hands. After refrigerating the dough for one hour, you are ready to add the plums, the streusel, pop it into the oven, and you're 30-40 minutes from warm, moist, luscious plum cake (put the coffee on!). It keeps very well covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about one week.
I know you'll be breaking out the grill this weekend for the Labor Day festivities; try adding this recipe in for your dessert course. If summer has to go, at least the transition to fall can be delicious.
Print Recipe Here
As a side note, I'm off to Chicago this weekend and I'm sure I'll have some fabulous food and restaurant reports for you when I return. I've got reservations at Cafe Spiaggia and The Publican, and now I've just got to score a table to Frontera Grill - wish me luck!
Hello! It's been a long, long time since we've chatted. I have been somewhat preoccupied with some issues at my day job which prevented me from giving proper focus to all of you. But I'm back now. I hope you'll forgive me - I brought you a lovely Mandevilla flower from my garden. And, by the way, the oven issue has been resolved so I can really start cranking out glorious late summer baked goods!
Last weekend I made a luscious Cherry Peach Cobbler as the ending to a lovely planked salmon dinner. The recipe called for just peaches, but I had a box of delicious Washington State cherries and couldn't resist throwing them into the mix. The original recipe (Cornmeal Drop Biscuit Peach Cobbler) is from the fabulous Southern food writers, Matt and Ted Lee, and the buttermilk and cornmeal biscuits are just lighter than air.
This dish really wants for nothing, but if you happen to have a little whipping cream, or even a scoop of rich, vanilla ice cream to serve alongside, it would be even more heavenly.
Print Recipe Here
