The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a great place to find locally grown fruit, including apples and plums.
The plums you find at the farmers’ market, Italian plums, are smaller than what you’re used to seeing at the grocery store and oval in shape. Give these juicy delicious plums a try. The small size makes them a perfect snack for kids.
Plums are a stone fruit, like peaches and nectarines they have a pit in the center. They’re a great source of antioxidants and phytonutrients that help our bodies to fight chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease. Store plums in the refrigerator where they will keep for a week or two.
Plums can be baked in pies or tarts, or without a crust as in the recipe below.
Honey Ginger Baked Plums
10 plums*
3 tablespoons honey*
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger*
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
Cut plums in quarters, remove pits, and place in small baking dish. In a small bowl mix together honey, ginger, vanilla and lemon juice. Pour over plums and stir to coat. Cover and bake in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy plain or over fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition per serving: 88 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 22mg sodium, 21g carbohydrates, 1g protein.
This market recipe appears courtesy of Diane Whitten at Cornell Cooperative Extension and The Saratogian. Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.
For information about food and nutrition, contact Diane Whitten at Cornell Cooperative Extension at 885-8995 or email dwhitten@cornell.edu.