"plums" news and stories

The galette is loosey-goosey when it comes to the formality of a tart crust, nicely fluted and symmetrical. Rustic is the word for a galette, which is buttery, flakey, and fruity-everything you want in a tart without the fussiness. Blogger dessertfirst goes two ways with her plum galette, above: one more traditional, with almond frangipane; and the second with a cocoa-kissed crust and a touch of star anise.

Mix up the fruit in these recipes for a blood-orange galette with salted caramel sauce, or a roasted balsamic pear version. Savory ingredients love the galette as well: Try this mushroom-and-leek variation, or a roasted vegetable galette with olives.

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Blood-red on the inside, dusty white on the outside, the Elephant Heart plum is a variety you may want to get to know. With a flavor like berries and a meaty texture, this is a plum that begs you to eat it unadulterated but, as blogger dessertfirst did in this recipe (adapted from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Ice Cream), layering it beneath a fluffy, sweet cornmeal cake gives it panache. Top that cake with a ruby-red plum sorbet, and those Elephant Hearts become unforgettable.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Got a bounty of peaches, plums and nectarines? Roast them for a delicious summer dessert.

Photo: Pink Sherbet Photography, Flickr

• Edible flowers proffer a delicious, colorful boost to summer cocktails.
• The Minimalist makes a corn and tomato salad.
• The joy of a BLP, with plums subbed for blight-stricken tomatoes.
  
• Alluring Italian white wines are giving their red counterparts a run for their money.
• The Temporary Vegetarian goes fungal with Mushrooms in Lettuce Wraps.
• Brooklyn's Creative Cooks Culinary Center teaches tykes the art of culinary creations.
• Hudson Valley farmers' markets offer foodie thrills and a distinct sense of community.
• I scream, you scream, parents scream about ice cream.
• How to go retro with a 1951 recipe for Brandied Peaches.

Kuchen batter. Photo: Smitten Kitchen

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you see this picture from Deb at Smitten Kitchen?

We're willing to bet a hundred truffles it's that you want to lick the batter of off that beater. To make it even more tempting (if that's possible), this particular batter was prepared for a plum kuchen -- a sweet, yeasty German cake -- adapted from a recipe featured in Gourmet employing a handful of delicious staples like butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, creamy whole milk yogurt and a swirl of lemon zest.

Sounds good enough to eat ... before it's even cooked, that is.

[Via Smitten Kitchen]