Respect the Plum

In contrast to peaches, nectarines, apples and pears, plums are not respected for their cooking value. They’re more typically eaten out of hand.

To me, however, they are summer’s answer to cranberries; they are appealingly tart and add a rosy hue to many cooked preparations, both savory and sweet.

There seems to be an endless variety of plums, and any will work well when they are smooth, firm and tart. The flesh of the plum can be any color, but the skin must be red, purple or indigo blue. That’s what gives these dishes their magnificent color, so you’ll never want to peel them. Plums can be refrigerated in a plastic bag or in the fruit drawer for a week.

Mandel is author of “Celebrating the Midwestern Table” (Doubleday & Co., 1996).

Lemony Plum Muffins

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons quick-cooking oatmeal

1 egg

1/4 cup buttermilk, shaken well

1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced plums (1 1/2 firm tart plums)

* Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, oil, oatmeal, egg, buttermilk and zest until well mixed. Add flour, baking soda, salt and plums and stir well. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups, about 7/8 full. Sprinkle tops with remaining sugar.

* Bake at 375 degrees until well-browned, about 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from tins. Serve warm or cool completely. (Can be made ahead and reheated in 300-degree oven 10 minutes or in microwave in few-second increments until just warmed through.)

6 muffins. Each muffin: 203 calories; 120 mg sodium; 36 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

Ruby Plum Fool With Fresh Raspberries

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes plus 5 hours chilling time

This is a great alternative to ice cream and so much better.

1 cup diced plums (about 1 1/2 plums)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chilled whipping cream

1/2 pint raspberries

* Puree plums and sugar until liquid and as smooth as possible.

* Transfer to 10-inch skillet and cook uncovered over medium-high heat, stirring often, until very thick (but not burning), about 7 minutes. Cool completely, then chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated or frozen up to a month.)

* Whip cream until thick. In each of 4 stemmed dessert glasses, put 1 teaspoon plum puree. Fold remaining puree into cream, keeping it somewhat streaked. Divide among glasses. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

* Serve chilled, garnished with raspberries.

4 servings. Each serving: 178 calories; 15 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.54 grams fiber.

Old-Fashioned Juicy Plum Pie

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus 6 hours standing time

For such a flavorful pie, prepared pie crusts work well and are a great shortcut. Really tart plums require the full sugar measurement.

9 cups sliced plums (14 to 18 plums)

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar, depending on sweetness of plums

1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons flour

Pinch salt

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts for 2-crust 9-inch pie

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits

1 tablespoon whipping cream, optional, for glaze

1/2 tablespoon sugar, optional, for glaze

Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

* Toss plums with orange juice and zest in large bowl.

* Combine sugar, tapioca, flour and salt in small bowl. Add to plums. Toss well to combine. Let stand 20 minutes.

* Let crusts sit at room temperature 15 minutes until they can be unfolded without cracking. Refrigerate 1 crust. Ease second crust into 9-inch deep glass pie plate. Pile plums into pie plate, mounding high in center (they will cook down as pie bakes). Dot with butter. Center top crust over filling. Fold under and crimp edges. Cut air vents. Place pie on baking sheet lined with foil.

* Place pie in 450-degree oven; immediately decrease heat to 400 degrees. Cover edges with foil if they become too brown. As pie bakes, combine whipping cream and 1/2 tablespoon sugar for glaze; brush pie with glaze halfway through baking. Bake until well-browned, 65 to 70 minutes. Remove pie plate from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack at least 6 hours to let juices thicken.

* To serve, gently reheat in 300-degree oven 15 minutes until warm. Serve warm with ice cream.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings, without ice cream: 408 calories; 269 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 71 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.13 grams fiber.

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Plate from Pottery Shack, Laguna Beach.