Think On It

Nature continues to give

September 23rd, 2008

Paola and I went walking again yesterday afternoon and the plums that excited us two weeks ago were still bent with the weight of plums. We filled every pocket, our shirttails, Paola’s hood and staggered home saying, “Next time we carry baskets and take a mule.”

Wild Plums

I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with them this morning, especially when I’d promised myself to accept tomatoes from Amelia and make some sauce for the freezer, but after I dumped them into this gigantic copper tray they looked so beautiful I decided to prepare half of them today and the rest tomorrow. The largest of these plums is little more than one inch across.

They are growing so thickly on the branches that they look like bunches of grapes.

Grappola di susine

The colors excite me, the gentle frosting and occasional gleam of a rubbed cheek — what can be more gorgeous? These I will cut in half, pit and freeze in a light 50% sugar syrup. This winter they may become plum cobbler of plum cake or perhaps something more elaborate I haven’t even thought of yet.

And here they are, washed, pitted and ready to pack for freezing. I listened to economic news on the television while I worked and felt very happy that I had been offered these fruits just for a half a mile hike along the road. I’m lucky.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Italy, Preserving, Beauty, dessert, fruit, economical, cucina, dolce, cookery, susine, pantry items