Stuck On Stone Fruit

In honor of our last post this August we just had to feature another favorite summer fruit, actually a whole family of fruits at that. There will be plenty of time for apples this fall but the season for stone fruits is short and almost over so don't miss out! Wondering what a stone fruit is? Let's find out before getting to this must have breakfast recipe.

If you've ever had a fresh plum (who hasn't!), you'll know that they contain a hard inner seed or pit. It's this quality that allows plums to be commonly called "stone fruits" along with nectarines, peaches, apricots, and cherries to name a few more commonly found during the summer months in North America. Most stone fruits are native to warmer climates and will only be found locally June-September. These stone fruits have thin, edible outer skin and soft flesh making them ideal for a variety of culinary preparations. We love them fresh, grilled, roasted and even dried. Dried plums, also unfortunately known as prunes, have gotten a bad reputation for bad taste and one important use (if you catch our drift). Though dried plums have been proven to be great for digestion, we also think that they taste great and can be utilized for convenient, on the go energy. Just remember to call them dried plums (instead of prunes) to avoid any negative connotations! But this time of year fresh, local stone fruits should be in abundance so get them while you can. This breakfast recipe is a must before stone fruits are gone until next year so let's get to it!

Roasted Plum Toast 
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 12 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 slices of hearty bread (tips for picking a quality bread here) 
6 small plums
1/4 cup slivered almonds (we used honey roasted)
2 1/2 oz plain, organic goat cheese
2 tsp honey (we used raw clover honey) 
Sprinkle of sea salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Cut plums in half, place on a lined baking sheet, and roast for 8-10 minutes or until plums are soft but still hold their shape. Lightly toast the bread on both sides and set aside. Combine the goat cheese, honey, and sprinkle of salt. Whip mixture with a fork into a thick frosting like texture. Evenly spread whipped honey goat cheese on each slice of toast. Using your hands gently place 3 small roasted plum halves (cut side down) on top of goat cheese. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Serve warm or room temperature with napkins handy!

The sweet, creamy goat cheese is a perfect compliment to the warm, tart roasted plums creating a perfect start to any morning. Reminiscent to cream cheese and jam we find the roasted plums to be an exciting replacement for jelly while the season is right- you've got plenty of time for plain jam the rest of the year. So stick to stone fruit until the season is gone. 

Enjoy,
Jess & Cecelia