Quick Pickled Plums

This Sunday at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market you can look forward to a wide selection of fruits and vegetables including:

Blackberries

Plums

Green beans

Cucumbers

Lots of tomatoes (cherries, heirloom Valencia and Moskvich, think gazpacho!) 

Zucchini

Garlic

Beets and beet greens

Baby carrots

Scallions

Leeks

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Eggs

Honey

Last week SLO Farm had these beautiful yellow shiro plums, which I combined with their cucumbers and fresh basil from Songbird Farm for some delicious quick pickles.

Quick Pickled Plums

4 shiro plums

1 cucumber

1 sprig basil

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Peel and slice the cucumber into thin half moons and place them in a bowl. Cut the plums into thin sections over the bowl so that all of their juices fall into the bowl. Cut the basil leaves into thin strips and stir in with the cucumbers and plums, along with the salt and sugar. The cucumber and plums will release their own juices which serve as the pickling liquid. You can eat them within an hour or save them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The sweet basil-scented flavor of the plums makes them a delicious accompaniment to smoked salmon.