Poached Plums with Ginger

I love desserts, but I rarely make them at home. Part of the pleasure of a dessert for me is having someone else bring it to me, on command, and then clean up afterward. It's about the presentation and the whole experience as much as the taste.  Ice cream, for example, tastes best on a hot summer afternoon when you're taking a walk somewhere scenic.  Plus, I don't usually keep things like fancy chocolate or heavy cream in the house. But not all desserts are complicated, and I do have a few that I get the hankering to make now and then. I started making this one when I found out that Phil had never eaten a plum before. Plums are among my favorite fruits, and though I usually just eat them like apples, I thought that something special was in order on this occasion.

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 plums, cut in half and pitted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ginger
  (I used a whole teaspoon this time, and it was a little too much, so I think you should start with 1/2, tasting and adding a little more if it needs it)

Directions

1.  Combine the sugar, water, and ginger in a skillet and turn the heat to medium high.  Stir to completely dissolve the sugar and ginger.  When it starts to boil, turn down the heat until it is just slightly bubbling

2.  Place the plum halves in the syrup, cut side up.  Let them cook for 7-8 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary so that the syrup continues to gently bubble.  Move the plums around once or twice so that they cook evenly.

3.  Turn the plums over and cook for another 7-8 minutes.  The skins will be falling off, but that's ok.  The fruit should be completely soft and the syrup nice and thick when it's done.




Serve the plums with the syrup poured over.  I usually make some shortbread (using Bisquick--I never claimed to be a baker) to go with it.  Poached fruit is pretty delicious cold the next day, too.  I imagine this recipe would work well for many fruits, including peaches, and I bet you could use different flavorings as well.  I've been meaning to try lemongrass some time, but the cashiers at Dominick's are always stopped in their tracks with confusion when I go to ring it up.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I'll probably get lazy and just buy a ready-made pumpkin roll anyway.