the big apple

we're back!! it's been so long we almost forgot how to post, sorry. just to update, if you care, our move went pretty well for the most part and we are thrilled to be living in manhattan. it's amazing and every day we have to pinch ourselves to make sure this is all really happening. love our apartment, love our neighborhood, love the greenmarket, love our butcher, love exploring the city and getting used to a new way of life. we've had LOTS of fun foodie adventures so far - visit to murray's, pinot gris, warm olives and hard boiled eggs here, great sandwiches from Defontes, shacks (BLT & shake), and a great waffles from these guys. new york is amazing!! have seen lots of gorgeous plums at a few local greenmarkets and had to make something that reminded me of home - my mom's plum kuchen. it's also great with apples - perfect for fall! changed the recipe a bit to use whole wheat pastry flour and muscavado sugar (cause we had it) but they both add a nice bit of depth to the treat. enjoy & we're glad to be back!

Plum Kuchen

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/8 cup muscavado or brown sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbs unsalted butter, cold & cut into chunks & 2 tbs melted

1 egg, beaten

1/8 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups sliced plums (or tart apples)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 cup sugar

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. in a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. cut in butter with a fork or fingers until coarse. add egg, milk and vanilla and stir with a fork until combined. spread batter evenly and very thin in bottom of a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan - wet fingers or spatula to help spread evenly. arrange sliced plums (or apples) in rows over batter. drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are brown and crispy. let cool before slicing.