Freshipes February 2007: In Bloom

June 20 is California Nectarine Day! orchrad Spring has sprung in California peach, plum and nectarine country! Signs of spring are all around – and the loveliest signs of spring are the thousands of trees and their millions of pink and white blooms in every direction.

This time of year, sightseers can be spotted driving along the Blossom Trail, checking out the delicate flowers in every orchard. The blossoms – and the sightseers – start in late January and keep coming until March.

The blossoms aren’t just pretty – they’re also full of promise. Each one has the potential to become a peach, plum or nectarine, if it’s pollinated. Peaches and nectarines are self-pollinating, but bees do the hard work of pollinating plums. In order to make the bees’ pollen-carrying work easier, growers plant different plum varieties in alternating rows, or graft a different variety “pollinator branch” near the top of some trees.

Plums can be identified by their white blossoms. Peach and nectarine blossoms are both pink, and impossible to distinguish unless the inside of the blossom is examined. Inside the blossom is the ovule, which will eventually grow into a full-sized piece of fruit. In a peach blossom the ovule will be fuzzy and in a nectarine blossom it will be smooth, just like the piece of fruit to come.

French Toast with Poached Plums

For a romantic Valentine’s Day breakfast, or a winter weekend gathering with friends, give this French toast with poached plums a try. The plums add a fruity sweetness more complex than syrup alone.

		Ingredients
1/4		cup sugar
1/2		cup water
1		cup California plums, sliced
1/2		teaspoon vanilla
4		eggs
2		tablespoons water or milk
4		1/2-inch thick slices of bread
3		tablespoons butter
		confectioner's sugar

Preparation

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and the water over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook until a thin syrup forms, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the plums and continue to cook, stirring often, until the plums soften, another 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat, cover to keep warm, and set aside.

In a shallow baking dish, combine the eggs and water or milk and beat them lightly. Add the bread in a single layer, soaking the first side 1 to 2 minutes, then turning and soaking the other side.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat until it foams. Add the bread and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with a spatula and cook the other side until golden, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Put one piece of the bread on each of 4 plates. Over each, spoon some of the warm plums and their sauce and sprinkle with a little confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Come visit during blossom time!

Take a virtual visit to the Blossom Trail: www.driveblossomtrail.com

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California Tree Fruit Agreement | 975 I Street, P.O. Box 968, Reedley, CA 93654-0968 I Phone: (559) 638-8260
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