Fall is now in full swing. The days are getting shorter and the weather is cooling down, which for me, means things start heating up in the kitchen. Though summer fruits are thought to be long done, there are many that are in season come September, such as nectarines and plums. After buying some not so juicy red plums from the market, I decided to grab a basket of Italian plums. Often tangier than their larger counterparts, when fully soft and ripe, these bite sized fruits (also known as prune-plums) become sweet little morsels that are easily popped in your mouth.

With my new bounty, I decided to set forth and make good use of my previous purchase as well, and mix the two into an easy tart. I had some store bought pie crust on hand, and with just a couple more ingredients, I was able to whip together a wonderful dessert that was a mix of tangy and sweet yumminess.

RUSTIC PLUM TART RECIPE

4 red plums

About 15 Italian plums

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Juice from 1/2 lemon

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Prepared pie crust, thawed

Preheat oven to 425F. Wash and de-pit all the plums. Slice them into even pieces and place in a large bowl (I used and 8x8 square pan). Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

In a small bowl mix all the sugars with the cornstarch. Add the sugar mixture to the plums, coating thoroughly and allow to sit for about an hour. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the plums in the center of the pie crust shell. Spoon the juices over the plums. Fold in and pinch the edges of the pie crust. Place pie plate with plums on the lined baking sheet.

Bake for approx 1 hour, or until juices have thickened and plums are cooked through. You will have a bit of a bubbly mess, but delicious nonetheless. Allow to cool and firm up before slicing. Serve with whipping cream.