Pluma Moos ~ Cold Plum Soup

Fruits soups...made with fresh or dried fruits...have been a part of the Mennonite cuisine for centuries.  During the winter months...these soups were made with dried fruit.  In the summer...they were made with fruits fresh from the orchard.  We happened to have a long row of Italian prunes on our farm when I was a child...and so we often had pluma moos made with fresh plums.  This is still my favorite fruit soup...a nice cold bowl of pluma moos on a hot day is most refreshing.  The Italian prunes are about ready for the picking...here's a recipe you may want to try.

• 4 cups Italian prunes, pitted and quartered
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1 package cherry jello (4 serving size)

1. Place prunes in large saucepan and cover with water.  Cook until tender.
2. Mix sugar and cornstarch...add enough cold water to make a smooth paste.  Add to fruit gradually while stirring...allow it to come to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cherry jello.  
4. Cool...then refrigerate.  
5. Serve cold.

Fresh Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

With all the fresh fruits available at this time of year...why not combine sweet and savory and serve on an appetizer platter?

• 3 cups chopped peaches
• 3 kiwis, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
• 1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion,. finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
2. Drain juices if desired.
3. Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips as an appetizer...or serve as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or meat.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

• 8 flour tortilla (8 inch)
• Butter flavoured Pam (cooking spray)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Combine sugar and cinnamon.
2. Spray both sides of tortilla with cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle both sides with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Putting sugar mixture in a shaker works well.)
4. Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into eight wedges.
5. Place on ungreased baking sheet (parchment lined for easy clean-up)...in a single layer.
6. Bake at 350° F for 10-14 minutes or until just crisp.

Peach Slab Pie

We love slab pies over here...a pie baked in a bar pan. What we don't eat fresh from the oven...is stacked in layers with parchment paper in between ...and frozen to be used as needed (a few pieces at a time). A container of slab pie (apple, berry or peach) is always a staple when we leave on a road trip with the RV. Since the peaches are at their juiciest best over here...we have been enjoying them fresh and in desserts. There's a peach slab pie in the freezer...ready for the taking...one piece at a time!

Pastry:

• 1 1/2 cup margarine
• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg yolk and milk to make 1 cup (reserve egg white to use as glaze)

Peach Filling:

• 6 cups peaches (about 9-10), peeled, pitted and cut into thin slices.
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine flour and salt. Cut in margarine to obtain coarse crumbs.
2. Mix egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until dough holds together in a ball.
3. Roll out half the dough on floured work surface....slightly larger than 12 x 16 inches.
4. Spray 12 x 16 inch pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides.
5. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Trim edges of dough...leaving 1/2 inch to hang over edge.
6. For filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add sliced peaches and lemon juice and stir. Pour peach filling into prepared baking sheet.
7. Roll out remaining dough. Place on top of filling. Trim edges of dough to hang over sides slightly. Fold edges under and pinch to seal.
8. Beat egg white until foamy and brush over top crust.
9. Bake at 375°F for about 45-50 minutes...or until golden and filling is bubbling.
10. Allow to cool completely on wire rack (several hours). Then pull up parchment paper to remove.
11. Cut into 20 pieces. Freezes wonderfully.

* This pastry recipe will be more than enough for a 12 x 18 pan (Pampered Chef bar pan). Use any leftover pieces to make a galette or two.

Curried Rice Salad

Last summer we joined friends in Victoria at the Symphony Splash in front of the British Columbia parliament buildings. We listened to a concert together with 40,000 others...and enjoyed a wonderful picnic on the lawns on a warm summer evening. My friend had prepared a curried rice salad...which went well with the fried chicken. Here's my version of her curried rice salad...a great option for summertime picnics.

• 1  (6.9-ounce) package rice-a-roni (chicken flavour)
• 2  tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/2  teaspoon curry powder
• 1  jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/3  cup mayonnaise
• 1/2  cup chopped bell peppers...red, yellow or green
• 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
•  ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute rice-vermicelli mix with oil until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently. Add 2-1/2 cups water and rice-a-roni seasoning packet...and bring to a boil. 
2.  Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Cool.
3.  Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade...and chop.
4.  Combine 1/3 cup reserved marinade, mayonnaise and curry.  
5.  Stir mayonnaise-mixture, artichokes, bell pepper and onions into cooled rice-a-roni.
6.  Add pepper to taste. 
7.  Cover; chill 1 hour before serving.