Most stone fruits have already given way to apples and pears, so grab the last remaining plums while you still can, another week or so, fingers crossed, said the farmer selling them at the Portland Farmers’ Market. He was selling prune plums, which I haven’t found to be particularly luscious eaten out of hand. But they’re a treat to cook with, and they’ll cheerfully undertake recipes both savory and sweet.

For dinner, roast bone-in chicken thighs in a roomy skillet, skin side down. Meanwhile, mix honey with vinegar, soy sauce, a dried chili pepper and thickly sliced plums. After 20 minutes or so, flip the chicken pieces, brush them generously with the glaze and toss the plum segments into the pan, taking care to coat them with the glaze and chicken juices. Continue to bake, re-glazing occasionally, until the chicken has good deep color and the plums are soft but not falling apart. Sprinkle the chicken with minced scallions to serve.

For a dead-simple dessert, slice the plums thickly and sauté them in butter with a little brown sugar or honey, grated fresh ginger root and seeds you’ve scraped out of a vanilla bean (or if you prefer a star anise pod). Let the mixture gurgle and meld over medium heat for a few minutes until syrupy. When it has cooled slightly, spoon it over good vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt. Heavenly.


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