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Jammy Cumin Plums and Feta Salad

4.0

(1)

Plum and Feta Salad on white linen with bread
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua

Plums rarely get the attention that peaches and other show-offy summer fruits do, but they should. They come in a wide range of colors and shapes and are just as complex and tasty cooked as they are raw. Here they are simmered with fragrant cumin for a subtly savory turn, while also bringing balance to the assertiveness of tangy, salty feta. Serve it all up with some toasted or grilled bread to soak up the delicious syrupy sauce. These jammy plums are also delicious spooned over yogurt or vanilla ice cream (you can leave out the spices if you want to go all sweet) or keep them savory as a stand-out topping on a meat and cheese plate.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4 large red plums (about 1 lb.), cut into ½"-thick wedges
⅓ cup sugar
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½ tsp. cumin seeds
2 4-oz. feta slabs
½ tsp. thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper
1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal 1" thick, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, toasted

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 4 large red plums (about 1 lb.), cut into ½"-thick wedges, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. cumin seeds, and ¼ cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cook until some plum wedges are starting to fall apart and liquid is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 8 minutes. Let plums cool slightly.

    Step 2

    Spoon jammy plums onto a platter. Break two 4-oz. feta slabs into large pieces and arrange over and around. Top with ½ tsp. thyme leaves and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve with 1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal 1" thick, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, toasted.

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