I attended the San Francisco ‘Slow Food Nation’ this Labor Day weekend and came away with a bag full of my new favorite fruit: the elephant heart plum. One main goal of ‘Slow Food’ is to improve access and encourage the enjoyment of foods that are local, seasonal and sustainable. Slow Food is the idea that food is created with care from healthy plants and animals. For more information on this organization or to find out events in your neighborhood, visit the Slow Food USA web site. A large Farmer’s Market was featured during the San Francisco event; each vendor was allowed to showcase just one product. The result: each farm picked their best tasting item for the season for everyone to sample. Blossom Bluff Orchards brought the best tasting fruit I have ever tasted in my life–the elephant heart plum.
In appearance, the plum is a mottled variation of green/purple and is comes off the tree somewhat dusty. These plums will most likely NOT be carried by any supermarket because they do not ship well (they bruise easy and are very delicate). Did I mention the fantastic taste of the plum yet? They are much more tart than your average plum, but still bursting with sweet juice. Perfect as a healthy snack… or if you are me– have a few and call it lunch! Trust me– the elephant heart plums are simply divine!
by Jim Goldstein, on September 2 2008 @ 4:13 pm
These are indeed the best plums ever. The deep red interior of this fruit was very unexpected. Wish I could find more of them.