3908. BACON-WRAPPED DRIED PLUMS with BLUE CHEESE and BALSAMIC-HONEY GLAZE

Makes 24 Pieces


Plums:
9 ounces of thinly-sliced bacon, cut in half 

2 ounces soft blue cheese

3 ounces cream cheese

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Pinch of kosher salt

24 pitted dried plums (prunes)

Balsamic Glaze:
½ cup balsamic

1 ½ Tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Bacon: Lay the cut bacon on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and partially cook the bacon (only 5 minutes).

Make Stuffing: Using a hand mixer or fork, mix the blue cheese and cream cheese together. Add the thyme and salt. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes.

Stuff Prunes: Using a pastry bag fitted with ¼-inch tip, stuff each prune with 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Wrap with a piece of partially cooked bacon and fasten with a toothpick.

Broil: Place on a baking pan and broil on one side until the bacon starts to brown (about 2-3 minutes). Turn and finish cooking until the bacon is crisp (another 2-3 minutes). If left too long under the broiler, the cheese will melt and ooze out. Transfer to a platter, garnish platter with a few sprigs of thyme.

Balsamic Glaze: Combine balsamic and honey in a sauté pan and simmer/reduce for 2 minutes. Drizzle or brush over plated prunes.


bacon recipe source: Parties That Cook (@PartiesThatCook), 601 Minnesota Street, Suite 115, San Francisco, CA 94107

3081. DRIED PLUMS with BACON and FRESH GOAT CHEESE

serves twelve


12 pitted dried plums
5 1/3 ounces goat cheese, divided into 12 equal portions
3 slices bacon, each cut into 2-inch pieces (to total 12 pieces)

For each dried plum, make a lengthwise slit and spoon a portion of cheese into slit; wrap with a piece of bacon. Secure bacon with wooden pick; arrange on rack in broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and barely crisp, turning once. Serve hot or warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Georgeanne Brennan, California Dried Plums Board 

2769. DRIED PLUM and BACON STRATA

serves eight


no-stick cooking spray

1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (about 6 ounces) quartered dried plums
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups milk
8 large eggs
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
1 teaspoon salt

Lightly coat 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In large nonstick skillet, add bacon; cook and stir 8 minutes over medium-high heat or until bacon is crisp. Drain. In large bowl, combine bread, dried plums, cheese and bacon. Arrange in baking dish; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Italian herb seasoning and salt until well blended; pour over bread mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake, covered, 55 to 65 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: California Dried Plums Board, 3840 Rosin Court, Sacramento, California 95834

2237. PLUM and BACON CANAPES

yields four portions


2-3 bread rolls (preferably wholemeal)
16-20 slices lean bacon
16-20 prunes
paprika

Slice the rolls into pieces and place a prune wrapped in a thin slice of lean bacon on each. Arrange the canapés on a baking tray and bake at a high temperature.
Serve sprinkled with paprika.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Czech Specials, Regional Specialty: Central Moravia | Czech Tourism

1871. BACON, LETTUCE and PLUM SANDWICHES

yields two servings


1 garlic clove, minced
1 pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
Lemon juice, to taste
4 slices white bread
6 small or 3 large plums, pitted and sliced
6 bacon slices, cooked
Lettuce leaves

On cutting board using the flat of a knife, or with a mortar and pestle, mash together garlic with salt until a paste forms. In a small bowl, mix garlic paste with mayonnaise. Stir in the basil, thyme, sage and lemon juice.

Toast bread, then spread all 4 slices with herb mayonnaise. Sprinkle plums with lemon juice, to taste, and divide between 2 slices of bread. Cover plums with bacon, breaking bacon slices in half if necessary. Top with lettuce leaves and remaining bread. Cut in half and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Melissa Clark, The New York Times (Dining & Wine section), August 14, 2009

1586. CHANTERELLE, BACON and PLUM SALAD with BLUE CHEESE

serves four

1/2 pound bacon, cubed
1/2 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, brushed clean and halved or quartered
salt and pepper
2 ripe plums, pitted and cut into wedges
4 cups mixed lettuce leaves
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside. Put the bacon cubes in a large frying pan or saute pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the bacon starts cooking and crisping up, turn the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring until crisp on both sides. Remove the bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the pan (discard the rest of the bacon drippings). Let bacon drain on a paper towel.

In the same pan on medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms for 4 minutes. Push the mushrooms to one side of the frying pan. On the other side, lay the plum wedges and cook 1 minute each side. By this time, the mushrooms will have cooked through. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.

Assemble salad by combining the bacon, blue cheese, chanterelles, plums and lettuce. Be light and gentle. Drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009

1366. PLUM, BACON and AMARANTH CHICKEN

yields eight servings


1 slice bacon, diced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup dry amaranth grain (can also use quinoa)
2 cups chicken stock (or water)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup pitted and smashed plums (with skin)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh fennel seed, grinded
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 star anise (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pan on the stovetop, saute one fat slice of bacon over medium heat, allowing it to "sweat" out its flavor and fat. When a thin layer of oil is present, add the chicken thighs-- let cook on one side for 10 minutes and flip.

Add onions, garlic, and plums and mix with chicken. Saute together and let cook for 10 minutes or until onions are glossy.

Add stock, water, vinegar, salt, pepper, fennel seed, star anise (which you don't want to eat, you just add it for flavor), cloves, and amaranth. Cover pan and turn up heat to high. When rapidly boiling, remove pan from stovetop and transfer to the oven. Let cook for 60 minutes, until amaranth is soft.


courtesy of: Spark Recipes, SparkPeople Inc.

1059. DRIED PLUMS with BACON and FRESH GOAT CHEESE

serves 12


12 pitted dried plums
5 1/3 ounces goat cheese, divided into 12 equal portions
3 slices bacon, each cut into 2-inch pieces (to total 12 pieces)

For each dried plum, make a lengthwise slit and spoon a portion of cheese into slit; wrap with a piece of bacon. Secure bacon with wooden pick; arrange on rack in broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and barely crisp, turning once. Serve hot or warm.


courtesy of: Georgeanne Brennan / California Dried Plum Board, 3840 Rosin Court, Suite 170, Sacramento, California 95834, (916) 565-6232

944. BACON-LARDED ANTELOPE ROAST with WILD PLUMS

4 to 6 lb. antelope roast
bacon or salt pork for larding or barding
2 ribs of celery, with leaves, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
or 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf, crumbled
10 whole allspice berries
10 whole black peppercorns
2 cups whole wild plums
or 3/4 cup wild plum jelly
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or 1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon butter
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
salt and pepper

Lard the roast or bard it after seasoning the surface as follows: Rub well with half the lemon juice, crumbled bay leaf and the whole allspice and peppercorns. Cover with the chopped celery and sprinkle on the remaining lemon juice. Place on a rack in a rotating pan. Roast in a 350-degree oven for about 16 minutes per pound for rare (125 degrees at the center). Baste frequently, adding a little water to the roasting pan if it begins to dry out. About 30 to 45 minutes before the meat is done, add whole, washed plums (or jelly) to the roasting pan along with 3/4 cup water. When ready to serve remove the celery and spices and set aside. Rub the plums and other contents of the roasting pan through a sieve. If the result is too thick for a smooth sauce, add water and stock and simmer briefly. If it is too thin, thicken it with a little cornstarch well mixed in a few tablespoons of water or stock. Simmer thicken, stir in butter, mustard or capers and serve over slices of roast garnished with reserved celery.


courtesy of: Game Recipes

698. BOBWHITE QUAIL with CHESTNUT, WILD RICE and APPLE STUFFING, BACON, BOUDIN BLANC, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, BLUE PLUM MUSTARD and ROSEMARY

Serves 4

4 ea. bob white quail, boneless
1 c cooked wild rice
2 oz roasted chestnuts, chopped
2 oz dehydrated apples, brunoise
¼ tsp rubbed sage
½ tsp thyme leaves
¼ tsp minced rosemary
½ tsp garlic, minced
12 ea brussel sprouts, stemmed removed and quartered
1 tbl applewood bacon finely minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
4 ea 2 oz boudin blanc sausages or any fowl sausage
4 oz blue plum mustard (see recipe below)
4 oz quail-rosemary jus
pork crepinette
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the breast (french the wing bones) and legs from the carcass of the quail, reserve the carcasses for sauce.

Mix together wild rice, chestnuts, apples and herbs. Season the breasts with salt and pepper; stuff with the rice mixture and wrap the breasts with crepinette and tie.

In a medium hot sauté pan, pan roast the squab breast, rendering the crepinette,

When finished add boudin and baste until golden brown.

Add bacon to the rendered fat from the quail. Cook until crispy, add brussel sprouts, degrease the pan, add chicken stock and reduce to glaze the sprouts.

Place a dollop of plum mustard on a plate, using the back of a spoon or a small palate knife; spread the mustard to desired thickness. Arrange the quail on one end of the mustard, arrange brussel sprouts on the other end. Place boudin on the brussel sprouts. Drizzle quail jus over the quail and on the plate.


Blue Plum Mustard

18 ea blue plums, stones removed
2 c sugar (less/more to desired sweetness)
2 c red wine
1 c violet mustard

In a heavy bottom sauce pot, add plums, sugar and red wine. Simmer mixture for 1 hour and purée in a blender. Place back into the pot simmer to reduce to jam consistency, add mustard and cool.


courtesy of: R.J. Cooper III, Chef de Cuisine, Vidalia Restaurant, 1990 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202.659.1990