Purple, green, yellow or red. Plums come in a kaleidoscope of colors. in France and throughout most of Europe, the fruit enjoys the Protected Designation of Origin label meaning that they are produced, transformed and elaborated in a designated geographic zone. In French this is the famous Appellation d’origins protégée or AOP. Some 60,000 tons of plums are produced in France each year, mainly in the Occitan region in southwestern France but also in Auvergne, the Riviera and the East, where the much sought after yellow Mirabelle variety is found. There are some 2,000 plum varieties found throughout the world. Despite their sweetness plums are low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

In France L’AOPn Prune, the national plum association and the plum growers have joined forces to promote agricultural practices that are sustainable, eco-responsible and respect the ambient biodiversity in and around their orchards. Prune is the French word for plum. The association also works actively to promote plums and this year has brought on board French chef Manon Fleury to create inventive recipes revolving around plums.
Today we bring you her recipe for green plums. Stay tuned for the other varieties of plums.
©The Gourmet Gazette

Plums Marinated in Salt and Sugar, Green Beans in a Vinaigrette Sauce with Slab Bacon
For 4 people

Marinated green plums
8 green plums, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar
Green bean salad
1/2 pound of green beans
1/2 pound of wax beans
Vinaigrette
1tsp mustard
2 tbls cider vinegar
3 tbls walnut oil
1 large pinch of curry
Salt and milled pepper
Garnish
1 bunch of basil
20 walnut kernels
Thin slices of slab bacon
To marinate the plums
Cut the plums in half and remove the pit. Put them in a dish and salt and sugar them, marinate them for about 15 minutes before preparing the bean salad.
Bean salad
Remove the stems form the beans, cook to the desired doneness (the recipe recommends blanching them) prepare the vinaigrette. Remove the stems from the basil, slice very thinly the slab bacon, put the beans in the vinaigrette sauce. Add the thin slices of slab bacon.

Serving
Put the green beans on top of the marinated plums. Add the walnuts and basil leaves then the thin slices of slab bacon.