5 Ingredients or Fewer

Easy Plum Dressing

Name: Easy Plum Dressing
Yield: Makes about 1/4 cup
Ingredients: 1 Sierra Sweet plum, destoned and chopped; 1 green shiso leaf, rolled and cut into chiffonade; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1/4 cup canola oil; sea salt to taste

by: gingerroot

August 5, 2010

0 Ratings

Makes about 1/4 cup

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Author Notes

Last night, with one little Sierra Sweet plum and a green shiso leaf from my garden, I decided to make a simple dressing. My inspiration was my childhood love of eating umeboshi - the small pink or red, lip puckering preserved plums from Japan. With best intentions, I was disappointed with the result; with muted flavors, it was nothing like what I wanted it to taste like. Instead of tossing, I transferred the dressing to a jar and put it in the fridge - thinking I would doctor it into something I could use. Apparently, all it needed was time - today the dressing is bright, sweet and tangy - it even reminds me a little of my taste memory of ume. This would be delicious on a green salad, with tofu, a piece of grilled or broiled salmon, or even as an unusual dressing for soba. It is easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. —gingerroot

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 Sierra Sweet plum, destoned and chopped
1 green shiso leaf, rolled and cut into chiffonade
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¹/₄ cup canola oil
sea salt to taste

Directions

Combine first four ingredients in a blender. Puree to combine. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a glass jar with a lid, refrigerate overnight. Use as desired. Enjoy!

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AntoniaJames
gingerroot

My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love. Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.

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4 Reviews

AntoniaJames August 5, 2010

Yes!! Very, very nice. I'm so glad you didn't toss out on the evening you made it. If you could not get shiso leaves (hard to believe, but it's one of the few things I've had a lot of trouble finding locally), what would you use? I am so looking forward to trying this. ;o)

gingerroot August 6, 2010

Thanks AJ! For me, what I love about shiso is that it has a lot of familiar notes - citrus, basil, anise, cinnamon - but less aggressive, more delicate and a little earthier. My mom had some lemon basil and I sprinkled a tiny bit of cinnamon on it and it actually smelled a lot like shiso (to me, at least). So, maybe lemon basil (with a touch of cinnamon)? I will get some from her tomorrow and try it with the one Sierra Sweet I have left and let you know.

AntoniaJames August 6, 2010

Hey, I hope this isn't too late . . . . I was in Chinatown (in Oakland) this morning and lo and behold, there was a shiso plant at the market next to the one where I usually shop! So now I have all the shiso that I need, at least for a while. I'm so excited! I've been looking for shiso for so long. At the same time, by the way, I learned that the market where I found the shiso is now run by a Vietnamese family, so it is well stocked with a lot of grocery items imported from Viet Nam and Thailand, which I have also had trouble finding. They had the most gorgeous little rolls for making banh mi, freshly baked. Will be making your dressing today, to use tomorrow! Thank you so, so much. ;o)