Buttermilk Plum Cake

It sounds a bit weird to me making, and even more publishing on the blog, the recipe for a plum cake in the middle of the winter season! Because in my mind plums are a summer fruit; and they are a summer fruit. As I prefer locally grown foods, especially vegetables and fruits, I am not inclined to buy products if they are not in season. But unfortunately weather and soil conditions here are unfavorable for fruits production, with the exception of few varieties (on the contrary many vegetables can be farmed, so there is a very good availability of fresh, local veggies, that I love to take from The Farmer Market on the Terrace where it is possible to buy organic products directly from the farmers). As almost any variety of fruit is imported, I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't make such a big difference buying apples, pears and oranges from Italy or Spain, when it's winter, rather than plums and peaches from South Africa or New Zeeland, where at the same time of the year it's summer (well, actually, New Zeeland is a bit faraway, that means longer travel, higher cost, bigger impact on the environment).
As a consequence of this, while in Italy in January I would have made an apple cake, here in Dubai I made a plum cake, a wholesome, simple plum cake perfect for breakfast and afternoon tea. It can also be served, lightly warmed and with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, as a light dessert at the end of a meal.

Banana and chocolate chips scones

I've finally had to accept the idea that not all the bananas I buy will be eaten as a fruit; for some reasons, one or more become overripe so fast that their destiny. if they are not too bad to be necessarily wasted, is to be used as an ingredient of a baking recipe. Since I made this banana cake with chocolate chips, that really made me change my mind on any kind of baked goods containing banana as a main ingredient, I started experimenting with this fruit: since banana gives a pleasant, particular moistness to baked stuff, it is possible to make very nice things without adding much fat (butter or oil or any other kind of shortening); it is also possible to reduce the quantity of sugar, taking advantage of the natural sweetness of the fruit, and even avoiding to use eggs since bananas have a natural thickening action.
These banana and chocolate chips scones are absolutely worth trying; soft, moist and - trust me - with a really light texture! They are perfect for an healthy, energetic breakfast, as well as for the afternoon tea-time but also give them to your children for breakfast or as a snack (especially if they don't like to eat fruit).

Oat flakes and buttermilk bread

Bread is never missing on my table. I think that it is a fundamental component of every single meal, from breakfast (but I confess that for breakfast I prefer a sweet baked good) to dinner. And something I really love is to have in the bread basket a mix of different bread varieties: when I dine out I appreciate restaurants serving an assortment of breads. hopefully homemade, as well as I like to prepare more than one type of bread when we have guests at home. But even a "regular" weekday family dinner is more pleasant with two or three different kinds of bread to choose from.
And...in the continuous search for new, diverse types of bread...I made this one, which is really peculiar but absolutely worth trying: no-kneading required, just a long rest; buttermilk as a main ingredient (and I really like the texture of breads made with buttermilk); and oat flakes substituting part of the flour. The result is a moist, rich, flavorful and original bread perfect for lunch or dinner with salads and soups, but also for breakfast with butter and jam or honey, better if lightly warmed in the oven.