At my local farmer's market, there is an amazing variety of produce to choose from every Thursday morning. I usually go there without a plan and just shop to my heart's content – or until I empty my wallet. Strawberries, peaches and sweet corn all taste as good as they appear. In the past few weeks, I have also found white and black currants, pink gooseberries and cantaloupe melons. This week, I purchased two small baskets of miniature plums. " Sweet as honey and worth your money" is what the farmer who sold them to me promised. And they were. For optimum flavour, choose firm plums that give slightly when pressed. Avoid any with blemishes, cracks, soft spots or brown discolourations. Plums contain vitamin A and potassium. They can be used in sweet and savoury cooking or, of course, they can simply be eaten fresh. I chose to make a Ginger Plum Crisp. The tart plums and sweet crisp topping make a palate-pleasing combination. Here's how I did it. Ginger Plum Crisp 1 lb (450 g)  miniature plums, halved and pitted 3 tbsp packed brown sugar 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp cornstarch 1/4 tsp cinnamon Crisp Topping: 1 cup large-flake rolled oats 1/2 cup each packed brown sugar and all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 tbsp diced crystallized ginger Toss plums with brown sugar, butter, cornstarch and cinnamon. Spread evenly in buttered shallow 1L baking dish. Crisp Topping: Beat together oats, brown sugar, flour, butter and ginger. Crumble over plums; place in 375⁰F (190⁰C) oven. Place a pan under the baking dish to catch any juices that bubble over. Bake until topping is golden and juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. [caption id="attachment_4813" align="alignnone" width="306"] Fresh from the oven[/caption]   I will admit that whenever there is a fruit crisp, pie or cobbler around, I do not just reserve it for dessert but also enjoy it for the occasional breakfast. How do you eat your plums?