Prunes have a special place in my heart. When I was a toddler, my grandmother gave prunes to me as a special treat, and I would gobble them up in quick haste. Grandma Lin laughed at how quickly they all disappeared. Because I enjoyed them so much during my childhood, I snack on prunes to this day. Imagine my delight when the California Dried Plum Board invited me to Napa to learn more about California prunes and to see a plum harvest in action! As I previously mentioned, having snacked on prunes since I was young, I was no stranger to their taste. However, I didn’t fully realize just how nutrient dense prunes are. Prunes have a good amount of fiber—4 to 5 prunes contain about 3 grams of fiber—and they are high in polyphenols. That’s why eating prunes can help with digestion, and they are a good source of antioxidants. Prunes are also a very versatile ingredient to use for cooking. One of my favorite sessions during the trip was the flavor exploration panel with Chef Barbara Alexander and Chef Peter Sidwell. They paired prunes with about 20 other ingredients, such as ginger, prosciutto and arugula, and I learned so much! It was amazing how well prunes complimented sweet, salty, bright, sour, and even bitter flavors. My favorite flavor pairings were prunes with chocolate, walnuts, and miso, respectively. After a cooking session with the other attendees and the delicious prune-themed lunch and dinner prepared by the chefs, we headed over to Turkovich Farms to see the plum harvest. There were so many rows of plum trees that stretched out as far as the eye can see. The entire atmosphere was just so serene. To pick the plums off the tree, one person operates the tree shaker, which grabs trees by the trunk and shakes it so that the fruits fall from the tree. On the other side of a tree is another tractor with a large catcher to collect the fallen fruits and sort out loose twigs and leaves. It’s a noisy process, but fun for me to watch, as I don’t get to see it often living in a city. The whole trip inspired me to cook with prunes at home! I wanted to mimic the tasty prune and miso sauce that Chef Barbara Alexander prepared for the panel, so I made a stir fry sauce that is made of prune puree, miso, water, soy sauce, garlic powder, and sesame oil. It is a great sauce for these tofu stir fry noodles. Prune puree is just prunes and hot water that has been blended into a thick paste. The puree is a good natural sweetener for sauces and even baked goods! In this prune and miso stir fry sauce, you’ll get sweetness from the prunes and rich savory umami flavors from the miso. It is a very versatile stir fry sauce, and I highly recommend pairing it with soy sauce in your cooking.
MORE NOODLE RECIPES
Homemade Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce30-Minute Yellow Curry NoodlesBasic Rice Noodle Rolls (Cheung Fun 腸粉)Complete Noodle Archives
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the California Dried Plum Board. Visit their website for more information or follow them on Facebook or Twitter!
