Plum, Pluot, and Basil Salad

Plums and pluots are looking great right now. I picked up 5 different varieties in a beautiful range of colors at Fresh Market this week; as I waited a few days for them to ripen, this salad came together in my mind. It's almost like a caprese, but not. Basil, bleu cheese, toasted almonds, and a plum-honey-white balsamic dressing go well with the plums' sweet flavor.

Plum and Basil Salad

1/2 cup of basil, stems removed

5 plums and pluots, not peeled

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/8 cup bleu cheese, crumbled

sea salt and cracked pepper

Wash and dry basil and arrange it into the bottom layer on the plate. Slice plums thinly and alternate them in a circle. Add bleu cheese in the middle. Toast the almonds for a minute in a dry pan on medium heat and add them on top after they cool a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add dressing right before serving.

Dressing:

1 tbsp. of juice from the plums

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. white balsamic

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

squeeze of lemon

sea salt and cracked pepper

Whisk all ingredients and drizzle over composed salad.