The "Commoners"

With a chilly and rainy summer, we didn't have abundant cherries and blueberries like last year. But the upside is that stone-fruit is everywhere, not just peaches, nectarine, and plums, but also pluots! Maybe 10 years ago, pluots were still like the royalties of fruit, only to be found at high-end restaurants where the server would explain that pluots were a cross between plums and apricots (That's true, but not entirely. Pluots are not the half-half-hybrid plumcots. You can read more about it here.) I didn't think there would be a day that I'd be buying pluots from local grocery stores at the incredible price of $1 per pound! Talk about the changing times. =)

Another used-to-be-rare fruit that's readily available is fig. You can get them at Costco for $6 for 2 pounds! Seared till tender, they are so juicy and sweet on top of salads. I’ve even made some jam myself. No more fancy store-bought fig spreads!