I have eaten
the plums
that were in the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

This piece by William Carlos Williams is what they call a “found poem.” It was a note he left for his wife on their refrigerator door in 1934. These stolen plums were probably meant for his own breakfast. How often does this happen in your house - you are saving something for a particular purpose and when you’ve got your back turned it’s gobbled up? With this confession, Williams appears to revel in the fact of the pinched plums and playfully offers the poem to his wife in exchange for his transgression. I am especially enchanted by the way the typography turns two simple sentences into delightful poetry and gives it a languorous rhythm and evocative imagery.

I found some gorgeous plums yesterday and had a little more than enough of them to make a plum clafoutis. We were supposed to have one or two leftover for a picture, but they have somehow disappeared. Clafoutis is a dessert that originated in the Limousin region of France. It is traditionally made with cherries leaving the pits in. The French say that it imparts an almond-like flavor that can’t be had any other way. I only make cherry clafoutis when I’ll be serving it to people who I know won’t mind watching out for the pits, otherwise, I make it with other fruits. Clafoutis (kla-foo-tee), sometimes spelled without the s, can be made with many other kinds of fruit such as apricots, raspberries or blueberries (my mother’s favorite) and is also good in winter with prunes (soaked in Armagnac!), apples or pears (these last two must be washed, peeled, and sliced before use, then arrange them in a star shaped pattern in the dish). The recipe I use is adapted from a French language textbook from the 1950s and I have found that I like it better than any of the others I have tried. I don’t sift powdered sugar on top of my clafoutis, but feel free to do so if it makes you feel fancy. If anyone pilfers the plum clafoutis sitting in my kitchen, a poem would be an acceptable form of thanks.

Plum clafoutis

• 3 eggs
• ? cup sugar
• ? cup butter, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• ? tsp. vanilla
• Optional: 2 tsps. rum
• 2 cups of plums, pitted and halved

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Beat the sugar and the eggs with a wire whisk until they turn lighter in color. Gradually add the butter, beating to incorporate. Add the flour all at once and whisk until the batter is a homogeneous mixture. Next slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Add the vanilla, and the rum if you are using it, mixing well. The batter should be very smooth and shiny.

Place the plums in a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet that can go in the oven. Pour the batter over the fruit. Bake in the pre-heated oven, approximately 30-40 minutes, until slightly browned and almost completely set in the middle. Let sit at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a plate and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers are excellent for breakfast.