I have big love for kasha, or toasted buckwheat groats, common in Jewish food traditions and across Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Russia. It has a wonderful, crunchy texture and nutty earthy flavor that distinguishes it from other grains. I have loved the combination of plums and buckwheat flour in a baking context, so I knew that the two would bring out the best in each other.

Here, to hone in on both flavor and texture, I first macerated and then slowly baked the plums with satchels of kasha. Once this cooked down sufficiently, I removed the buckwheat satchels and blended the plums. Then, as a final touch, I added freshly toasted kasha and briefly boiled it just before canning, to maintain that beautiful crunch as much as possible. The result is something akin to a conserve (fruits and nuts), but not quite. It's wonderfully thick and pungent, and heavenly with most soft cheeses, but especially those that have a hint of earthiness to them.