The Jolly Fox
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Plums, Pluots, Pie & Farewell to Yingst Ranch.
Last year, news broke that the beloved Yingst Ranch would be closing after the 2014 season. The news was a huge bummer, considering what a beautiful and wonderful farm Yingst was. They were a U-Pick operation in Littlerock, sorta out in the middle of nowhere near Palmdale. They grew the most gorgeous, juicy-delicious heirloom plums and peaches as well as apples and pears.
Before they closed, a friend and I drove up last summer to bid them farewell and pick/buy as much fruit as we could handle. It was bittersweet–we got some stunning 49er peaches and a large bounty of fresh heirloom plums and pluots to take home. 
I went a little crazy with the plums and pluots. I came home and knew I needed to start planning some recipes because there were too many to just eat.
I ended up with a few amazing dishes, like this Plum Pizza with Cultured Almond Milk Ricotta, Basil-Walnut Pesto, and Arugula tossed in an Aged Balsamic.
I also made a big batch of jam, using just about every variety that I picked that day:
I brought this tart to a canning swap:
And I made this Plumble Pie: Vanilla Cookie-Oat Crust, filled with Sweet, Juicy Heirloom Plums + Pluots, and finished with a Crunchy Oat Topping.
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