{recipe} Summer Chicken Tacos with Plums, Avocados, and Sweet Corn

My Dad grows a lot of fruits and vegetables in his Sonoma County garden, and has a lovely fruit orchard. Around this time of year the branches are so laden with fruit that they dip down and drag on the ground. All of the fruit comes ripe at the same time, so there are a frenzied few weeks of canning, jam making, and general overeating of plums and peaches. I can’t stand any of this hard-won crop to go to waste, so with an eye on the last of the very overripe plums, I came up with this recipe.

I used the plums as a seasoning for shredded chicken, which makes a tasty filling for a simple taco that has a hint of sweetness and a hint of spice. With a nod to that other great summer treat–fresh corn on the cob–and a creamy helping of avocado and queso fresco, these tacos might be the perfect simple dinner for this time of year.

Recipe: Summer Chicken Tacos with Plums, Avocado, and Sweet Corn
serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup chopped white onion
• 1 jalapeño, chopped, some seeds removed (note: the more seeds you leave in, the spicier it will be. I leave about half of them in and it just has a hint of spice.)
• 2 Tblsp rum
• 6 ripe or overripe plums, skin and pits removed, smooshed up with your hands or a fork
• 1 Tblsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• olive oil for sauteing

• 2 ears corn, cut from the cob
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• about 3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
• chopped lettuce
• corn tortillas

METHOD:

• Heat 1 Tblsp olive oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add chicken pieces and season with salt. Brown chicken on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
• Lower heat and add onion and jalapeño. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes, until starting to color.
• Add rum, smooshed plums, brown sugar, cumin, and 1 cup water to the pot. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until chicken shreds easily.
• Turn off heat. Use two forks to shred chicken thoroughly. Turn heat on and reduce sauce until chicken is saucy but not overly wet.

to serve:

• Heat 1 Tblsp olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add corn and season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently. When corn starts to “pop” turn off the heat.
• Heat corn tortillas over a low flame of your gas stove to lightly char. If you have an electric stove, use a saute pan to heat the tortillas through on both sides.
• Assemble tacos with chicken, corn, avocado slices, chopped lettuce, and queso fresco. Serve immediately.