Edibles: Kebabs show prune's versatility

We're about to acquire a big bag of Italian prunes, and we're delighted. No, we don't need more fiber in our diets; we simply like prunes' flavor and versatility. So we always say yes to our son-in-law's dad's offer of surplus from his tree.

Because it's self-fertile (doesn't need another tree for pollination) and less susceptible to disease than other plums, the Italian prune is an excellent choice for home orchards in Western Washington. Get it on a semi-dwarf rootstock, and you can maintain the tree at 10 to 12 feet.

Prunes are versatile when it comes to eating. For soft fruits, they keep well enough that you can use many fresh. The rest you can dry or can easily. Fresh or dried, they're a wonderful addition to Middle Eastern and North African dishes, including kebabs, stews and couscouses.

Speaking of the Middle East, the best cook I knew in Turkey wasn't a chef. He worked as financial officer for the Peace Corps office in Ankara. However, Rasim Bey hailed from Gaziantep, a large southeastern city renowned for great chefs. Something of the city's fervor for fine food had obviously rubbed off on Rasim. Of all his wonderful dishes, the best was a kebab that featured ground lamb and loquats.

So what do loquats have to do with prunes? Patience, we're getting there.

The loquat is a plum-size, sweet/sour fruit that grills wonderfully with lamb. Unfortunately, it doesn't grow in our cool climate, nor do the fruits wind up often in our markets. So one day, as I was wondering how to use some fresh Italian prunes, I remembered Rasim's loquat kebabs.

It occurred to me that Italian prunes have a sweet/sour flavor not unlike that of loquats. Why wouldn't prunes make a noble match with ground lamb?

It turned out fresh prunes on a skewer with ground lamb were great. Here, with nods to Rasim for the inspiration, and to Steven Raichlen, author of "The Barbecue! Bible" (Workman, 556 pages, $22.95), for the ground meat recipe, is my recipe:

ITALIAN PRUNE KEBABS

SERVES 4

1 pound ground lamb

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon hot red pepper, or less to taste

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

16 fresh Italian prunes, halved horizontally and pitted

Pomegranate molasses (optional)

Put prune halves aside.

Mix other ingredients thoroughly with your hands. Divide the meat mixture into 16 equal portions and place them on plastic wrap to chill until you're ready to make the skewers. (You'll need 8 long, wide, flat skewers for these kebabs.)

To prepare a skewer, first impale a prune half with its hollow facing up. Next squeeze on one of the meat portions. Wetting your hands in cold water helps in the shaping. Cap the meat squeeze with a prune half and repeat the process until you've used four meat portions and four prunes.

Grill the skewers over medium heat, turning them to brown the meat on all sides. This takes about 12 minutes.

For an extra flourish, drizzle the cooked kebabs with 3 teaspoons of pomegranate molasses (narshrab) and cover them for 3 minutes before serving. (You may be able to find pomegranate molasses in a Middle Eastern grocery.)