Plum Ginger Paste

Halve plums, remove stones and roughly chop. Place into a medium saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until plums are very tender and breaking down.

purée using a stick blender until smooth. Weigh purée and return to pan. Add the same weight of sugar as the purée. Stir in lemon juice and ginger. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture is a thick, dark syrup. To test the mixture, spoon a little onto a chilled saucer. It should form a gel. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove ginger.

Lightly grease 4 x 3/4-cup ramekins with a little oil. Pour plum mixture evenly into the ramekins. Cool completely until set.

Loosen paste by running a knife around the inside of the ramekin. Transfer to a serving glass and decorate with extra plum slices, if desired. Serve with grapes, cheese and crackers.

Cover remaining ramekins with plastic and refrigerate. Store refrigerated for up to 6 months.