We’ve got a huge, beautiful, red-leafed cherry plum tree in our back garden, and right now it’s raining plums! Have you noticed the sheer abundance of fruit this year? The branches are heavy and the ground is scattered with fallen fruit. Last weekend, I harvested about 10kg plums from our tree, and my daughter suggested we make a jam tart. It turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever eaten, sweet yet sharp, sticky and rich. A simple, seasonal treat.Raining plum jam tartFrom plum to pear, every fruit tree I pass this year seems to be laden with fruit. This kind of bumper crop is known as a mast year. Some fruit trees swing naturally between light and heavy harvests from year to year, depending on whether they’re focusing energy on growth or fruiting, and it’s thought that this cycle may be an evolutionary tactic to support seed dispersal. By producing a glut, more fruit is eaten and spread by animals. This recipe is a great way to turn that glut – whether that’s a discounted punnet of berries, windfall apples or a bag of scrumped plums – into something to savour. Jams are one of the simplest and most delicious ways to preserve the season. If you’re making your own pastry, don’t forget to save any scraps to weave a lattice topping or shape into biscuits. I like to season mine with a little olive oil and whole spices before baking.For the jam500g plums