There are some who turn their nose up when served out-of-season fruit and vegetables. 'Out of OUR season' they squeak in outrage. So short-sighted if not downright daft.

The autumn plums currently begging me to buy were picked from orchards in Oregon, USA. This is their plum season. It's the same state we will soon be shipping our summer cherries and apricots to, with our growers (and bankers) hoping to reap the benefit of out-of-season fruit.

Then there are the pineapples arriving from the Philippines. Sweet, juicy, a refreshing taste for us – and an important export for them.

Carys Monteath Grilled pineapple with sugar, balsamic vinegar and mint.

Considering we have been shipping our home-grown and reared everything as fast and as far as possible for over a century, it's a tad hypocritical to turn the back on some other country's seasonal crops.

I'm not that extravagant that I welcome out-of-season asparagus or strawberries, but that's more about delicate flavours not standing up to mass transport systems, whereas the plums I bought this week were so firm they would probably bounce if dropped. I liked that the stones were easy to remove, the flavour of the tart/sweet juice and the way they kept their shape.

It pays to pick out the plums, checking each for blemishes or bruise and buying fruit all the same size. Keep in a cool dark place if not using immediately.

As for pineapples, I am enjoying the skinned (peeled?) fruit currently in-store. Not as cheap as skin-on pineapples, but arthritic wrists always prefer the easy options.

Out of our season? I prefer to think of it as sharing in the fruitful bounty of the planet.

Spiced plums

As we have come to expect, varieties of stonefruits are nameless in most markets. The plums I cooked were dark red/purple with yellow flesh. And very firm.

6 large dark red plums

1 star anise

pinch of five-spice powder

3 tablespoons raw sugar

1 large mandarin, peeled and segmented

15g unsalted butter

Cut plums into halves, remove stones and cut into quarters or eighths. Put with spices in a frying pan (you need a single layer, not a pile of fruit), cover with sugar. Chop up the mandarin skin and add with the fruit segments to the pan. Put aside for about 20 minutes, then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring to ensure all sugar is dissolved. When the juices start running, keep stirring and simmering for anther minute or two, then dice the butter and add. Cook until the plum slices are soft and shiny (that's the point of the butter) but not mushy. Discard the spices, mandarin peel and segments. Keep the plums warm.

To use:

Arrange a generous spoon of plums (at room temperature or barely warm) and juice as a topping for a wedge of iced chocolate cake – even a bought chocolate cake will be the star of the meal when it is served topped with spiced plums. Serves 1

Buy or make a baked cheesecake and resist any idea of decorating the top. Have the plums warm and top the cheesecake, adding plenty of juice. The warm plums will sink through the cake if left too long, so serve immediately. Serves 2-8

Cut 4 large croissant in half and place all under the grill – inside upwards - to toast. A little charring on the edges is preferable as the smoky flavour works brilliantly with the plums. Have ready 1 cup of cold pastry cream, or use cream cheese. Allow 1/4 cup of pastry cream for each croissant half, and spread smoothly before topping with spiced plums and the other half croissant. Serve warm. Serves 4.

Fresh pineapple

Ripe pinapples are quite perishable. They can be stored at room temperature (up to 2 days), or refrigerated (up to 4 days). To peel, cut off the base then use a sharp knife cutting down the fruit in strips. Cut around the "eyes" in the fruit to remove them. Either keep the fruit round and slice off in discs or cut in half lengthways, cutting away the hard core.

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chunks

An smart and simple grilled treat.

Cut the trimmed pineapple into discs, then halves, cutting away the hard core. Arrange in a single layer in a grill pan. Sprinkle with raw sugar and put under the grill until browned. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with a little balsamic vinegar and finely chopped mint. Serve warm.

Good Buy

Zip-up bags of raw peeled and "eyed" pineapple need no knife skills. Keep chilled. $4.99 a bag, most supermarkets