This is compote for spreading on pound cake or when you want a few sweet spoonfuls of a sweet chaser to finish a meal. This is one of those recipes that should be a side dish but ends up being the legend that made the meal it was made for. It is deep wine red in color, courtesy of the cherries and Italian plums, sweet and tart and utterly sublime. Yes, of course it goes on ice-cream. Or anoint it with some crème anglaise. It calls for orange juice but if you had cherry brandy around that would do nicely too.