Prune recipe you start reveals poor quality (6)
I believe the answer is:
penury
'poor quality' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how they can define each other.
'prune recipe you start' is the wordplay.
'recipe' is an anagram indicator.
'you start' becomes 'y' (I've seen this in other clues).
'prune' with letters rearranged gives 'penur'.
'penur'+'y'='PENURY'
'reveals' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for penury that I've seen before include "Real poverty" , "State of extreme poverty" , "Indigence, destitution" , "privation" , "State of poverty or destitution" .)