Red Fruit Galettes

I know it's coming to a close, but here's a hot tip for summer: keep a batch of pie crust in your fridge or freezer at all times. Then, when you spot some pretty fruit at the farmer's market, you'll always have something to tuck it into at the ready.

Just about the easiest thing you can make with fruit and pie crust is a galette. Galettes are casual open faced tarts and their charm is in their imperfections. It's okay if the fruit leaks all over the baking sheet and there is no futzy crust crimping for the folks who find that part of pie making frustrating. I even know someone who likes to make them at 3AM after a night of drinking, so you know they are easy.

These particular galettes were born when I had lots of little bits of different fruits left over from another project and I used roughly equal amounts of sour cherries, red currants and raspberries. This particular combination of red fruits turned out visually stunning and totally delicious, but don't feel limited by these fruits! You can make a galette with just about any fruit you have hanging around.

This is more of a formula and a process than a recipe that needs to be followed to the letter so feel free to swap the crust or the fruit or the jam for anything you like. And it's the best kind of recipe to have in your back pocket for all those times when you just need dessert last minute. Get invited to dinner? Galette. Going to a picnic or barbecue or rooftop party? Galette. Celebrating a birthday? Galette. Tuesday? Galette.

Happy Summer!

Red Fruits Galettes
yield 2, 9-inch galettes

Feel free to swap out my pie crust for your favorite recipe, but please make sure to bake the galettes until they are deeply golden brown and caramelized. Say no to soggy crust!

Crust

12 ounces all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
9 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Filling

about 2 pounds of assorted red fruits (raspberries, cherries, sour cherries, sweet cherries, currants, etc)
1 3/4-2 3/4 ounces granulated sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit (for example: currants will need more, sweet cherries less)
4 ounces apricot, raspberry or strawberry jam
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
pinch salt
1 tablespoon flour (only if the fruit seems very juicy)

1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt for egg wash
1 3/4 ounce crunchy sugar like demerara or turbinado for sprinkling

Work with one piece of dough at a time and on a floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 13'' circle, 1/4-1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, parchmentlined sheet pans. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Pit the cherries and remove the currants from their stems. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest and salt into the sugar. If you're using flour, now's the time to add it. Add the fruit to the sugar mixture and toss gently to combine. 

Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread each round with about 4 tablespoons of jam, then divide the fruit evenly between the disks, leaving a 1 1/2'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling and gently brush the egg wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until the dough is very firm.

While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 400º. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle the pastry and the fruit with coarse sugar. Bake until the fruit juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool before serving.
 

Spring Things

Cameras have been cleaned, spring has sprung, and I'm back. With rhubarb! I didn't intend to be away from this space for so long, but the photo clinic took a little longer than anticipated to give my old pentaxes a spit shine. It was totally worth it, btw, and they are looking better than they have in years.

In the mean time, it has been a busy spring round these parts: full of lots of fun freelance projects (including a little something that was published in the NYT!) and a new addiction/obsession (it's a fine line isn't it?) with making pottery. But now it is time to get back to business and the business at hand today is pies: little portable pies filled with the pinkest rhubarb I've ever bought at Union Square and crunchy apples that are perfect for all of your memorial day picnicking. I know it is already strawberry season in many parts of the country, but I just couldn't let May sneak by without posting at least one rhubarb recipe. If you are hankering for more rhubarb find LOTS more rhubarb recipes in the archives of this blog: here.

A few little notes:

Tim from Lottie and Doof wrote an A+ post about #normcore and how it relates to food issues (and lots more). Check it out here. Seriously, I can't recommend it enough.

For my film loving friends, I had my cameras cleaned and repaired at Nippon Photo Clinic in Manhattan. I highly recommend their services.

Rhubarb and Apple Hand pies

yield about 24, 3-inch pies

Rhubarb can tend to break down quite a bit when it is cooked, so I added some chopped apples to these little pies for texture and flavor. The other flavorings are quite simple, just a bit of lemon and vanilla, to let the fruit shine. Cooking the filling a bit before baking will help ensure that the filling stays inside the pies, instead of oozing out all over your baking sheet. There are a lot of pie crust recipes and techniques on this site, but this simple one is a new favorite. Make sure to handle the dough as little as possible for the most tender and flaky hand pies.

Crust

24 ounces all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
18 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6-8 ounces ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Rhubarb and Apple Filling

1 pound rhubarb stalks
2 medium baking apples, mutsus work well here
1 vanilla bean
4-6 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
egg for egg wash
crunchy sugar such as turbinado or demerara for sprinkling

If your rhubarb has leaves attached remove them (they are inedible and poisonous) then chop the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the apples and chop them into slightly larger pieces.

Add the chopped rhubarb, 4 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, butter, and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a large skillet. Cook until the rhubarb has released most of its juices and the juices have thickened, about 7-10 minutes. The rhubarb should become jammy in texture.

Cool the mixture to room temperature, remove the vanilla bean pod then add the chopped apples and flour and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and if it seems too tart add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.

To Assemble the pies: Preheat oven to 400ºF. One at a time, roll each piece of chilled dough roughly 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut as many circles as possible from the dough. Re-roll the scraps and cut more circles.

Put half of the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brush the edges of the dough with a beaten egg. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to each piece of dough, making sure that there is a small border of bare dough around the filling. Top each pie with another piece of dough and press the edges to seal well. Put the entire baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm, about 10 minutes.

Check to make sure all of the pies are well sealed. Brush the pies with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Quince Custard Cake

Every year my parents send me a box of gnarly quince from a friend's tree. You can see last year's box here along with a recipe for some killer tartlets. They are hard and smooth, with hardly any fuzz and a sweet floral fragrance. I like to keep them out in a bowl on my coffee table for a few days because they smell so, so good. I also like to keep them around to remind me that my family is thinking about me even when they are climbing trees and foraging for fruit.



I have declared my love for quince again and again on this blog and I have a few new quince recipes up my sleeve this year. The first is for this amazing custard cake that I bookmarked ages ago. I know custard cake sounds a little complicated (and maybe a little weird), but if you have the time and patience to poach the quince, this cake comes together so easily. You can even mix it all in one bowl if you are feeling rebellious and don't want to whisk together your dry ingredients first (but I didn't tell you that was ok, ok?).



The result is crispy on the outside, dense and custardy on the inside and packed full of my favorite fall fruit, lightly poached with simple flavors. It's one of those desserts that is delicious served with a bit of creme fraiche or whipped cream and equally good as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, and who am I kidding, it's great for breakfast too.

On a very different note, I'm sure many of you have heard about the devastating hurricane that blew through the Northeast this week. My household, was very, very lucky and we are so thankful that we were hardly affected at all, but others have not fared as well. If you are in NYC please consider signing up to volunteer by emailing nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov with your name, email address and borough. Also, support local businesses as much as possible. Even one day without sales can be devastating for them, especially restaurants and other food businesses. If you are far away, keep the coast in your thoughts and consider donating to the Red Cross or other relief organizations. Here is a list of other ways you can help relief efforts from the Wall Street Journal. Here is another great list of ways to help, divided by borough from Opening Ceremony via Brian Ferry. Be safe and take care of each other out there.

Update 11/5: Jenna at Sweet Fine Day compiled a list of NYC based organizations providing direct relief to people affected by the hurricane & The Occupy Sandy Relief Facebook Page is another excellent source of information if you want to help or volunteer directly. They've also set up an amazon registry if you are far away and would like to donate goods that will get to the folks who need them most. Occupy Sandy Relief Registry

Quince Custard Cake
adapted from Brandi Henderson

3.75 ounces all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
6 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons quince poaching liquid
4 ounces butter, melted
1 lb poached quince, drained well and chopped (about 3 medium quince, poaching instructions below)
1 tablespoon crunchy sugar like turbinado or light demerara
a few tablespoons of confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter an 8'' or 9'' round pan or springform pan and line it with parchment paper.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds until foamy. Whisk in the poaching liquid and melted butter.
3. Gently fold in the flour mixture, followed by the chopped quince. Pour the mixture into the pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with crunchy sugar. Slide into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche if desired.

Poached Quince

This recipe makes enough for the cake, plus some extra for snacking or maybe use the extra to make this Buckle.

5 cups water or half water and half white wine
2 cups sugar
1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4'' wedges
1 strip orange zest
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1t vanilla extract
4 medium quince, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

Over medium heat, combine the sugar and water (or water and wine) in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon, vanilla bean seeds and pod and quince and stir gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook the quince gently until they are soft and fork tender, but not mushy. This can take from 20-40 minutes depending on how ripe your quince are and how thickly they are sliced

Store the quince in their syrup until you are ready to use them and save the syrup for soda or cocktails. Serve the extra with yogurt or ice cream, or enjoy them as they are.



p.s. Sorry to the folks that received this post twice, blogger and I got into a fight.

Picking Apples and Making Pie

I am writing this post as Hurricane Sandy is making her way up the eastern seaboard. We are stocked with food and fortified with wine. I have baked a double batch of banana bread, located the magazines, playing cards and Scrabble game along with more practical items like flashlights just in case we lose power. The cat is napping quietly in her favorite desk chair as if tonight is a night just like any other which I am taking as a good sign. We are hunkered down and ready for the storm and I'm sure you're wondering what all of this has to do with pie and I'm sorry to say, nothing really. It's just that it's on my mind and it seems odd to write about anything else right now. So you'll have to excuse the fact that I have no real segue planned here to take you all back to the orchard where I picked the gorgeous apples that filled this classic apple pie.



On a bright sunny day last week I teamed up with an old friend and a new one to make the drive up to Fishkill Farms to pick some of New York state's finest apples. The season was winding down and there wasn't a huge variety of fruit left on the trees, but the mutsus and golden delicious that we picked were incredibly delicious and perfect for the pie that Nicole and I planned to bake. The killer picnic we packed and the warm cinnamon sugar coated donuts with cold, crisp cider at the farm stand weren't too shabby either.
 

The sun was bright that day, almost too bright for the 400 speed film I had in my camera so I don't have too many photos of the farm to share, but check out La Buena Vida for Nicole's gorgeous photos of the day and another shot of the pie we made (thanks for letting me make a mess in your kitchen, N!), and maybe Ellie will cut together a bit of the Super8 footage she shot too. Let's all just hope that she doesn't share my very ungraceful cartwheeling through the orchards...

Stay safe during this wild storm east coasters!

Apple Pie

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey
where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. This
crust is made with  a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes
throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter.

12 ounces pastry flour
8 ounces cold butter
4 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the
other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your
bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough
and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the
dough down and away from you. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to
the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away
from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl,
press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk.
Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I like to chill mine overnight.

For the Filling

4-5 large apples (about 3 lbs) I like mutsus, jonathans, golden delicious, and cortlands
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
zest and juice of one small lemon
zest and juice of half of an orange
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Peel the apples and cut them into 1/2'' chunks. Place the apples in a large bowl then add lemon
and orange juices and zests, stir gently to combine. Add the rest of the filling ingredients (except
the butter) and stir gently to combine.

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few teaspoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 400º

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12’’ circle 1/4''-1/8'' thick
and place it into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/4''-1/8'' thick and place it in the
fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. Fill the prepared pie shell with the apple mixture, dot with the 2 tablespoons butter, and top
with the second crust, trim the edges so there is about 1/2’’ of overhang then crimp the edges
and cut a few vents in the top. If you'd like to make a lattice top, here is a really great step-by-step slideshow from Bon Appetit.com.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min
before you bake it. When you are ready to bake brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and
sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack
of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 350º and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is
deep golden brown and the apple juices bubble. For extra shine, glaze the pie with another coat
of egg wash 10 minutes before you take it out of the oven, but keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.

Gingered Blackberry Cobbler and a Few Favorites

Here are a few things I've enjoyed from around the internets this week and a bonus recipe for a sweet and spicy blackberry cobbler that I made towards the end of my Seattle trip. When life hands you blackberries and you've already made 10 jars of jam and a crisp and you don't have time to let pie dough chill, make cobbler! It is one of those multi-purpose desserts that's not too sweet, making it perfect for breakfast the next day.

- Shae's beautiful post about the terroir of Alaskan blueberries and the jam she made. If you've ever had them, you already know that Northwest blackberries have a distinct terroir of their own.
- Kimberley's lovely words about running and returning
- Some tips on bread management from the always inspiring Rachel
 - A killer circus birthday party with warm cotton candy, a striped cake, and a hot dog bar from Ashley
- I wish I had known about this cocktail from Erin when I had my bounty of blackberries. Campari has been my drink of choice all summer. I guess I'll need a new drink soon, any ideas?
- This series of intimate performances from the Newport Folk Festival, in the ruins of a fort no less
- Lil Bub because if you haven't, you should

Have a great weekend.

Gingered Blackberry Cobbler
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
yield, 1 10'' pan

For the Filling

32 ounces fresh blackberries, rinsed
3 1/2 ounces sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (watch out, it's spicy!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (meyer lemon if available)
juice from 1/2 lemon

For the Topping

5 ounces all purpose flour
2 ounces oat flour (or finely ground oats or use all purpose flour)
4 tablespoons sugar plus 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces butter, melted
1/2 cup plain yogurt (full fat if possible)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375º

For the Filling

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, grated ginger, lemon zest and juice. Add in the blackberries and mix gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to a 9'' or 10'' pie pan and place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Slide into the oven and bake until the filling is hot and bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.

For the Topping

1. While the berries are baking, whisk together the flour, oat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, yogurt and vanilla extract.
2. One minute before the berries come out of the oven, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir gently until thoroughly mixed.
3. Carefully remove the berries from the oven and increase the temperature to 425º. Divide the topping into 8 equal pieces and place them gently on top of the berries about 1/2'' apart, they should not touch. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the biscuits.
4. Slide the whole shebang back into the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets

Take a trip to the market and pick up the most luscious stone fruit you can find, but let it sit on your counter in a bowl for a few days, admire it, arrange it, enjoy its sweet smell. Then, when it is ripe and juicy and in danger of bruising, slice it up and make a tart.




Heck, make a whole bunch of little tarts to share with your friends. Pretend you're Swedish and invite everyone over for fika. I don't know about you, but sharing a cup of coffee and a few bites of something sweet and buttery sounds like a perfect little break in the day to me, but it's summertime so let's keep it nice and easy. Less than 5 ingredients easy.




Roll out some pastry, maybe homemade (maybe not) make sure that it is made from butter and only butter (til death do us part). Cut it into little squares or rectangles or circles if you want, just make sure the pieces are large enough to cradle half of an apricot or a few slices of fuzzy peach. Sprinkle the whole mess with sugar, bake until golden, and enjoy the simple goodness of fresh fruit in a buttery crust.



If you've never tried making your own puff pastry, give it a go with rough puff pastry. It takes a little time, but it's not too difficult and the final product will make you feel like a pastry genius. Plus, when your freezer is stocked with a few sheets of the good stuff, it makes recipes like this a cinch to pull together on the fly. The recipe below makes quite a bit and just think how fancy you'll feel when you tell your pals you made it yourself.

What you'll find below is more formula than recipe, easily adaptable to stone fruit in the summer and apples and pears in the fall and winter. Add some spices or serve these tarts with whipped cream, they're good any way you slice it (pun intended).

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets
inspired by Not Without Salt
yield 18-20 tartlets (depending on size)

It's super important that you make these tarts with very cold pastry and a very hot oven. I've made them a few times now and had the greatest success baking the pastry when it was just shy of frozen. The ones pictured above were baked in an oven that wasn't quite hot enough and while they were delicious, the next batch was quite a bit flakier.

1/2 recipe rough puff pastry (recipe and photo tutorial here) OR 1 sheet store bought puff pastry (all butter please!)
Assorted stone fruit, a pound or so
 - 1 apricot will yield 2 tartlets
 - 1 small peach will yield 3 tartlets
 - 1 small nectarine will yield 3 tartlets
about 1/3c crunchy sugar: turbinado sugar works great, as does organic cane sugar which is generally a bit coarser than granulated sugar, vanilla sugar works well here if you have it
1 egg or 2T milk, cream or even water
Confectioner's sugar to finish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º

1.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 1/4'' thickness. With a knife or pastry cutter, cut the pastry into 2 1/2''-3'' squares or circles (they don't have to be perfect, this is supposed to be easy!). You want them large enough to fit half of an apricot or about 1/3 of a piece of stone fruit. Place the cut squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for at least 20min while you prepare the fruit.
2. For apricots: gently tear them in half. For peaches and nectarines: remove the pits and thinly slice the fruit into 1/8'' slices. Try to keep the halves together while you are slicing them, it will make it easier to fan the slices on top of the tarts.
3. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and brush with a beaten egg (or milk or cream or water in a pinch), sprinkle with sugar, and place the the apricot halves or fanned slices of peaches or nectarines on top. Finish the fruit with another light sprinkle of sugar (if desired) and slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and the fruit has softened, 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Bonus watermelon smile. Because it's summertime.

Fresh Apricot Compote with Vanilla

The apricots available at my local farmer's market are of the rosy cheeked variety, and this time of year it is impossible to ignore them. Their blushing faces stare up at me from their baskets every time I walk by, making them completely irresistible to my produce loving heart and I pick up a handful or two every chance I get.



Like most fruit this time of year, fresh apricots require very little to make them sing. Prepared this way, they are not as sweet or smooth as jam, but a bit of sugar (or honey), vanilla, and gentle heat coaxes out all of their wonderful rich, buttery flavor without losing their distinct tartness. They slump over in the pan and release their juices making them the perfect topping for all sorts of dishes. 

The day I made this compote, we piled big spoonfuls on top of a batch of "Waffles of Insane Greatness" which were so tasty and easy to put together on the fly, but if you can anticipate your desire for waffles the night before, give Marion Cunningham's Yeasted Waffles a try. You have to let part of the batter rest overnight, but the reward of crisp, full flavored breakfast treats will far outweigh the little bit of effort required to put the batter together. Both recipes can be found in this post (with far more poetic descriptions) by Molly from Orangette if you're curious.

I can also say with authority that the compote is great eaten by the spoonful, straight from the fridge or with yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I imagine it would also be delicious spooned over some crispy baked puff pastry and garnished with a dollop of creme fraiche for dessert.

See how I used apricots last summer in this Apricot Jam with Saffron and Rose.

Fresh Apricot Compote with Vanilla
yield about 1 1/2 cups

1 pound/453g rosy cheeked apricots
1.5-3 ounces/36-72g sugar or honey depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1, 1/2'' wide strip of lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

1. Remove the pits from the apricots by gently tearing the fruit in half. Add the pitted apricot halves, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, lemon zest, lemon juice and water to a medium saucepan and stir gently to combine.
2. Cook the mixture on medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and the apricots begin to release their juices. Turn the heat up to medium and gently simmer the apricots, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and beginning to fall apart, but not completely mushy. About 10-15 minutes. Taste the apricots and add a bit more sweetener if desired.
3. Remove the vanilla bean pod and reserve it for another use, remove the strip of lemon zest and serve the apricots warm or cold. If there are any leftovers, store them in the fridge.

Whole Wheat Plum Crumb Bars

I know it's boring to talk about the weather, but here I am, bringing it up again. Living in a place with four distinct seasons forces me to stop and reflect upon what each season brings. Maybe this tendency (along with the grey hair that has started sprouting out of my head) is just another sign that I'm getting older, who's to say for sure? All I know is that this summer, NYC is bringing the heat. It has been a hot, humid summer tempered only by an occasional epic thunderstorm and lots of cold watermelon.



Despite my general dislike of east coast summer temps, I've found a way to ease myself right into the season this year. I find myself in the kitchen most days, weighing flours, cutting butter into even hunks, dropping cubes of ice into a measuring cup of water. I make pie dough and puff pastry and crumbles like this one to house all of the gorgeous summer fruit that I can't stop buying. I make endless, floury messes and clean them up countless times. I turn on the oven when it is far too hot for any sane person to bake. Then, I load my camera with film and try to capture some of this season's essence to remember later in the year when I am complaining about how my toes just won't get warm no matter how many pairs of socks I put on. And if I'm lucky I get to escape the city every once in a while for wide open spaces, hopefully to gather more of summer's bounty.

These perfectly tart crumb bars were baked for just such an occasion, when a group of city kids migrated upstate for the day to drink icy cold beers and make pizzas in a wood fired oven that I had a hand in building. Next time I get up there I am going to do some wood fired baking. Wish me luck!

Whole Wheat Plum Crumb Bars
yield 1 9x13 pan

For the Bottom Crust

6 ounces/170g butter, melted and cooled
3.5 ounces/100g sugar
4.5 ounces/127g all purpose flour
4.5 ounces/127g whole wheat flour
3/4t salt
2t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º and line a 9x13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Lightly grease the inside of the pan.

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in the melted butter and  vanilla extract. Stir gently until a dough forms.
2. Pat the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Slide the pan into the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling and crumble.

For the Filling
The plums I used for this recipe were quite tart. The amount of sugar listed below sweetened them gently while leaving some of that lovely tartness behind, which was perfect. If you are working with sweet juicy plums, you might want to cut back on the sugar a bit.

1lb plums (I used a combination of red and black plums)
1.75 ounces/50g sugar
1/2t ground cinnamon
1t ground cardamom
2t vanilla extract
.5 ounce/14g flour

1. Pit and roughly chop the plums. Put them in a bowl and add the sugar, spices, vanilla and flour. Toss gently to combine. Pour over the cooled crust.

For the Crumb Topping

6 ounces/170g soft butter
3.5 ounces/100g rolled oats
2.25 ounces/64g all purpose flour
2.25 ounces/64g  whole wheat flour
5 ounces/120g sugar
1/4t baking soda
1/2t salt

Preheat oven to 375º

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add in the butter and use your hands to work it into the mixture until it holds together in medium clumps. Sprinkle it evenly over the plum filling.
2. Slide the bars into the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown and the plums begin to release their juices, 30-40min. Cool completely before slicing

Rhubarb Tart with Pink Peppercorns and Rye Pastry

Okay, I know. This tart is definitely not going to win any beauty contests. It's a bit brown and lumpy and the rhubarb I used here is a bit more green than Springy pink, but please don't be fooled by its very humble appearance. This tart is serious business.



It is a dessert for rhubarb lovers of the highest order. Barely sweet and fairly unadorned, aside from a bit of warmth from pink peppercorns, the tartness of the rhubarb really shines through. Before it was lovingly tucked into a nutty rye pastry, the rhubarb took a quick soak in sugar, vanilla bean and the aforementioned cracked pink peppercorns and since I'm not one to waste anything in the kitchen, I sweetened a bit of creme fraiche fortified whipped cream with the excess spiced rhubarb juices to serve alongside.



Oh, and that mess of a burger up there, it was dressed up Aussie style which means a menagerie of toppings from sliced beets and pineapple to a fried egg. It's another food that probably wouldn't place in a pageant, but that doesn't mean they weren't happily devoured by a hungry horde before tucking into my rhubarb tart with generous dollops of whipped cream.

Rustic Rhubarb Tart with Pink Peppercorn Cream and Rye Pastry

Rye Rough Puff Pastry
adapted from Kim Boyce's, Good to the Grain
yield, pastry for 1 large rustic tart or a single crust pie


I won't lie, the rye pastry takes a bit of work to put together but man is it good. It's my new favorite base for fruit desserts and if you stop by the blog later this week you'll see another rhubarb dessert wrapped up in rye (and custard and crumbs!).

4.5 ounces rye flour
4.5 ounces all purpose flour
1/8 ounce salt
1/2 ounce sugar
6 ounces cold butter cut into chunks
4 ounces ice water (may need a little less or more than this)
1t apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt and sugar together. Add in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers. You want the butter to break up into small pieces the size of peas to lima beans.
2. Combine the water and apple cider vinegar in a measuring sup. Make a well in the flour/butter mixture and slowly stream the water into the dough while mixing gently. Mix until the water is evenly distributed and the dough holds together when you squeeze it. It will look dry, and that's okay, just as long as it holds together when you squeeze it. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.
3. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather the wrap tightly around the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight.
4. After it has chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into an 8'' x 11'' rectangle. The dough will be a bit rough and crumbly and that's okay! With the long side of the dough facing you, gently fold the dough into thirds. Then turn the dough so the seam is at the top and parallel to your body. Repeat this process 2 more times then wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before using.

If the rolling/turning sounds confusing, here is a great photo tutorial for making rough puff pastry on Food52.  Their method utilizes 6 "turns" of the dough, which isn't necessary for this recipe but it will give you a great idea of what the rolling process looks like.

Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Filling

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 3'' batons
5 1/4 ounces white sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
1/2t pink peppercorns, crushed with a mortar and pestle
pinch

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, pink peppercorns and salt in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine and let the mixture macerate for an hour.

To Assemble and Bake


1 egg yolk, for egg wash
1 ounce unsalted butter
2T turbinado sugar


Preheat oven to 350º

1. Roll the chilled pastry into a rough rectangle, about 12''x 20''. The pastry should be no more than 1/4'' thick. Place the rolled pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet.
2. Neatly arrange the rhubarb batons in the crust, leaving about 2'' at the edges to fold over. You will have some excess liquid leftover from the rhubarb macerating, reserve about 2 ounces of the syrup to flavor your whipped cream later.
3. Gently fold the excess crust over the rhubarb, making sure to seal the edges well over the rhubarb. IF the pastry seems soft, pop it into the fridge for a few minutes before proceeding.
4. Pour a few tablespoons of the macerating liquid over the rhubarb to moisten it and dot the top with butter. Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle the whole tart with the turbinado sugar. Slide into the oven and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and very crisp, 60-70min.
5. If you have any macerating liquid left brush it on the still warm tart before you serve it, not too much though, you don't want it to get soggy. Serve warm with pink peppercorn cream on the side.

To Serve: Pink Peppercorn Cream

8 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces creme fraiche
2 ounces reserved syrup

Whip the cream to soft peaks, then whip in the creme fraiche and add in the syrup to taste. Serve along side the warm rhubarb tart.