Nectarine & Blueberry Tart

I especially loved this beautiful tart because in addition to being delicious, it is made with a flaky and buttery press-in crust and a cheesecake-like no-bake filling. Nice shortcuts! I topped it with my favorite summer fruit- white nectarines. The original recipe uses peaches which would also be fabulous.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. The chilled temperature and brightness from lemon zest made it very refreshing.

Yield: One 9 or 10-inch tart, about 8 to 10 servings

• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 of a large lemon), plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 to 3 peaches or nectarines (1 pound)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• mint leaves, for serving, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
2. Beat butter with confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Reduce speed to medium-low; add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat until just combined and crumbly (do not overmix).
4. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch square tart pan or a 9- or 10-inch round tart pan, with a removable bottom.
5. Dock bottom at 1-inch intervals with the tines of a fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
6. Place on rimmed baking sheet or pizza tin, and bake until golden brown and set, 23 to 33 minutes. Let cool completely. (Crust can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days.)
7. Beat together cream cheese, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon juice, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until creamy.
8. With mixer running, slowly add cream and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups.)
9. Spread mixture into crust; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
10. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, peel peaches/nectarines, if desired; cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. (I left the peels intact.)
11. Transfer to a bowl and stir in berries and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
12. Just before serving, spoon macerated fruit over tart and drizzle some of juice from bowl over it. (I used all of the juice!)
13. Sprinkle with mint, if desired, and serve.

Arugula Salad with Peaches, Basil, Goat Cheese & Pine Nuts

I have a quite a few summer recipes to share. 🙂  I loved this simple salad so much, I had to post it first. I’ve already made it a couple of times! It is composed of many of my seasonal favorites. Bright, fresh, creamy, crunchy and absolutely perfect.

This recipe is from The New York Times, contributed by Lidey Heuck. I used half of the dressing. I made the salad with white peach slices, but it would also be wonderful with sliced nectarines or mango. The author also suggested substituting cherries, strawberries, plums, raspberries or even cherry tomatoes. Lovely.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or side salad

• 1/4 cup (4 T) pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 to 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 T champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 5 ounces baby arugula
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
• 2 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup), plus more to taste

1. In a small sauté pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, tossing often, until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. (I used a small cast iron skillet.) Remove from the heat.
2. In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. (I used 4 T olive oil and 2 T vinegar but used about half of the dressing on the salad and reserved the remaining dressing.)
3. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl. Pour just enough dressing over the greens to moisten, and toss to coat.
4. Add the peaches, basil, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts and toss to coat.
5. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Peach-Pie Crumble Bars

It is going to be really difficult not to make these cookie-like pie bars with my next batch of CSA share peaches. They were really good. The thick bottom crust has a nice crumb but is also a little bit brown and crisp on the bottom. A great combination of textures. The center is a fruity, jammy, and chunky pie filling… Mmmmm…. I also love that the peaches don’t have to be peeled! The only downfall is how long it takes to cool before being sliced. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used a blend of my CSA share yellow peaches and white donut peaches. I also reduced the baking time for a convection oven and covered the pan halfway through baking to prevent over-browning. (I may reduce the temperature to 350 degrees next time and increase the baking time? This would allow the top to brown more evenly without over-crisping the bottom of the crust.) The original recipe suggests replacing the peaches with other seasonal fruit such as nectarines or apricots, and, in the fall, apples. I’m looking forward to trying it with apples. Great!

I’m bringing this summer treat to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #83 hosted by Elaine @FoodBod and Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook. Enjoy! 🙂

For the Crust:

• 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Filling:

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds peaches, pitted and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment. (I used cooking oil spray.) (Consider baking at 350 degrees and increasing the baking time.)
2. Make the Crust: Beat butter with sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour and salt; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2 1/2 cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. (I used the bottom of a dry measuring cup.)
3. Make the Filling: Stir together peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl.
4. Pour the filling into the crust.
5. Crumble remaining flour mixture evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, about 1 hour on convection or up to 1 hour, 10 minutes in a standard oven. (If browning too quickly, tent top with foil- I covered mine after 35 minutes in the oven.)
6. Let cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares.

One Year Ago:

• Raspberry Custard Tart

Two Years Ago:

• White Peach & Raspberry Cobbler with Butter Biscuits
• White Peach Vanilla Bean Jam with Cinnamon

Jacques Pepin’s Plum Galette

Galettes have the most fabulous presentation- and simple preparation. The best combination! 🙂 This buttery and flaky crust can be made in minutes, and this tart can be made with any seasonal fruit. It was amazing with a combination of red and black plums. This recipe was adapted from a staff-favorite Food and Wine recipe, contributed by Jacques Pépin.

I’m bringing it to my favorite weekly blog party, Fiesta Friday #33, at The Novice Gardener this week. Enjoy!

Yield: Serves 8

For the Pate Brisee:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup ice water

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground almonds
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 pounds large plums—halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (I used a combination of red & black plums)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits
• 1/2 cup good-quality plum, apricot or raspberry preserves, strained if chunky or seedy
• 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

1. Make the Pate Brisee: Put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds; the butter should still be in pieces. Add the ice water and process for 5 seconds longer, just until the dough comes together; the butter should still be visible.
2. Remove the dough from the processor and gather it into a ball. On a lightly floured surface or plastic wrap, roll out the dough into a 16-by-18-inch oval 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to a large, heavy baking sheet (I used a very large cutting board.). Chill the dough until firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°(convection).
3. Transfer the chilled dough onto a large piece of parchment paper.
4. Make the Filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar with the ground almonds and flour. Spread this mixture evenly over the dough to within 2 inches of the edge. Arrange the plum wedges on top in a circular pattern and dot with the butter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup sugar over the fruit. Fold the edge of the dough up over the plums to create a 2-inch border. (If the dough feels cold and firm, wait for a few minutes until it softens to prevent it from cracking.) Sprinkle the border with the teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
5. Transfer the tart, on the parchment paper, to a large, rimmed baking sheet. (I used a pizza peel for the transfer.)
6. Bake the galette in the middle of the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes (on convection) or up to 1 hour in a standard oven, until the fruit is very soft and the crust is richly browned. If any juices have leaked onto the baking sheet, slide a knife under the galette to release it from the sheet. Evenly brush the preserves over the hot fruit; brush some up onto the crust, too, if desired. Let the galette cool to room temperature before serving.

One Year Ago:

• Easy Peach Cobbler

Easy Peach Cobbler

I have made this dessert every summer for over 15 years! It is simple, easy and wonderful.

The method is unlike any other cobbler I have made.  First, the batter is poured over melted butter in a baking dish. Then the unpeeled peach slices are cooked in sugar and lemon juice after which they are layered on top of the batter. As the cobbler bakes, the batter rises and envelopes the peaches.

I add more peaches than stated in the recipe because I can’t help myself. 🙂 I bought TONS of peaches at our farm stand because they were so gorgeous!! We were eating even more peaches while I was putting these ingredients together.

The recipe calls for 4 cups of sliced peaches and I used 5 large (gigantic) yellow peaches. The end result had more peach and less batter per bite and was terrific.

This recipe is from Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking, via Southern Living. We ate it with Pecan Shortbread Cookies– is that too much? 🙂 They went surprisingly well together. It is also quite delicious served with vanilla ice cream, of course. 😉

Yield: 10 servings (or more if served with ice cream or cookies!)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 T baking powder
• pinch of coarse salt
• 1 cup milk (I used 1 percent)
• 4 cups fresh peach slices (I use 4 to 5 large peaches)
• 1 T lemon juice
• ground cinnamon or nutmeg, optional
• vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

1. Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Pour batter over melted butter- DO NOT STIR.
4. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
5. Pour peaches over the batter- DO NOT STIR. 
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 28 to 30 minutes, on convection, or up to 45 minutes in a conventional oven, until golden brown.
8. Serve cobbler warm, at room temperature, or cool.

Summer Vegetable & Nectarine “Ceviche”

I have difficulty coming up with interesting side dishes. When a friend asked us to come over for dinner the other night, she asked me to bring a side and I was stumped. Ridiculous. I told her that I would come up with something…. and then she asked me if I had received my Food & Wine magazine that same day– the dish featured on the cover looked tasty. 🙂 It looked gorgeous! Done. The results were bright and DELICIOUS. This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl of greenkitchenstories.com. I started following their blog!

• 1 cup fresh baby lima beans or frozen edamame
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 2 nectarines, cut into thin wedges
• 1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large orange bell pepper, finely julienned
• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1. In a small saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the lima beans until tender, about 10 minutes. (I cooked the edamame for 5 minutes.) Drain the beans and rinse under cold water.
2. In a mini food processor, combine the the lime zest and juice with the olive oil, jalapeño and shallot; season the dressing with salt. Gently fold in the lima beans/edamame, corn, nectarines, avocado,  scallion, pepper and tomatoes. Refrigerate the “ceviche” for at least 2 hours. Fold in the cilantro just before serving and serve the “ceviche” chilled.

MAKE AHEAD: The salad can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.