What could be more wonderful than summer fruit? I am talking about the organic summer fruit grown in the United States, not fruit shipped in from South American or Mexico. Right now the fruit is spectacular; peaches, nectarines, blueberries, strawberries, plums. I can’t seem to get enough of these these sweet, delicious, juicy delicacies. When I go to the market and see all of the fruit beauty in front of me, my eyes become bigger than my stomach. I can’t resist because I know as fast as the fruit arrives the season will be gone even faster. So I buy a lot and make as many wonderful fruit concoctions as possible. I have a refrigerator full of preserves, a freezer full of fruit gelato and containers of blueberries (I am a blueberry squirrel, saving some for the non-blueberry months) . On my counter sits a bowl full of peaches, nectarines and plums some of which have been turned into a Summer Fruit Crostada.
What I like the best about this recipe is that it cooks for just enough time to get the crust brown and super crispy but the fruit is still firm and holds its shape. The time in the oven lets the fruit produce just enough juice to keep it from being mushy and runny. I love that I can feel the texture of the fruit between my teeth. I also love the rustic reform look of this tart. It is a perfect dessert to end a light lunch on the veranda or a casual dinner such as a BBQ.
I will give you a huge tip. Let the tart cool the whole time recommended and use two wide off-set metal spatulas to move it from the pan to your serving dish. If you try to lift it without the help of the spatulas it will break and you really don’t want that to happen. If you are not going to serve this to company, it is purely for your pleasure and you don’t have the spatulas to help you move it don’t bother. Just leave it on the baking pan.
When I make a tart such as this I use my pizza pan with holes on the bottom. This type of pan helps the bottom of the Crostada cook and become crispy. The parchment paper will catch any juices that may drip from the Crostada. (You can see the pan through the parchment paper in the first photo.)
As you can see by the picture, the Crostada looks beautiful. I am doing all I can to keep from diving into it before it cools. But I will wait and have a great dessert tonight.
Summer Fruit Crostada
Crostada Ready For The Oven
For The Pastry
Makes Enough Pastry For Two Crostadas
3½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
8 Ounces Cold Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks) Cut Into 16 Pieces
½ Scant Cup Cold Vegetable Shortening Such as Crisco
5 – 6 Tablespoons Ice Water
For the Filling
3 Each Ripe Peaches and Nectarines Cut into 1/2 Inch Wedges
1 Cup Blueberries Stems Removed
1 Cup Cherries, Pits Removed and Cut in Half
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Large Egg Lightly Beaten with 1 Tablespoon Water
2 Tablespoons Sanding Sugar for Dusting
My personal preference for making this or any pastry crust is to use my fingertips. To make it my way, place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cut up butter and blend into the flour mixture using your fingertips. Work quickly so butter does not get too soft. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal or small peas. Add the vegetable shortening in the same manner. When all is mixed take a small amount and press it together in the palm of your hand. If it stays together it is time to add the water. Start with 5 tablespoons of the ice water and pour over the mixture. Gather the mixture together into a ball. If it is too crumbly and won’t stay together add a little more water. You want the mixture to come together nicely. Not dry or wet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into 2 balls. Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap, separately, in plastic. Refrigerate for one hour before rolling out. This gives the glutens time to rest and keeps the pastry from shrinking while it is baking. Very important to always do this when making any pastry.
If this all seems to daunting, use your food processor following this next set of directions: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and shortening to the flour. Pulse the mixture until the mixture forms crumbs the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine the mixture and the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into 2 balls. Flatten into disks and wrap the each disk separately in plastic. Refrigerate for one hour.
(If you are planning on making only one crostada, wrap the second disk in double plastic wrap and put into a plastic freezer bag. It will last in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for up to two months.)
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before rolling. If the disk of dough is too cold it will crack when you roll it. You don’t want that to happen. Bringing it to room temperature won’t hurt it at all as long as it got to rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (400 if using a convection oven.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the pastry into an 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
In a large bowl mix all of the fruit with the sugar and cornstarch. Place the mixture in the middle of the pastry leaving a two inch border. Gently fold the border up over the edge of the fruit being careful not the tear the pastry. Brush the folded edge with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake on the rack in the middle of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the pastry crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Using two wide aluminum or stainless spatulas, carefully transfer to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature with Crème Fraiche, Ice Cream or Whipped Cream.
I hope you will give this a try. You can post comments to this recipe right here on the blog or you can e-mail me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com