I know I have not found the time to tell you much about what I’ve cooked this summer. I have been away working on some special projects. Even in the tightest of schedules I can always find a few moments, inspired by market stands bursting with summer goodness a way to cook.

 

It has been a summer of fanciful salads, chilling soups, delicate sweet tarts; some savory and more than I can count the delightful Sunday suppers with friends. So many good things come out of summer despite the heat, I love it.

 

Stone Fruit Tarts w/ Coconut Pastry Cream & Pistachios

Summer Inspired Fruit Salad

Having fun with heirloom tomatoes.

An Heirloom Tomato Tart.

Coconut, Strawberry & Red Currant Ice Cream.

One recipe this summer I fell in love with are these stone fruit crumbles filled with rainier cherries, Freestone peaches, red currants and raspberries. Why not settle for just a one fruit crumble when you can have them all so beautifully baked under tender crumbs. They taste of summer and are basically the easiest thing on this earth to make.

Stone Fruit & Summer Berry Crumble

During the days of summer one cannot help but pick the best sun-ripened fruit for a tart or pluck a few fragrant herbs from the garden to season hand-harvested tomatoes. Simple joys, simply delicious!

So here you are, take a peek and enjoy these summer snapshots.

Enjoy!

Stone Fruit & Berry Crumble Recipe [serves 4]

4 medium peaches, pitted & cut into ½ inch pieces

½ cup Rainier cherries, halved & pitted

1/3 cup whole red raspberries

1/3 cup whole golden raspberries

¼ cup red currants

2 Tablespoons cane sugar

1 ½ Tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 vanilla bean, split & seeds removed [reserve pod for another use]

2 teaspoon raspberry vinegar

gluten-free Crumble Recipe

¼ cup amaranth flour

¼ cup sorghum flour

3 Tablespoons cane sugar

4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

preparing the crumble:

1. Mix together the flours, sugar and sea salt in a bowl.

2. Cut cold butter into the mixture. I like to grate the butter and work it into a crumbling mixture with my fingertips. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

preparing the fruit:

1. Whisk together sugar, arrowroot and vanilla seeds.

2. Toss mixture with prepared fruit, add vinegar and allow to macerate for 10-15 minutes.

3. Evenly divide fruit into four baking bowls or oven-safe dishes.

4. Top with crumble and bake for 35-40 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and crumble is golden.

Enjoy with soft whipped cream or ice cream.

Stone Fruit Tarts w/ Coconut Pastry Cream [makes approx. 8-4 inch tarts]

Assorted fresh fruit [such as cherries, peaches, red currants…]

Coconut Pastry Cream [recipe follows]

1 ½ cups glutted-free baking mix [bottom of post]

½ cup almond meal

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon sea salt

preparating the dough:

1. In a food processor combine butter and confectioner’s sugar together until fluffy, 2 minutes.

2. Add egg and sea salt and process for another minute or so.

3. Add flour and almond meal, pulse just until combined, approximately 5 seconds.

4. Dump bowl onto a work surface and knead just to form a ball.

5. Form dough into a log and chill for 4 hours.

baking the tart shells:

1. Cut dough into thin slices and press into tart shell to an eight inch thickness, do not roll out.

Left over tart dough can be frozen for impromptu tarts latter!

2. Dock bottoms of tarts and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Bake shells at 350°F from chill for 12-13 minutes or until edges start to turn golden.

4. Cool for a few minutes in the tart pans, then unmold and cool completely on a cooling rack.

assembling tarts:

Spoon a layer of coconut pastry cream into each tart and arrange fruit; sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Once tarts are assembled they should be eaten as soon as possible.

Coconut Pastry Cream

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk [from carton]

1/2 cup regular coconut milk [from cans]

1 1/2 Tablspoons corn starch

3 Tablespoons cane sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup coconut puree [such as Boiron Brand]

3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

1. Place coconut milk in a small sauce pan and bring just to a boil

2. Meanwhile, whisk together corn starch and sugar in a bowl.

3. Beat in egg until incorporated and sugar is dissolved.

4. Slowly pour hot coconut milk into egg-sugar mixture while whisking.

5. Return mixture to saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly.

6. Once coconut mixture thicken strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

7. Stir in coconut puree and cold butter until incorporated.

8. Cover cream with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, chill.

 

 

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