Summer bounty and stone fruit tart

It’s been a bountiful summer in my many ways, with work, friends and delicious summer produce (of course), and I’m so grateful for all of it.

These last few months have been so busy for me, and although at times I’ve felt like I might pull my hair out due to the amount of work I faced on certain days, I continue to be thankful and amazed to be doing what I’m doing. I consider myself very lucky to get to write and cook and eat and actually love doing what I get paid to do. (And having too much work is not a bad problem to have.) 

This weekend I was reminded how fortunate we are to have the friends we have, who make conversation easy and who make us laugh that real, wheezing, it’s-getting-hard-to-breathe kind of laugh. You walk away feeling like you could do that every night, full of appreciation and happiness. And though these times are not relegated solely to summer, there’s just something about dining al fresco that makes it all a little better.

As for the bounty of produce, we’ve been kept knee-deep in fruits and veggies for the last few weeks thanks to Full Circle. I’ve been trying out their weekly organic produce delivery and Thursdays have become like Christmas morning. I run downstairs as soon as I open my eyes to drag in the box from the porch and lay out the week’s haul on the counter in front of me, making mental notes about what I can create with all this loot. I do several happy dances. And then (because you can also add dairy, meat and other groceries to your delivery) I pour myself a tall drink of fresh, organic, cream-top milk from a GLASS BOTTLE, which makes me even happier.  It’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to the milkman and I absolutely adore it.

Now it’s stone fruit season and we were losing a race against time with a big bowl of peaches and plums…

Simple, rustic, tart and sweet; this dessert lets the fruit shine at its peak and it couldn’t be easier to make.

Stone Fruit Tart with Peach-Champagne Glaze

Glaze:

1 1/2 cup diced ripe peaches

1/2 cup champagne

2 tablespoons sugar

Tart:

1 sheet puff pastry

4-5 ripe plums, sliced

2 ripe peaches, sliced

3 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 egg, beaten

flour

For glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until peaches are broken down and mixture has thickened. Force mixture through a fine sieve and return to saucepan. Return to a simmer and reduce until thickened to a glaze consistency. Reserve.

For tart:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll pastry out with a little flour to about 12x12. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush edge with water, then fold up about 1/2 inch border around the pastry. Use a fork to press down and seal edges. Prick center of pastry with a fork.

Fill tart with sliced fruit. Sprinkle almonds on top, then drizzle honey over the fruit.

Beat egg with a splash of water, then brush egg wash lightly on crust.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and flaky.

Let cool slightly. Drizzle peach-champagne glaze over tart just before serving.

Disclaimer: While Full Circle provided me with complimentary produce delivery, I was under no obligation to write about or review it. All opinions are my own.