It is still summer and there’s still berries galore. Plus ripe
fragrant stone fruits, juicy tomatoes and colorful greens. The farmer markets
are the biggest event of the week, and anyone without a dog or a kid feels a
bit left out, but secretly lucky to be lacking. Being overwhelmed by the sheer
amount and variety of produce is definitely understandable. My first summers in
Vancouver I would be hesitant over each piece of fruit or vegetable, what if I
don’t use it? What if it spoils tomorrow? I’m sure apricots will be in season
next week right? I would leave the market with my usual pound of apples, an
apricot scone and a burning desire to own a bulldog to show off.
This year has meant a lot for me, I have made a lot of changes to my
life that have resonated who I am. Small changes in your ordinary life, like
getting those 4 dollar raspberries don’t seem like such a drastic difference,
but I have learned that big rewarding moments come from the smallest of
indulgences. That first raspberry you taste in the summer might make you smile
like you haven’t in years; making that pie or jam might give you the amount of
peace and control you have been looking for; and sharing your finished product
could make you feel like Santa in the middle of summer.
Finding a reason or moment to eat your produce is a lot easier than
finding these such produce in a moment of craving; and it’s even harder when
that craving hits a couple weeks later,
and you find out there is no one fresh tomato to have in the county. Summer
is all about adventuring in my mind, taking advantage of the long hours and
making memories; henceforth, I am always attempting to make significant
memories for each summer. The summer of the 6 pounds of strawberries (lots of
jam), the summer of juices (I juiced everything in my sight), and now, the
summer of the berry.
I am afraid summer will be over any second now, and here I am, buying
any produce I fancy and stuffing my face with glee. There will always be salt
to season those tomatoes, a napkin to wipe that plum juice off your chin, and a
great recipe to use up those berries in. This week I have a beautiful crostata
recipe I found online.
Crostatas are basically the fancier, skinnier and European cousin of
pie. It is an open faced dough disc that gets topped with fresh fruit and then
crimpled back to seal the juices while baking. The contrast of golden dough to
vibrant baked fruit looks divine on a white plate, and for the decadent
audience, vanilla ice cream could not ask for a better date.
This recipe made enough for two good sized pies, enough to feed four
comfortable sized adults or 6 models. The pies will fit in one baking sheet. I
made a blueberry and a basil peach one. The possibilities are infinite though,
off the top of my head I can imagine a mint blackberry, apple bacon, tomato brie
or mushroom gruyere. If I had some prepared dough in the fridge, there would be
a guarantee no summer produce would go to waste. Good thing memories last a lot
longer than crostatas do on the plate.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten
Filling:
About 2 cups of fruit
1-2 T sugar
1 - Macerate fruit with sugar. Add herbs and a pinch of salt
if desired. Set aside.
2 - Combine flour, sugar and salt.
3 - Cut in chilled butter until it resembles coarse sand.
4 -Add ice water a T at a time and keep cutting in. Use your
hands to make a ball. It should be moist but not sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap
and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to a week.
5 -Once chilled, preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough to a
circle and transfer to buttered baking sheet.
6 -Layer fruit in middle, leaving about an inch of outside
rim.
7 -Crimp up outside dough making sure it is sealed.
8 -Use the egg to brush dough.
9-Bake for about 20 minutes. It will be golden, bubbly and delicious looking when ready.
10-Let cool and enjoy with ice cream, creme fraiche or a glass of sweet wine.
Make memories happen.
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