SUMMER IS EVERYWHERE AND PEACHES ARE FULL IN THE SEASON. THEIR FRAGRANCE, AROMA IS IRRESISTIBLY SWEET BUT ELEGANT and their texture, flesh is soft and luscious. They look beautiful too. Peaches are real things in summer treat. Perfectly ripe peaches are special but they are fragile and easily damaged, so good handling is important.
Nowadays most of the peaches we find at the supermarket are very under ripe, so it takes a few days to ripen at room temperature. I normally pick peaches that have fair skins, no bruises, and they slightly smell the peach aroma. When I come home, rinse them gently in cold water and leave them on the kitchen counter for a few days or until I find nice peachy arom in the air. You don’t have to sniff them, they will tell you that they are ripe. And then I wrap them with kitchen paper towels and refrigerate at the not coldest place. I like peaches slightly chile, and I enjoy them endlessly. However I also enjoy making peach ice cream, peach compote with muscat wine and peach shortcake with good vanilla whipped cream. Occasionally, I enjoy making this “Baked Peach Tart”. I enjoy slightly caramelized peaches baked with light shortcrust pastry. It is very delicious!
BAKED PEACH TART
Recipe adapted from gourmetnotes by garçon de pêche
One 8 to 9-inch tart, serves 6-8
6 firm ripe freestone peaches or nectarines (about 2.2 pounds/1kg. )
One shortcrust pastry or pâte sucrée (about 11 oz./300g)*
Almond powder**
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1-2 tablespoons good honey (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped pistachio or almond as garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Split the peaches in half and remove the pits (cut into quarters if peaches are large or you prefer smaller size). Dash the lemon juice on cut sides if you wish. Set aside. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the almond powder on the bottom of the well chilled shortcrust pastry. Place the peaches cut side up. Scatter the chopped pistachio or almond, then drizzle the honey and the raw sugar. Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the peaches are caramelized. (you may place the tart under the broiler for a few minutes to make a rustic charred look if you wish). Cool on the rack to room temperature. Enjoy as is, or serve with vanilla ice cream.
*PÂTE BRISÉE (Flaky Pastry/ Shortcrust)
For one 9 -10 inch tart pan
Ingredients.
1¼ cup (175g) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons (3½ oz/ 100g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3-4 tablespoons ice water or cold milk
Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter all at once and evenly mix the flour mixture. Work in the butter with your hands or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Your hands need to be cold!)
Add the water all at once and work with your hands until they hold together (Be careful not to over mix). Then make the dough into 5-inch diameter flat disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using or overnight.
**ALMOND-AMARETTI POWDER (for fresh fruits tart)
Makes 1 cup (3.3oz./100 grams).
Ingredients
¼ cup ground almond or almond meal
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Amaretti cookies, pulverized (optional0
In a medium size mixing bowl, toss all the ingredients together. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this keeps for a few weeks.
Note. Freestone or cling-free peaches refer to fruit where the flesh is not attached to the pit. When you cut or bite into these peaches, you can reach in and easily remove the pit, making them a pleasure to eat out of hand and great for cooking, baking, and canning, since they are easy to prep. Freestone peaches tend to show up later in the season, between mid-June and mid-August.
