I Beg to Differ; Getting Ready for 4th!!!!!

  Now that’s a Hydrangea!  This plant is taller than me – 5′, and is at least as wide.  I have two, side by side that are just gorgeous – just wish it would cool off a little – these are in full sun and so the flowers tire earlier in the season than they could.

Last Wednesday’s NYT featured a beautiful presentation about Melissa Clark’s Rose-Scented Tart.  I have to say, I loved this recipe and while I was in the City at the New York Cake Co. on 22nd Street, I picked up a bottle of Rose Water so I could try it out if I didn’t have any highly fragrant, non-sprayed fresh roses.  I will hope to use fresh ones, though!

I have to say that I really don’t agree with Melissa’s comment that fruit tarts are refined, utterly traditional, too predictable, staid and dull – maybe she is just referring to the composition component and likes the rusticity of the cobbler and pie better????   I don’t know, I think you can be highly creative with tarts – and I have seen and eaten some amazing ones!  Well, her comments got my creative juices flowing and I was off on a tear, exploring tart recipes and ideas for unusual combinations.

I happen to love making tarts of all kinds, but especially fruit tarts. I think they can be as interesting, surprising and imaginative as any ideas for your bubbling cobblers or oozing pies.  As I do with my ubiquitous scone recipes, the combinations can be endless and as wild and crazy as you can be.  Let’s think about this – there are limitless  variations in the three primary components:  crust, fillings – as in custards etc. and toppings.  I just don’t get why she’d refer to them as staid.  I do love her idea to be out of the ordinary with the roses.  Why can’t you feel like you can work with this concept in including a multitude of herbs, savory elements, variations on the dairy component, i.e. pastry creams, curds, incorporation of mascarpone or even goat cheese – (I happen to love the combination of peaches and goat cheese,) a multitude of crust options – sweet and savory, and, well, a limitless fruit selection? And there’s always the incorporation of various types of nuts.

Here are some ideas – I guess I don’t think they are staid:

Plum and Blueberry with Thyme

Nectarine and Green Grapes, Lemon and Tarragon

Nectarine and Blueberries – ‘nough said!

Peach and Raspberry – Melba Delight

Cherry, Raspberry and Strawberries – red berry jamboree

Peach with sweetened Goat Cheese custard with crushed almond topping

Summer Fruit Swirl with mascarpone cream filling –  use whatever is on hand

Lemon curd with: Blueberries – a classic

Chocolate Tart with Orange Slices

Key Lime Tart with lime curd – not the condensed milk stuff

I don’t think these are staid –  although these are basically pretty straight-forward.  I’m off to read Tart Love  by Holly Herrick.   And, waiting for The Art of the Tart by Tamasin Day-Lewis.

This all makes me want to get into the kitchen and experiment……….  Stone fruits, albeit not totally local are coming to market big time now so it is a great time for foraging the Farmer’s Markets.  I am currently hoarding peaches and had a divine nectarine on a salad the other day.

The weekend-before-last  I was obsessing about Lemon-Lavender Scones and had purchased some fresh lavender at the Farmer’s Market.  Before I jumped into this recipe, I began to look around at the “edible” situation when it comes to lavender.  I admit I became a little hesitant as I hadn’t grown the lavender myself, didn’t know what variety it was and whether or not it had been sprayed – as Melissa makes very clear in her discussion of using fresh rose petals in her tart.  Being uncomfortable enough – I guess I will do more research on this and ask a lot more questions about the “purity” of these ingredients.

I am a big fan of Dan Barber of Stone Barns.  Check out the article about him in the July/August issue of WSJ Magazine.  His insights into sustainable farming are unique and thought provoking.

Here is the view outside my back door on Cape Cod!  I love sitting out here all day – but mornings are the best!

  Ahhhhhhh………this is what I call therapy!

Tomorrow is not only food day in the papers but it is July 4th!!!!!  Lots of recipes to explore and think about.   Yesterday, I went looking for a S’Mores pie and found one from The Noshery” which is adapted from a Gourmet 2006 recipe.  This is definitely a possibility for tomorrow.  But, in all likelihood, I’ll bow to tradition and do my Blueberry-Peach!  Definitely a favorite!

My Classic BLUEBERRY-PEACH PIE

1 recipe for double crust – I use Ina Garten’s

2 pints blueberries

5 ripe and fragrant peaches, peeled, remove pit and sliced into 8 slices ea; do not use under ripe fruit!

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

zest of one lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tblsp butter

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare pie crust and refrigerate as directed.  Roll out and place bottom crust in pie plate.  In a large bowl, combine blueberries and peaches.  Sprinkle fruit with the lemon juice.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the lemon zest with your fingers to release the lemon essence from the zest.  Add the flour to the sugar mixture and stir to combine.  Add to the fruit and toss to combine.  Transfer to the pie shell. Top with 2 tblsp butter cut into small pieces and distributed all around.  Roll out the top crust and cut with a pastry cutter into strips.  Make a lattice top.  Brush top crust with milk.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until crust is well browned and filling is bubbling.  Cool on a wire rack.  Top with best vanilla ice cream!!!!!!!  Enjoy!  Yum – the best of Summer!

Tomorrow is probably going to be an All-American dinner:  Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, coleslaw and potato salad and baked beans!  Homage to my dear Mom who adored classic food!  Wish she were here.  Missing my kids, too – neither whom will be here – I guess I don’t like the holiday in the middle of the week.  Ugh.   And, speaking of All-American Food, here is my definition of celebrating the 4th of July early – others reach for a cocktail? not, me – I’d pick this anytime:

Here are some pics from our yard in Orleans, MA.:

    

Weather has cooled down here – a good day for work, finally!  Have a happy!