a rustic but elegant tart to show off the best summer fruit – Ina Garten’s Summer Fruit Tart
Yoo-hoo! I hope you guys are having an amazing week so far! When I say that I’ve been waiting months to make this Summer Fruit Tart, I am not exaggerating at all. A few months ago, my friends at Clarkson Potter Publishing sent me over a copy of Ina Garten’s new book, Cook Like a Pro. I’ve mentioned this before on here, but I am a HUGE Barefoot Contessa fan. I have all of her books, many of which are signed, and have been watching her show since high school. She’s the absolute queen of stress-free entertaining and has a Gd-given gift of creating recipes that really work, and are universally adored.
As I flipped through the pages of her latest book, one recipe in particular caught my eye. This Summer Fruit Tart! If you look at the most populated categories of my blog, the Pies + Tarts section by far has the most recipes. That’s because I’m an absolute sucker for pies, tarts, galettes, and crostatas. Flakey, buttery crust that showcases delicious fruit is basically my love language! But seriously, what a genius idea to do blocks of fruit. Not only is it stunning, but it’s also like having 3 tarts in one! I know I’m using a lot of exclamation marks, but this tart is so freaking good, you guys.
How to be your best Contessa self
Follow the recipe! No need to take many creative liberties here, friends. Ina knows what she’s doing, and you should follow her lead. Like many of her recipes, the ingredient list for this Summer Fruit Tart is minimal. So, focusing on the quality of each ingredient is SO important. Try to find the best tree ripened peaches, blemish-free juicy figs, and plums that are just tart enough. You then arrange them on top of a quick homemade pie crust, it’s very simple, and you don’t really need any special equipment. Ina makes hers in a food processor, but mine is in a bottom cabinet and is currently too heavy for me to lift up, at 9 months pregnant. So, I used a pastry cutter that did the job perfectly. She says to let the rolled out pie crust chill for 15 minutes before arranging the fruit. I highly suggest following her advice, especially when you’re rolling out the dough in a warm summer kitchen. The beauty of this tart is the crispy, flakey crust – the result of chilling the dough.
Another key is the bake time. You may be tempted to take the tart out too early because the juices from the fruit tend to bubble up, and get a bit burned around the tart. Don’t take it out. The tart itself isn’t burned. In fact, it’s essential to bake the tart for the full 45-50 minutes in order to get that crispy crust.
You should absolutely make this gorgeous tart for your next summer gathering with friends or fam. It’s very impressive and delicious! Ina, you’ve done it again! Thank you so much Clarkson Potter for this beautiful book! It will be in great company in my now impressive cookbook library, and I will bake my way through it all year long. Without further delay, here is the recipe –
Summer Fruit Tart
a rustic but elegant tart to show off the best summer fruit - Ina Garten's Summer Fruit Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup ice water
the fruit
- 3-4 ripe peaches
- 6 large fresh figs
- 2-3 ripe plums
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, small dice
- 1/2 cup apricot jelly, heated and sieved
Instructions
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a 5-inch round disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for exactly one hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
On a floured board, roll the dough to a rectangle than 10x14 inches. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin, and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Use a ruler and a small knife to trim the dough to a 10x14 inch rectangle. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
To peel the peaches, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Immerse the peaches in the water for between 15 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on their ripeness. Transfer them a bowl of cold water to cool, then remove the skins. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and cut in 1/2 inch thick wedges. Remove the stem of each fig, and cut into quarters through the stem. remove the pits from the plums, and cut them in 1/2 inch thick wedges.
Place the fruit artfully on the dough in rows. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the fruit starts to brown. Rotate the pan during baking. The juices will burn in the pan, but don't worry, the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, loosen it from the pan while it's still warm and transfer to a board.
In a small pan, heat the apricot jelly with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the fruit and pastry completely with the warm jelly. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.