Kitchen Garden Journal

Inspired by "Chez Panisse Fruit" by Alice Waters

• 2lbs ripe peaches, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch wedges
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2-4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 recipe Galette Dough (recipe below)
• 1/4 cup "moondust" (recipe below)

Galette Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• 7 Tbsp ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse in 4 Tbsp of butter until flour mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pulse in the rest of the butter, until butter pieces are pea-sized or even a little larger. Drizzle in water while processing until dough just starts to come together. Divide in two balls and place each on a sheet of cling wrap. Using the plastic to handle the dough, press each ball into a disk, wrap and chill for at least an hour.

"Moondust"

• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup amaretti cookies, pulverized (optional)

This stuff absorbs the fruit's juices and keeps the crust crisp. This makes four times what you need for one tart, but it's good to have on hand.

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (We just got a pizza stone so I got that heating too, and when I put the baking sheet right on it the bottom of my galette dough crisped up beautifully.) Roll out the dough disks between parchment paper, rolling one slightly larger than the other. Chill again for 30 minutes. Place the large piece of dough with its bottom parchment lining on a baking sheet or pizza tray. Sprinkle 1/4 moondust on the center of the disk leaving 1 1/2 inches empty space around the edge. Arrange the peaches in a slightly overlapping ring, and continue with progressively smaller concentric circles, so that the center is completely covered. Toss blueberries over peaches and sprinkle some more moondust and half the sugar over the fruit. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the border edge and lay the smaller disk of dough over the top. Fold the bottom edge of dough up over the tart edge, crimp and rotate 1 inch and fold again, continuing until the entire galette is sealed. Cut out a few small vent holes, brush the remaining butter over the top and crimped edge and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 1 hour, or until fruit is bubbling out and crust is golden brown. Don't forget vanilla ice cream.

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• Crumble Topping:
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 sticks softened unsalted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then work in butter with your hands. Chill.

• Pear Filling:
• 1 1/2 lbs pears, peeled, cored and cut in 1-inch chunks
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• splash of brandy (optional)

Combine pears, butter, sugar, cinnamon and brandy in a saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Pour fruit mixture into a baking dish and generously sprinkle with crumble topping. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if you wish.

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• Cherry sauce
• 1 quart sour cherries, washed, stemmed and pitted
• up to 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

• Whipped cream
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

• Shortcakes
• 1 ½ cup AP flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 8 Tbsp. cold butter, cubed
• ½ cup cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of Kitchen Aid and cut in butter using the paddle attachment. When butter is the size of small peas, pour in cream while machine is on low until dough just comes together.

Drop dough onto floured surface and roll out with rolling pin to 1-inch thick. Cut out 8 rounds, place them on a baking sheet, and brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.

Place cherries and sugar in a non-reactive pan and cook gently for 20 minutes, until a syrup forms and the cherries burst. Allow to cool slightly.

Place one shortcake on each plate and spoon cherry sauce over it with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Top with a second piece of shortcake. 

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