Fresh Fruits Can Become The Joys Of Summer In Pastry Tart

June 19, 1986|By Peter Kump.

When you finally get beyond the gooey, sticky, sweet stage of desserts, sophisticated pastry tarts are a lovely way to take advantage of fresh summer fruits.

During my childhood in California, strawberries were the first to become available, usually in mid May, followed by raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, blackberries and blueberries. Each seemed to be my favorite until the next appeared on our vines.

The traditional fruit tart is composed of a short pastry shell filled with pastry cream and topped with fruit, fresh in the case of berries and poached or baked if you`re using pears, peaches or apples.

A few years ago I came across a fruit tart developed by Roger Verge, one of France`s great chefs. His restaurant on the Riviera, Moulin de Mougins (the Mill at Mougins), is celebrated as one of the country`s best.


Berries such as raspberries, boysenberries and others with little

``bumps,`` actually seeds, are not washed. Just pick through them removing any stems, thorns or leaves.

-- Smooth-skinned berries such as blueberries and currants are always washed, then picked through to remove stems. Wash them in a large bowl of cold water to which a tablespoon of clean distilled vinegar has been added to help dissolve any sprays. Rinse again in a bowl of clear water and drain.

-- Strawberry stems should be removed after washing. If the berries are hulled first, then washed, they will absorb too much water. To hull, use a paring knife and cut out the core, including the conical shaped stem. Or use a huller, which resembles large, flat tweezers. Twist the stem slightly with the huller and gently pinch out the hull.


Almonds should be stored with their skins to keep their oils fresh and the nut meat from drying. To skin or blanch almonds, drop them into boiling water for 45 seconds to 1 minute, pour through a strainer and dump onto a clean dish towel. Rub the towel vigorously to break the skins. For those that resist, gently pinch the skins with the fingers and the almond will shoot right out. Be careful to aim for the towel or you will be picking them up all over the kitchen.

If they are to be pulverized, the almonds should be dried first. Place them on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven and they should dry in about 10 mintutes. Watch carefully: Do not let them toast or burn unless the recipe specifies.

Select the fruit for tarts from what is in season. Raspberries and red currants are especially nice now.

This recipe, which I adapted from the one made famous by Verge, makes a large tart of 8 to 10 servings. But you might make them as individual ones.


Eight to 10 servings

Preparation time: 50 minutes

9-inch almond cream cake; recipe follows

1/4 to 1/2 cup apricot sauce; recipe follows

1 1/2 cups raspberry sauce; recipe follows

2 cups of sliced fruit; suggested: 1 unpeeled but cored apple, 1 peeled banana, 1 peeled and cored pear, 1 peeled and pitted peach, 1 peeled kiwi

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup raspberry preserves, strained to remove seeds

Fresh strawberries or raspberries for garnish

1. Prepare the almond cream cake, the apricot and raspberry sauces.

2. Slice all the fruit except the berries. Toss the fruit gently with the lemon juice.

3. Wash the berries in a large bowl of water with a tablespoon of clear distilled vinegar to help wash off any sprays. Rinse again in clear water. Refrigerate all the fruit.

4. To assemble the tart, spread the strained raspberry preserves over the cake. Arrange the sliced fruit decoratively with the berries on top.

5. Drizzle the apricot sauce over the fruit. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve. Pass the raspberry sauce separately.


One 8-inch cake

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

1 cup (about 4 ounces) blanched almonds

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature

1. Butter a 9-inch round or 8-inch square nonstick cake pan or baking dish. If you don`t have nonstick, cut ou a piece of wax paper to fit the buttered bottom, then butter the paper as well. Cut wax paper to fit the sides and butter the paper.

2. Pulverize the almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the sugar and process for 1 minute more. Add the eggs and butter and process until very smooth.

3. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deeply browned and withdrawing from the sides. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully unmold the cake.

Note: As is many French cakes, this cake will be about an inch high.


About 1 cup

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

1 cup apricot jam or preserves

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 to 2 tablespoon kirsch, cognac or rum

1. Bring the apricot jam, water and sugar to a boil, reduce heat and cook slowly for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Strain through a sieve to remove all pulp. Stir in the kirsch, cognac or rum. Cool.


About 1 1/2 cups

Preparation time: 10 minutes

1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

1 to 2 tablespoons kirsch or framboise (raspberry liqueur), optional

Sugar to taste

1. Puree the frozen raspberries in a blender or food processor. Strain to remove seeds.

2. Add kirsch and taste for sweetness: If too acidic add sugar, stir to dissolve and taste again. Refrigerate sauce.