I set my alarm clock for a 4 am wake up this morning to see if we could catch the Perseid meteor shower taking place right now. The skies seemed a little hazy at that time and my neighbors had their outdoor light on (wtf!), but as I stood with my neck arched way back peering up towards the heavens I saw 2 very large shooting stars, one right after the other. I was pumped at that point, and stood in that position, waiting… waiting… and still waiting for more, but no, that was it. Oh well, nothing tried, nothing gained. {my neck kinda hurts}
It’s August, so fun activities that involve waking at 4am are few and far between for us. It’s pretty much go time, full stop until after labor day. And sleep is crucial to get through it all with a smile. Even though the meteor shower was a bust, for us anyway, I’m glad I made a little time in the wee hours of the morning to feed my curious nature-loving soul.
On the plus side, I couldn’t get back to sleep {might be the neck issue}, so I put on the kettle and have been putting this blog post together so you guys can enjoy this summer fruit tart, while summer fruit is still at its best.
Apricot Nectarine & Blackberry Tart with Lavender
Yield 1 10" tart
I hope you all get some time to truly enjoy the last stretch of summer before September rolls around. And I hope there's a good slice {or two} of pie involved.
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Pastry Crust
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or replace with more whole wheat flour)
- 3/4 cup vegan shortening (I used nutiva brand)
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ice water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
Apricot Nectarine Blackberry Lavender Filling
- 6 large apricots (add a few more if they are small)
- 6 nectarines
- 1 1/2-2 cups blackberries
- 3/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon liquor such as bourbon, brandy, or rum (optional)
- seeds scraped from a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lavender flowers
Instructions
Prepare the Crust:
- In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening and olive oil until mixture is in pea-sized crumbles. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork, until dough just comes together into a shaggy ball. (The amount of water needed is always changing, as it is dependent on the humidity and temperature at the time).
- Divide dough evenly into two discs. I've found that refrigerating this vegan dough before rolling it is not necessary. You can at this time individually wrap the discs of dough and refrigerate them to use at a later time if you want/need.
- Roll out one disc to 1/4" thick on a well-floured surface. Use rolling pin to roll up crust and transfer it to your tart pan. Leave overhanging dough for now.
- Roll out second disc in the same manner. Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to cut dough into 1 inch wide strips.
Prepare the Filling:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Slice apricots and nectarines into eighths leaving skin on, discard stones.
- Gently fold all of ingredients together. Pour and spread filling into tart crust.
- Create a lattice top with the strips of dough, by weaving the strips over and under each other, I start from the center and work out. Do not fret if the strips break, as is the nature with a whole grain dough. Simple patch them together, as you can see I've done in the photos.
- Using your fingers, press the edges of the dough together and break off the overhanging dough by pushing down on the edges of the tart pan.
- Brush non-dairy milk of your choice over the top crust and sprinkle top with a tablespoon of rapadura sugar.
- Transfer tart to the baking sheet and bake on center rack at 425˚F for 45 minutes. Lower oven temp to 375˚F and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the center of the tart is bubbling. If dough starts to brown past your liking, cover the top loosely with foil.
- Transfer tart to cooling rack and let it cool for 1 hour before cutting, so the filling sets up.
- Garnish with fresh lavender flowers and serve with your favorite ice cream or whipped coconut cream! Enjoy!
Notes
This tart will keep for overnight left out on the counter to be eaten the following day, or stored the fridge for up to a week.
Did you make a recipe?
Tag @fareisle on Instagram and hashtag it #fareisle.
Props: vintage finds, pie server and berry bowl by Facture Goods
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