Rustic Berry Tart

Rustic Berry Tart, one of my all time favorite summer desserts. This is the season when local farmer's markets and drive by fruit stands have an abundance of fruit to choose from. I mean an abundance, from your berries to your stone fruits. You can create any kind of fruit tart. A throw together of whatever suits your fancy. Mixed berries, peaches, plums, apricots, peaches & raspberries, plum & apricots. You get to choose! I love food like that. What I love about this dessert is that there really isn't a recipe to follow. You don't even have to make the crust! Store bought pie crust works just as well. I just so happen to have an extra pie crust in the freezer that I used. I do have a box of  pie crust in our refrigerator as a matter of fact. Just waiting to be the base of another tart or the cover for a pot pie. I'm sure with these hot days of summer and just the business of summer activities you probably don't want to be spending a lot of time putting a dessert together. Keeping a box of refrigerated pie crust on hand, and picking up a few pints of fruit, some ice cream or whip cream and you will have a quick & easy treat in no time. You can pretty much make this no matter where you go. Go ahead be creative, bake on the wild side!!!

When thing that I do enjoy doing is putting a meal together with what I have stashed in the freezer or pantry. I do like the challenge of what can I make with whats on hand. Some of our favorite soups, stews, pot pies & chili have been using what's on hand. Since I always have things rotating in & out nothing will taste the same twice. Always an adventure! I have been working on being more flexible when it comes to throwing a last minute meal together, packing for a day on the water or just a weekend of whatever comes our way. No plans at all, or changing plans to do something else. What I do love is the fact that God has the perfect plan. He created His world in Six (6) perfect days, a little on each day and rested on the seventh (7). Genesis 1:1-31 & Genesis 2: 1-3. I find myself being happy doing very little activity on Sundays. His perfect plan of salvation, through the sacrifice of His only Son, so that I have eternal life with Him. Romans 10: 1-13. His perfect plan of my life, never a throw together or mix match of this and that, but that everything and everyone who comes across my life is His perfect plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Rustic Berry Tart-

Ingredients-

1 Store bought refrigerated pie crust or one of your own favorites.
3 pints or roughly 3-4 cups of mixed fruits of your choice. I used blueberries, raspberries &
blackberries. Rinsed just before using and drain in a strainer.
2 Tablespoons or so of sugar & flour
Sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired
Some grated lemon peel if lemons on hand

 Directions-

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix the fruit with sugar & flour. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired. Can add some grated lemon peel if you want. Just a sprinkle. 
Roll out pie crust gently into a 10-12" circle.
Place the fruit in the center of dough but leaving a good 1" or 1 1/2" around the edges. Bring edges up on top of the fruit so that it just lays on top of the fruit. Lightly brush the edge with a little 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream or milk & then sprinkle the entire tart with a little more sugar. I like to add a dot or two of butter.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or just until the crust is evenly browned. Let cool. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream or whip topping.

Eat & Love Well, Sonya

A New Addition & Triple Berrry Pie

Welcome a new addition to our family! She arrived on Friday, December 16th. She is absolutely beautiful and greets you with a pie, my son's favorite of course, Cherry. I might have some competition though, her pie crust looks perfect. My husband has named her Sue B. I saw a bear similar to this on a road trip one day and was telling my friend about her. I thought it would be so cool to have a bear greeting you at our door with a pie. I'm all about pie you know! (Our Sue B is way cooler!!!) This was my Christmas gift from her to me, to cross off my bucket list and to move forward. Do you have a bucket list? I never really thought about it until Friday. Yes, I guess I do have a bucket list. Somethings I keep to myself and other things I share. My husband has helped me cross things off my list. God has surrounded me with wonderful family and friends, and through them he continues to bless me and they too have helped with my bucket list. God enriches me daily with His one and only perfect gift, His Son, Jesus!

The Christmas Story continued-
Luke 2:16-20 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manager. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 


I wish you and your families a  Blessed Christmas and an amazing New Year. Thank you for reading my blog, for being an encouragement and a blessing in my life.

Triple Berry Pie-

Ingredients-

Your favorite pie dough for a double crust

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup  hulled sliced fresh strawberries 

34 cup fresh blackberries

3/4 cup fresh raspberries 
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
milk for brushing & coarse or regular sugar for sprinkling on the crust


I usually like to make this pie when fruit is fresh and in season, but the frozen mixed berries have worked really well. Just thaw them and proceed with the recipe. This is also my son's favorite, and we can eat this together with just forks in hand. Yummy!!!!

Directions-

Roll one crust in bottom of a 9" pie plate.


Combine sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Add the berries and gently toss with the sugar mixture until coated. Add the water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat just to the boiling point. Stir often.


Pour filling into crust and dot with butter.


Roll out top crust and place on the top of the filling, or you can cut strips and do a lattice pattern. I just cut out some leaves and placed them randomly on the top of the berries. If you place a top crust, make sure to cut vents in the middle to let steam out. Crimp you edges and lightly brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. 


Have oven preheated to 350 degrees. Bake the pie until the berries bubble and the crust is golden brown about 45 minutes. Cool completely.


Eat Well, Sonya

Slab Pie!

Never heard of it? Neither have I, until I came across this recipe featured in the Special issue of Everyday Food. As soon as I read the recipe I knew exactly who I was going to make this for and why. You see, a friend of mine is in the process of building her first house and the contractors were getting ready to pour the slab foundation. Well, a slab foundation needs to be celebrated with a Slab Pie!!
Building a house is huge and is much more than the materials. It's family traditions, love, laughter, tears, a place of refuge, a comfort zone where one is free to be who they are. I'm very glad that my foundation starts with my faith in God. Without him, I would fee incomplete. Isaiah 28:16

Please don't let the size of this pie scare you away. A whole jelly roll size! I wondered myself how in the world is this crust going to roll out? This was one of the easiest pies I have made. The crust rolled out beautifully and the filling was a quick throw together. Fresh peaches in August, Amen!! Homemade whipped cream was the garnish of choice. One bite and Oh my, it was absolutely delicious. It all came together, our August evening sharing Slab pie with family & friends, celebrating a foundation and the solid building of a continued future for mother & daughter. Congratulations! 

Is there something in someones life that needs a little celebrating. Try this pie. Swapping out peaches for apples or stone fruits would produce equally good results. Don't be surprised if someone shows up wanting to trade you a plant for a piece of leftover Slab pie!

Slab Pie
Crust 
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups cold unsalted butter (4 sticks) cut into small cubes
2/3 cups ice water

In a food processor process the flour, salt & sugar until combined. Add the cold butter & process until mixture resembles small peas. With machine running add 2/3 cup ice water pulsing till the dough is crumbly and holds together. (If necessary add 1/2 cup ice water, 1 Tablespoon at a time) Do not over mix! Divide dough into 2 disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.


Preheat oven to 400.


Filling
3 3/4 pound peaches-rinsed & thinly sliced (12 cups)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice


Toss together and set aside.


Lightly flour a work surface roll out 1 disk to a 12x16" rectangle. Roll the dough over rolling pin and carefully unroll over rimmed jelly roll pan. Pressing lightly to fit. Pour in the peach filling and light brush edges with water. Repeat with remaining dough unrolling over the filling. Press along the edges to seal & crimp. With a paring knife cut slits on to top to vent. Place pie in oven and reduce the temperature to 375. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling. 45-50 minutes. Let cool 1 hour before serving. 


Serves 12-14. To serve 6-8 people halve recipe and use a 9" pie plate.


Eat Well, Sonya