Don’t rush winter. Enjoy these summer tarts!

When I think of pies, I think of a warm winter kitchen and the cozy perfume of a cinnamon spicy apple pie. Pies remind me of cold, short days and longer, cold nights warmed by the hot pie and some steaming coffee.

I know winter will be here in due course but I intend to hold it off as long as possible so I can enjoy the summer and all the great desserts that summer can offer. Many of those desserts, besides ice cream and frozen yogurt, are fruit based, and my favorite summer dessert is a fruit-based tart.

Tarts are summer fare.

There is no top crust to keep the fruit blanketed with flakiness. A tart is open, like summer, to show off the rich colors and glory of the summer fruits and vegetables. A good fruit tart is light enough for summer but substantial enough to eat with a tall, iced tea; the sweet, buttery crust cradling the fruit is mellow against tart, juicy filling and the overall effect is perfect summer; Fresh, light, not too much kitchen or oven time and beautiful to look at.

But summer tarts are not just for dessert!

Fresh vegetables are the perfect start for a savory, summery, vegetable tart. Add a salad and some delicious bread and you have a perfect light meal for dinner on the deck. Garden sweet tomatoes, zucchini, sweet onions, beets, almost any delicious vegetable can be made into a light summery tart for dinner. The list is as endless as your imagination.

Tarts are perfect for summer, so make the summer last with some great treats from the kitchen. All you need are some great fresh summer fruits or veggies and your imagination. Let kids choose and place their own favorite veggies for a veggie tart dinner. Follow with a delicious blueberry tart and ice cream for dessert.

It’s great summer eating. Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Tart (Pareve)

Best made the day before serving. Also, I cook the sauce first and let it cool while I assemble the rest of the tart.

PASTRY:

1-1/2 cups flour

6 Tbsp. pareve margarine (or butter for a dairy tart)

2 Tbsp. solid vegetable shortening

1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. ice water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In food processor bowl, combine flour, margarine, shortening, sugar. Pulse until consistency of coarse meal. Add ice water slowly through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together. Usually less than 3 tablespoons is enough. Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a well-floured surface for several seconds.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 45 to 60 minutes. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix this with a large fork and your hands. The results are the same.

Place the dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll out to an 11-inch circle and press into and up the sides of a slightly greased 9-inch quiche pan or pie pan. Flute the edges and prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for an hour.

Place a parchment circle on the bottom of the tart crust and fill with dried beans or rice to keep the bottom from rising. Place the crust in the lower third of the oven at 400 degrees. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and carefully discard the paper and beans or rice (the beans or rice get very hot,so be careful). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

NOTE: If this sounds too daunting, use the quick, frozen crust method. Use a frozen Pareve crust and follow the baking directions above.

GLAZE:

1/2 cup apricot, seedless raspberry, strawberry or peach preserves.

1 to 2 Tbsp. fruit liqueur like apricot or peach OR

1 to 2 Tbsp. Orange or other fruit juice.

I like to use apricot preserves, apricot nectar and apricot liqueur. I also add a splash of lemon juice for brightness

Blend all the glaze ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and a bit thick. Add only as much liquid as needed. Apricot and peach usually need a little more liquid than does the raspberry. Brush the glaze on the cooled tart shell and let sit for 10 or so minutes.

FILLING:

2 to 3 cups large fresh blueberries. Washed and dried thoroughly. (Set the washed berries on a rimmed baking dish that is lined with several sheets of paper towels. Shake a bit to dry then out.) Place them evenly into the tart shell.

SAUCE:

3 cups blueberries

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depends on tartness of berries)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbsp. red currant jelly

1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook, stirring almost constantly, for ten to fifteen minutes or until mixture thickens. It will coat the spoon when done.

Let cool till just warm then refrigerate and chill until just cool. Don’t let it get cold or it will set.

Spread the cooled sauce evenly over the berries. Chill the tart for several hours or overnight. It is delicious with vanilla ice cream for a dairy treat. Serves 6 to 10.

Your Favorite Fruit Tart (Dairy)

CRUST:

1 cup flour

1 stick butter, chilled (I use unsalted, but you can use salted)

2 Tbsp. sugar (scant)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. ice water

Mix the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture is like corn- meal. Add the ice water slowly through the feed tube adding just enough to let the dough stick together to form a ball. Do not add too much water. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for about an hour.

Roll out the dough and place over a 9-inch tart pan. Press into the pan and crimp the edges, cutting off the extra. Dough should be about 1/4 inch higher than the top of the pan. Prick the bottom and place in the freezer for an hour or up to overnight.

FILLING:

Choose one kind or several kinds of fruits that can be sliced, such as nectarines, peaches, apricots, etc.

6 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 to 1/2 stick butter

1-2 Tbsp. apricot liqueur (optional)

About 1-1/2 pounds of fresh, very ripe fruit

Slice the fruits and place them in a pretty overlapping design around the tart shell. Sprinkle the sugar over and dot with butter. Drizzle the liqueur over the fruit and bake in a 375-degree oven for about one hour, until golden and the fruit looks softened.

GLAZE:

1 cup apricot preserves

2 Tbsp. apricot or raspberry liqueur

Mix the preserves and the liqueur in a food processor until smooth. Heat in a small saucepan until just boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Spread the glaze on the tart and serve warm or chilled.

VARIATIONS: For a cold tart with fresh fruit, bake the shell at 400 degrees until golden. Double the glaze recipe and use half to glaze the bottom and sides of the tart shell. Fill with sliced fresh fruits such as peaches, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc., in a creative design. Paint with the rest of the glaze and refrigerate.

Summer Tomato Basil Tart (Dairy)

1 package frozen puff pastry

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

30 to 40 very ripe red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes

1 bunch fresh basil

Oregano

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Gruyere cheese

2 to 3 cloves garlic

Thaw the puff pastry and cut out 8, 4- to 5-inch circles. Take the remaining puff pastry and roll it into a thin string, about 1/3-inch in diameter. Place a strip around each circle and press gently to form a rim around each tart. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet and refrigerate until needed.

Place the garlic, half the olive oil, salt and pepper into the food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.

Grate the cheese into a small bowl so you have about 2/3 to 3/4 cup. Set aside.

Tear the remaining basil leaves into small pieces and set aside. Do this right before assembling so the basil will remain fresh.

ASSEMBLY:

Place a spoonful of the garlic/basil mix into each tart and spread it evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle some cheese in each tart. Add some of the cut tomatoes and sprinkle with more basil leaves. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over each tart. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.

Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm.

NOTE: You can substitute zucchini for the tomatoes or use some of each summer veggie. You can also substitute freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the gruyere.

Fresh Apricot Almond Tart Tatin (Dairy)

A tart tatin is marked by a caramelized syrupy filling that is cooked in a skillet, covered with dough and finished in the oven. It is then flipped onto a platter.

CRUST:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour

6 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and re-chilled

1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

FILLING:

6 to 7 Tbsp. sugar

2-3 dozen fresh apricots, cut in half, pits removed

1/3 cup ground almonds

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. pure almond extract

Cut the butter into small pieces and re-chill for about 10 minutes. Place the flour, chilled butter and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and pulse until the dough begins to hold together. Remove and quickly shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.

Mix the ground almonds, extracts, 3 tablespoons of butter and the sugar in the food processor until it just comes together. Scrape it into a bowl and mix until it is the consistency of a thick paste.

Use a large oven-proof skillet for the tart filling.

Cut the apricots in half and place a dollop of the almond filling in each half. Place on a plate and set aside.

Place the sugar in the skillet and caramelize it by heating over medium heat and leaving it alone except to swirl the pan until the sugar turns light golden. Watch carefully as it turns a bit darker. Careful, it can burn very quickly. Remove from the heat and carefully place the apricots, filled side up tightly in the pan in concentric circles. You can have a double layer in the center.

Roll out the dough so it is a bit larger than the diameter of the skillet and place the dough over the apricots. Tuck the dough into the inside of the skillet over the fruit.

Place in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 35 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Run a knife around the crust to loosen it. Place a large platter over the skillet and invert the tart onto the platter. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry Tart (Dairy)

3 cups mixture of berries

Splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg yolks

2 extra-large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

4 Tbsp. Kirsch or other berry liqueur

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Bake the pie crust as directed until golden brown.

Place the berries in a large saucepan and heat with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, the extract and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, just to soften the fruit and melt the sugar. Remove from the heat. Taste and add a bit more sugar if the fruit is very tart.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, cream and liqueur.

Place the fruit and any liquid in the cooled pie shell in a single layer. Pour the cream mixture evenly over the fruit and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until set but so that the middle is still a bit jiggly. Serve warm or cold. Serves 6.

Sommer Tart with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Corn, and Feta (Dairy)

1 sheet puff pastry

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, very thinly sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced, slices cut into quarters

1 to 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely minced

1 tsp. fresh oregano, finely minced

2/3 to 1 cup Feta cheese

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out to pastry to fit in a quarter sheet pan (9-1/2x13).

Place the puff pastry in the sheet pan and bring up the sides to form a 1-inch raised rim. Prick the pastry all over with a fork about 1-inch apart. Bake the pastry until it is puffed and golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the pastry is baking, prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic. Add the oil to a small skillet and when shimmery, add the shallots. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and mx for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Spread the shallots evenly over the tart and let cool. Thinly slice the yellow squash and the zucchini. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, cut the kernels off the husk and thinly slice the red onion.

Spread the zucchini and yellow squash over the shallots. Scatter the cherry tomatoes evenly over that and do the same with the corn. Sprinkle the red onion, as much as you like, over the veggies and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, lower the temperature to 350 and crumble the cheese evenly over the veggies. Do the same with the parsley, remaining garlic, and oregano. Place back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the veggies look cooked and the cheese has a few golden spots. Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, and cut into squares. Serves 2 to 4.

NOTE: You can use sliced mushrooms, eggplant, broccoli — almost any veggies you like will work with this. You can substitute ricotta or parmesan for the Feta.

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com