The fruit this time of year is spectacular. A great way to showcase it is in a rustic tart, dramatic yet not fancy. I know many of you shy away from desserts and pastries because they can be difficult, and I don’t blame you. But I learned a recipe in cooking class with Chef Michele Moloney that is almost foolproof. I have modified the recipe slightly to make it even easier. Although this recipe uses peaches, you can substitute plums, apples or your favorite fruit. This recipe will make two tarts.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 large peaches
1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter 1 lemon
1/4 cup cold water 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. corn starch
First cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Now slice the peaches into 1/4 inch wedges and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar (perhaps 1/8 cup) and the juice from half a lemon then mix. Set aside.
For the pastry, whisk together the flour, salt, and butter (which should be cut into small chunks). With your finger tips pinch the butter cubes and flour together until the mixture resembles course chunks. Place the bowl in the refrigerator (the key is to keep the pastry cold). After 10 minutes add the cold water and mix the dough until it starts to come together. Don’t over mix. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Note that the dough will look crumbly and seem like it will fall apart. Fold and re-roll the dough several times being sure to add more flour to your rolling surface so the dough does not stick. Note that you do not want the dough to get warm, so work quickly. Wrap the dough in plastic and return to the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Check your peaches (or other fruit), is there a lot of liquid in the bottom of the bowl? If so, pour the liquid into a small bowl and mix with some of the corn starch to form a slurry. Add this liquid back to the bowl and mix with the peaches.
Cut the dough in half and roll into a 12 inch circle, the tart is rustic so we do not need a perfect circle. Scoop out half the peaches being sure to leave any residual juices behind, and place in the center of your dough. Note that the dough below is far from perfect, but it is easy to fix. Just take some of the dough that you trim off around the edge and patch. Be sure to leave 2 inches of dough uncovered all around the periphery. Now fold up the uncovered dough around the fruit pinching as you go. 
Preheat the oven to 350. Place the tart on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the fridge while you assemble the second tart. Once the tarts are assembled, brush them with heavy cream which will ensure a golden crust, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake the tarts for about 15 minutes and then sprinkle on a bit more sugar. Return the tarts to the oven and bake until the crust is a golden brown which should be about 15 more minutes.
Serve the tarts warm with vanilla ice cream.
