Summer Peach and Blueberry Cream Tart

It has been an action packed and AWESOME summer. My eldest son married and I now have a wonderful new daughter. AND: My first grandchild was born. So much love and blessings and joy!

This has also been a great summer for fresh peaches. So, our family continues to enjoy them while they are at their peak flavor. I didn't really have a recipe,so with a "wing and a prayer" I combined flavors that I thought married well. It turned out really great and was quite easy to assemble. I hope you will try it.





Summer Peach and Blueberry Cream Tart

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust:

2 cups AP Flour
1/4 c. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Stick Cold Butter
3 to 5 Tbsp. Ice Water

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. With a fork, coat all of the flour shards well. Slowly add ice water one tablespoon at a time. Stir with fork between addings. When dough begins to hold together when light squeezed in your palm: you are done. Gather mass together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Cream filling:

1 block of room temperature cream cheese
zest of one lime
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. AP flour

Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Assemble:

Press dough into tart pan. Aim for a uniform thickness on the bottom and ridged sides. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over dough. Refrigerate while you prep the fruit.

Slice fresh peaches into uniform slices.

Remove tart from refrigerator and arrange peach slices on the surface of the filling. Add blueberries. Top with 2 Tbsp. sugar.

Bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and beginning to pull from tart pan sides.

***Allow to cool to room temperature before serving***
***Refrigerate all left overs**** (This tart is FABULOUS cold from the refrigerator, too!

Think that looks sweet? Here's my little grandson:



He was quite comfortable in my arms. Love!

Triple Berry Pie: Summer in each mouthful!

I love fresh berries. You name the berry, and it is a friend of mine. Raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, strawberry, blueberry, huckleberry, mulberry.... I could go on and on.

With my love of berries in mind, imagine how thrilled I was to spot beautiful, plump berries on sale at my local WalMart! They were so beautiful! They looked like edible jewels. I bought two large cartons of blueberries, one small carton of raspberries, two small cartons of blackberries and a huge double carton of strawberries. (I also bought plums and cherries...but that will be a different post.)


As you may remember, our family does Sunday Dinner in a big way every week. With the bounty of berries, I knew I had to make the quintessential summer pie: Triple Berry Pie. It is my stab at cloning Marie Callender's Razzleberry Pie.

The truth be told.... I think mine is better.

Fresh from the oven, the pie looked and smelled heavenly.



I was glad that I had to foresight to bake it on a quarter sheet, as it bubbled over a bit. I'm always nervous cutting the first pie. Will it be set? Will it serve nicely?



You be the judge.





The family loved it. Once again, I was the hero. Add a little homemade vanilla icecream... and *swoon*.


Oh, so good!


I know that this pie will make an encore performance before the end of berry season. It was just. that. good.





Triple Berry Pie

1 Pint Blueberries
1 Pint Blackberries
1/2 Pint Raspberries
1 c. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract
1/4 c. Kraft Minute Tapioca
1 tbsp. Corn starch
1/4 c. water or orange juice
1/4 butter in small pieces

Enough Pie crust for double pie.


Mix all ingredients, except pie dough and butter in a large bowl. Allow to stand at room temperature for thirty minutes, stirring once or twice.

Line pie pan with one half of pie dough. Fill with berry mixture. Dot with butter.

Cover with top crust and seal.

Bake in preheated oven (400 degrees) for 45 to 55 minutes. (Bake first 25 minutes on lower rack, then move to upper rack for remainder of baking)

Cool COMPLETELY before serving.

Rainy Summer Night

The boisterous thunder and sheets of driving rain
during the heat of the day have gone.


In their place there is cool darkness and quiet, almost
melodic, gentle rain.


Mischievously, cool breezes flirt with my skin…then run away.
They caress and retreat, sly with their touch.


In the temporal peace I hear individual rain drops gently
land on tree leaves.


Tap- tap- tap as water drips and dribbles from the down spout then
the cheerful splat causing my sidewalk to glisten in the soft porch light.


Occasionally interrupted by a slowly passing car, the frogs
croon to each other songs that only they and their Maker understand.


When I try… I imagine that I can hear the thirsty grass roots hum
greedily as they drink in the water, like a hungry baby latching on to the breast.


Fresh and pristine from the afternoon scrubbing and the gentle rinse of the night,
the air is sweet and almost intoxicating.


I stand on the porch and reflect on how rarely I remain still, quiet
and listen.



-JH2007