SUMMER PEACH TART

date pecan peach tart . sprouted kitchen

I catered a small dinner party last weekend. Some things I knew would turn out - a couple dressings and sauces were a shot in the dark, but I was certain they'd pass as edible. Summer produce makes this such an easy season to cook in because the produce needs little done to it. I know where to get the tomatoes I'm faithful to, even mediocre corn is passably sweet and crunchy, and a basic fruit dessert requires little fuss, as the juicy berries and stone fruits can hold their own.

I served a maple-slathered, grilled peach half with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and crumbled gingersnaps, an even easier adaptation of a treat recipe in our cookbook. It was the most basic dish I served and it was the one dish every single person cleared their bowl of (yes, I watch, who do you think is doing the dishes?). Granted, it was a small dessert, but it made me think, how often am I overcomplicating things?

Fast forward a few evenings, we had guests over here for a BBQ. A friend was talking about how a couple invited their family over for dinner and the hostess just ordered a pizza and made an easy green salad. She mentioned how much she respected that - how getting together, eating together, sharing good company and conversation is enough. I stood at the sink cleaning dishes after they left. I had made everything from scratch - dressings, marinades, a crumble, etc. I don't make complicated food, I don't know how to cook complicated things, but what I do does take me a lot of time and I spend even more time just thinking about the meal. Where is my tipping point between making food for people that is special, but still allows me to just enjoy the company? How to channel this effortless effort... I feel like I am narrating to and for myself here, bear with me, think Carrie Bradshaw Sex in the City monologues except we're talking about dinner. Our own heads, my own head, is a rabbit hole. I get down there by over thinking and over complicating when the answer is really up top at the proverbial pizza.

The peaches for this tart were leftover from that easy dessert I mentioned a minute ago. I didn't have a recipe in mind, I just didn't want to waste the peaches sitting on the counter on their peak day. I remembered a crust I wanted to try and layered from there. It's simple, a fantastic peach is what makes the whole tart, but it is a new favorite. You could merely change the fruit on top or try different nuts in the crust. Summer in all its glory. I can hear Hugh sneaking into the fridge, his fork clattering against the plate as we speak.

There is an Oscar Wilde quote, "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." So applicable to cooking, to creating things, to feeding people... the act is often times less complicated than we make it. Here's to the simple things.

date pecan peach tart . sprouted kitchen

SUMMER PEACH TART // Makes one 12'' tart

crust recipe adapted from A House in the Hills

I know some of you will be looking for alternatives to powdered sugar here in the cream layer. It helps set the creme fraiche to not puddle everywhere, a liquid like maple or honey will not work. You could try coconut sugar if you are ok with a little grit, but I can't say I've tried it.

/crust/

• 9 pitted dates

• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces

• 1 cup almond meal

• 2 tsp. coconut oil

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• pinch of salt

/cream layer/

• dairy free option: coconut whipped cream

• creme fraiche option:

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche

• 1/4 cup powder sugar

• 1/4 cup muscavado sugar

• 3 large/4 small ripe peaches

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• toasted pecans, granola, turbinado etc. for garnish

date pecan peach tart . sprouted kitchen

For the crust, pulse all ingredients in the food processor until crumbly. When you pinch some between your fingers it should stick. Add a tiny splash of water if it needs help holding (this will depend on the freshness of your dates). Press the mixture into an even layer the bottom of a parchment lined, 9'' or 10'' springform pan.

Make your cream layer. Follow the directions for the the coconut whipped cream. Otherwise, whisk together the creme fraiche, powdered sugar, muscavado (or light brown sugar). It will be loose but should hold shape when spread over the crust, if it looks too loose, add another Tbsp. or two of powdered sugar. Spread the cream layer over the crust.

Halve and pit the peaches and slice them thin. Layer the peaches in concentric circles, starting against the outer edge and then starting again with another circle, inside that outer circle. Brush the top with lemon juice and garnish with chopped pecans, granola, turbinado or whatever you wish. Refrigerate for at least two hours to chill completely. Remove the ring of the springform pan and cut into slices.

Store covered in the fridge. Should be enjoyed within 3-4 days. The colder it is, the easier it will be to get clean slices, just fyi.

date pecan peach tart . sprouted kitchen

CHERRY ALMOND GALETTE

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

"Are you ready?" I asked Matt. He and I have intermittent conversations about his life. I feel like he trusts me, or at least respects me enough to tell me what's going on in his life despite us only seeing each other one or two days a week at work. As jobs go, I am the girl who goes in super shy - like, this girl is creepy-quiet shy. I observe and perceive, pick out the people I feel are reliable, good people, no drama and only then do I open up and show my colors. The sass comes through, I'll bust out my moves to Michael Jackson's Thriller when it pipes through the speakers, because I know you'll laugh (you = my trusted people). I am pleasant to everyone, but to the handful that I see will give back to me in conversation, I try to communicate that I care about them and want to hear about their story. Matt tells me about his life. Or as much as you can tell in the ten minutes here or there while we're working beside each other in a given shift. He's told me that he found the "little lady" (his words) he'd like to spend his life with, and how he now needs to figure out how to buy a ring. We talked rings, he worried a bit when someone told him the cliche, "It should be four months of your income." I told him that doesn't mean anything. Because I'm a ring whisperer? No. Because it doesn't mean anything. All I asked was if he was ready. "What?! What do I need to be ready for?!" he panicked.

I don't know that anyone can warn you for how complicated and humbling and broken and outrageously fun and sometimes dark and sharpening marriage is. Our struggles are different than what Matt and the little ladys' will be, but there will be some. It's built to be that way, the refining of ourselves by exposing weakness, building the other up, being torn down and doing it again to become better, truer, finer versions of us. Like a knife against stone, friction that yields a better product. Iron sharpening iron. Being known and loved... is it my place to prompt him of this? So, I just asked if he was ready, because really, I haven't figured it all out, but being ready or not is all you need to know. You say yes to fighting for this person. Everyday. Not how many thousands of dollars you have for a ring, my friend.

I appreciate new people, new perspective, new stories. It makes me intentional and aware about the things going on in my own life that sometimes fly by in routine.

On a completely unrelated note, this was my first time with a galette. I don't love pie crust - as a treat or making it. It's a little stressy to me. Keep all the ingredients super cold! Don't touch it too much! But I have had this on the brain for other crust loving people in my life. And because I think they look rustically gorgeous. I like the cherry and almond pairing and tried to pull that through with the extract, but it is quite subtle. Even still, I wouldn't add more because too much extract doesn't really make it taste more almond-y, it just gets sort of bitter. The crust has a gentle yield to it from the bit of yogurt but there is still a nice crunch to the edge. The vanilla ice cream is not an optional ingredient here - I can't imagine this not a la mode, then again you're getting your report from an ice cream girl, not a crust girl so I'll leave that up to you.

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

CHERRY ALMOND GALETTE // Serves 6

A dough adaptation from Smitten Kitchen

I know the tool is only useful for a short season, but owning a cherry pitter for situations like this, fruit salad or cherry cocktails has been well worth it. I can't find the brand I own but this one has pretty good reviews. 

• 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1 Tbsp. natural cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 4 oz. / 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. yogurt (I used goat yogurt, use what you have)
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3 Tbsp. ice water
• 3 cups pitted cherries, about 1ish lbs.
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup muscavado or natural cane sugar
• 1 egg
• splash of water
• turbinado sugar, optional
• 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
• vanilla bean ice cream, for serving

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

In a chilled bowl, combine the all purpose flour, spelt flour, salt and sugar and stir to combine. Working quickly, work the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or tips of your fingers. Smush it until the butter is the size of small peas. In a small ramekin, mix the lemon juice, yogurt, extract and water and give it a stir to combine. Add it to the flour-butter bowl with your hands or a wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Pat it into a bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400'. Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Halve about three quarters of the cherries, leaving some whole. Put them in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, orange juice, flour, nutmeg and muscavado and stir to combine.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the galette dough to a roughly 12'' circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Pile the cherry mixture in the center leaving a 2'' border around the circle. Fold the border towards the center, don't be afraid to pull in tight, it will settle. Pleating the dough to make it stick to each other. You don't want thick folds of dough, think more pinching. If it starts to feel room temperature, pop it back in the fridge or freezer for ten minutes.

Mix the egg and water together and brush it on the outer edges of the dough. Sprinkle it with turbinado sugar, if using. Bake the galette on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes until the edges are nice and brown. Time may vary depending on oven. Remove the galette (and parchment too if need be) to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle half of the almonds on top of the cherries. Serve each wedge with a scoop of ice cream and another sprinkle of the almonds on top.

cherry galette . sprouted kitchen

MAPLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

It was my birthday earlier this week. It was smushed in between two trips to New York (Hugh has a wedding in Brooklyn this weekend), just after Mother's Day, the same week as my nieces birthday and nearly every female on my mom's side. I worked at Trader's most of the day and we had an excellent dinner in LA at Baco Mercat. I didn't need a bunch of celebration this year, there has been plenty going on and I just wanted to take account for the last 29 years. It kind of snuck up on me. My "twenties" have been abundant in experience - so many milestones and lessons and challenges and rewards and love and growth have been a part of this decade. I know I still have a year left, and not for a second do I believe my life is dramatically changing at the turn of a number, but still, there's only one year left! It has been so quick - but not - and somehow completely sufficient. I probably say this every birthday, but time fascinates me. How change is so sweeping in retrospect, but most of the time, you don't even notice the evolution of it.

These cookies actually don't have the slightest thing to do with my birthday but they need to be shared and we are celebrating. Ashley makes incredible cookies, and when I want to play around with a cookie combination or in this case, add something for my maple-loving husband, I use her recipe as a base and go from there. You really must try the original, but with the little bits of oats, tenderness from almond meal and the gentlest nudge of maple, I think I am calling this the "house cookie." I picked up some Valrhona feves, saving them for cooking glory, and they make the most gorgeous streaks through the cookies once baked. If you do try them, and even if you make a change of your own, just stay close to the oven. There is a time and place for a crispy cookie, but these babes are best consumed warm and just barely underdone.

PS. If you are in New York City this weekend, we will be at Posman Books in Chelsea Market on Sunday around 1pm signing cookbooks. It isn't an organized event, but we're signing their stock while in town so stop by and say hi if you'd like!

MAPLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES // Makes 18 small cookies

An adaptation of Not Without Salt's Almond Chocolate Chip Flax Cookies

Don't going searching high and low for chocolate feves, but I will say that they melt gorgeously in the dough. A chopped up bar of good-quality chocolate should work too.

If you need the cookies to be free of the glutens, a GF blend will work in place of the ww flour. Ashley's original gives you the option without the egg. I know maple extract isn't a pantry staple, but it's pretty fantastic and makes these cookies have a carmely-maple hint. This batch was made with maple flakes as well if you prefer a crunchy bit along with or instead of extract.

• 1 stick/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup muscavado sugar
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. maple extract
• 3 T. maple flakes (optional)
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• pinch of cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chopped chocolate

Heat the oven to 350'.

Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, sea salt, vanilla and maple extracts and mix again to combine well.

In another bowl, mix the almond meal, oats, white whole wheat flour, pinch of cinnamon and baking soda together. Add the dry to the wet mixture and stir until almost combined, being careful not to overmix. Add the chopped chocolate and give it one more stir to combine. Allow the mixture to chill for at least 20 minutes, or covered overnight. 

Place your cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet or silpat, leaving space between for them to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until the centers are barely set. They will appear underdone, this is good. Allow them to cool and enjoy.