. . . . ginger lime nectarine tart

Nothing says summer. . .

. . . like. . .

. . . a beautiful. . .

. . . slice. . .

. . . of a sweet and poignant Ginger Lime Nectarine Tart.

 

Ginger Lime Nectarine Tart

Ingredients:

• 4-5 ripe (but not too ripe) white nectarines
• 1 lime
• 3/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 3" piece of fresh ginger
• Blueberries (for garnish)
• One rounded cup all purpose flour
• 3 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

 

I have to say, the discovery of this simple recipe for french pastry via David Lebovitz has changed my position on tarts forever.  I love tarts and pies, but sometimes all the careful mixing, rolling, and chilling required to make a great crust can put me off.  I save them for special occasions or weekends when I can go about my business at a leisurely pace.  But now?  I would make a tart on a Wednesday night for no reason at all.

Preheat the oven to 410. 

Place the flour, water, oil, salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in an ovenproof bowl.  Leave it in there until the butter is melted and bubbling and just beginning to brown.

Pull the bowl out of the oven with an oven mitt or cloth and use that to stabilize the hot bowl while you quickly mix in the flour.  When it forms a ball and pulls away from the edges transfer it to a prepared tart tin (I didn't have one so I just used my spring form tin).  The dough will be hot, so be careful.  When it has cooled enough to handle, press it out into the tin with your hands, trying to keep it as even as possible.  Prick all over with a fork and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until it is golden.

While the tart shell is baking, slice the nectarines so that they are slightly thinner than 1/4".  Place them in a bowl and, using a microplane or a grater, add 1/2 the zest of one lime and grate half of the ginger.  Add 1/4" cup of the sugar and toss everything with your hands to mix.

When the tart shell is done, wait for it to cool a bit (you could work on dinner while you wait).  When it is fairly cool, arrange the nectarines in a single layer starting around the outside and working your way in. Pour any sugary juices in the bowl over the fruit when you are done. 

Adjust the oven temperature to 350 and bake for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is tender.

While the tart is in the oven take the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the rest of the ginger (cut into slices), half of the remaining lime zest and 1/2 cup of water and place them in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until you get a nice syrup (10-15 minutes).

When the tart is done, allow to cool a bit and add the blueberries.  Use the syrup to glaze the entire tart and and microplane the remaining lime zest over top.

Enjoy!

 

With the Kids: Have them help you pick out the fruits at the grocery store or the farmers market (or perhaps even go pick them yourself at a farm) Invite them to push the tart dough into the tin with their hands (when it is cool enough to handle) Ask them to come up with designs for the fruit arrangement and then place the fruit. Enjoy the tart with vanilla ice cream on a warm summer night.

~ Sarah

*Last time in Recipes: Summer Tagliatelle