Blueberry tart recipe perfect way to celebrate summer
Break out the blueberries and skip the pie dish for this rustic tart
The two lavender bushes in our yard are full of purple flowers and happy bees, the ultimate sign that summer has arrived. To celebrate, I wanted to share one of my favorite summer desserts, the versatile, chameleon-esque, Rustic Blueberry Tart. This tart, also known as a galette, is basically a free-form pie, unbridled from the confines of a pie dish.
There is something about the rustic, easy assembly and simply prepared summer fruit that makes this recipe a staple for this time of year. I call it a chameleon because it’s just as comfortable being the star of the show for breakfast as it is for dessert.
If you have the dough made in advance and move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you want to bake the tart, you could have this tart in the oven in under a half-hour. Because of this, whenever I make pie dough, I try to make a double batch and freeze half for another time. It takes double the ingredients but almost no additional effort or time, so why not? Here I use blueberries, but almost any summer berry or stone fruit could be used in its place.
Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to a tart like this, is that it can be any size or shape. It’s a great way to use up pie dough scraps or to make small tarts when you’re serving fewer people. For instance, if you know you are making a tart for two, you could divide this batch of dough into a few pieces, use one piece and freeze the rest. Just add less fruit and you’re good to go.
If serving this for breakfast, consider topping with plain greek yogurt or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. If serving for dessert, vanilla ice cream is a perfect
match.
RUSTIC BLUEBERRY TART
Makes 1 large tart; total time: approximately 2 hours
For the pie dough:
1¾ sticks unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
½ cup cold water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the blueberry tart: 4 cups fresh blueberries
⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup cornstarch, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For brushing
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Make the pie dough: Cut butter into small cubes and put in freezer. In a cup, mix the cold water and vinegar and set aside (to keep the water cold, sometimes I throw in an ice cube if my kitchen is hot). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. At this point, the butter should be super-cold but not frozen. Remove butter from the freezer and add to your flour mixture. Using your fingers, squeeze the butter pieces into the flour until the butter is blended into the flour and resembles small peas. You could also pulse this mixture in a food processor instead. Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar and water mixture. Stir with your hands or a wooden spoon. At this point, the dough will probably be crumbly. Continue adding and stirring in 1 tablespoon of vinegar water at a time until dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days if making ahead. You could also freeze the dough for longer. Just move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before.
Make the tart: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a 14-inch round and about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer dough to baking sheet and refrigerate. In a large bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, starch, cinnamon and lemon juice. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Whisk together egg and milk in a small bowl. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge and gently spread the blueberry mixture on top of the dough, leaving about an inch border uncovered with berries. Gently start folding the dough up and over the blueberries. As you go, you will notice that the dough will naturally want to fold over itself as you work your way around the circle. Whisk together the egg and milk and brush over the crust and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for around one hour or until the crust is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling away. Let cool before slicing. Marianne Sundquist is a chef, food business consultant and shares recipes for home cooks on Instagram @chefmariannesundquist. She owns the catering business Daya, which has shifted for the time being into an online general store, sourcing and delivering pantry staples to area residents. Visit dayasantafe.square.site and email her at marianne@dayasantafe.com.