A summer tart recipe to pair with a light wine

A summer tart recipe from the San Francisco Chronicle. Pair with a glass of Solune’s off-dry 2007 Fleur de Lune, a sumptuous blend of Gewurztraminer and Muscat.  

Solune Winery’s own Andrea Hamer here is a tried and true tart recipe for a beautiful ending to summer meal.

“Andrea particularly likes how the crust is pressed rather than rolled into a springform pan or cookie sheet.  Experiment with seasonal fruits; she recommends peaches and blackberries creating a dessert that’s not too sweet and where the fruit is the star,” according to the Grass Valley Wine Co.

By the San Francisco Chronicle, or SFGate.com:

The link is here.

The Sweet Caillat Crust
Makes one 9-inch single layer tart crust
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
— Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
Instructions: Preheat over to 400°. Place the butter, oil, water and salt in a small saucepan and heat on high just until the butter melts and bubbles form around the edge; a slight browning will result in a slightly nutty flavor, which is delicious. You can also heat the mixture in a microwave. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.

With an electric mixer or wooden spoon, add 1 cup of the flour and all the sugar to the butter mixture; beat together, slowly adding more flour until the mixture forms a ball, then add more flour until the mixture doesn’t stick to the sides of bowl or pan.

Turn dough out into a 9-inch pie pan or tart pan with a removable bottom, and press it into an even layer over the bottom and sides.

To bake completely, bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden; watch the edges so that they do not burn.

To par-bake (for accompanying tart recipe), bake 5-8 minutes, or until crust is just firm.
Remove from oven and cool, then fill as desired.

The Tart that Takes You Through the Year
Serves 8-10
You can use almost any fruit – stone fruit, berries, figs, grapes, persimmons, apples, pears, citrus, and so on. Watch the juiciness of the fruit, and adjust accordingly. The amount of sugar also depends on the sweetness of the fruit, but the more sugar the juicier the fruit will become. Also keep an eye on the tart as it bakes; tent it if it starts to overbrown.
1 par-baked Sweet Calliat Crust (see recipe)
1 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups sliced nectarines and blackberries, or other fruit (see above)
— About 2 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
— About 1 tablespoon almond extract, Amaretto, lemon juice, framboise or anisette
3 tablespoons jam
1 tablespoon water or lemon juice
Instructions: Place the par-baked crust on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine ground almonds and 1/4 cup sugar and sprinkle into the bottom of the tart crust.

Arrange the nectarines and berries in the tart shell. Sprinkle with another 1/4 cup or so sugar, or to taste. Dot the top with butter, and sprinkle with almond extract or other moistener. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until edges of crust are golden light brown and fruit is tender; watch carefully.

Combine jam and water or lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat through. Brush over top of baked tart. Let cool, then cut into wedges to serve