Fresh Tart

I got clocked on the head by an acorn last night during my after-dinner walk. Ouch! And not because it actually hurt, but because of what the acorn was telling me: "Summer is winding down and September is almost here, my dear." Aw, shucks.

But not shucks! Because September is the best food month of the year, when food events celebrating the bounty of the season beckon at every golden turn. Like on September 20, when Jason DeRusha and I invite you to join us at Farm in the Cities at Solera Restaurant in Minneapolis. Meet and chat with local farmers and producers, then sit down to a stunning meal prepared by 12 of your favorite local chefs. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Youth Farm and Market Project, which builds youth leadership through planting, growing, preparing, and selling food.

This year's event will be the second for Farm in the Cities, founded by farmer Maurice Smith of Dragsmith Farm with the help of chef Jorge Guzman of Solera Restaurant. Smith and Guzman pulled together a terrific dinner on the fly last year, with the goal of gathering several farmers and chefs to chat about local and sustainable food with the community while raising money for charity. Bonus: A seriously fabulous meal emerged, paired with beautiful wines, in a relaxed setting with plenty of opportunity to make new friends.

To purchase tickets, or to volunteer to set up or serve food, check out the Farm in the Cities Facebook page. We hope to see you there!

Chef Jorge Guzman's recipe for Grilled Watermelon Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Charred Beets at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Let me say this right away so that you don't stop reading: Souffles are so easy to make! I made this version with rhubarb but you can use almost any juicy fruit - local strawberries are finally happening!

Soon there will be cherries, blueberries, peaches, plums... Play away.

This recipes uses four egg whites. Don't toss the yolks! Just cover and refrigerate and make Old-Fashioned Vanilla Pudding with Crushed Strawberries the next day (or the day before - you choose). My recipe for Warm Fruit Souffle (in this case, rhubarb) at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Every time I go to the farmer's market, I come home with more berries - yesterday I found strawberries still poking around, and raspberries and blueberries out in force.

Man do I love this time of year!

If you, like I, get a little carried away and buy far more berries than your family can eat in a day or two, then this crumble is for you.

And if you, like I, get a little carried away and buy peaches, cherries, rhubarb, apricots, and plums too, then this crumble is definitely for you.

For that's the wonderful thing about crumbles - you can layer any ripe summer fruit under a crisp lid of streusel and it will be unforgettably delicious.  Tart and sweet, soft and crunchy, lightly buttery with a hint of cinnamon.  For about 15 minutes of effort.  How great is that?

Man do I love this time of year!

Note: Blueberries are particularly perfect right now, so after you make this crumble, grab a few pints of the blues and make my friend Susie's blueberry kuchen.  I did just that last weekend, and entered a couple of pans in the Kingfield Market's Berry Bake-Off for fun...and won the Critics' Choice Award!  Just like this crumble recipe, blueberry kuchen is so easy to pull together and keeps the spotlight on the berries.  I posted the recipe last week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine's blog, check it out.  And get berry baking!

Summer Berry Crumbles
Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com
Serves 6

I like the berries a little tart, a nice contrast with the sweet streusel topping and ice cream.  If you add rhubarb, however, you'll likely need to add more sugar.  I bake these in 4 oz. ramekins to keep the serving size in check, but you could bake this in one large quiche/tart pan as well (add 5-10 minutes to overall baking time).

1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt
1/3 c. oats
4 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 c. mixed berries (can include diced peaches, apricots, plums, rhubarb, cherries...)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set 6 4-oz. ramekins on the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, salt, and oats.  Use your fingers to work butter into dry ingredients.  Chill.

In a medium bowl, combine fruit, cornstarch, and 1/3 c. sugar; toss to coat.  Evenly divide the fruit mixture between the 6 ramekins.  Top with the crumble topping.  Bake until tops are golden and fruit is bubbly (it will bubble out of the ramekins), about 35 minutes.  Cool for 20 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream.

I had high hopes for this quick little galette.  What's not to love about fresh cherries in a flaky, buttery crust?

It looked so perfect when I slid it into the oven, plump and sweet and full of promise.  But when the timer went off and I opened the door...no crusty, golden beauty.

Just a leaking, flaccid mess.

No!

But yes.  I had inadvertently torn the crust and all the lovely juices had run out and burned into a hard, glossy varnish.

Don't let that steer you away from the recipe, which is really quite lovely.  I made the best of the mess by cutting the tart into pieces and sliding them onto plates.  A scoop of pretty-in-pink homemade strawberry-rhubarb ice cream drew the eye upward, like a good blush.  If I weren't confessing, no one would be the wiser.

In the end, almost-lovely, and most important - delicious.

Fresh Cherry Galette
Serves 8

1 lb. sweet (Bing or other) cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 recipe patee brisee, chilled

Preheat oven to 375F.  Roll out the patee brisee, on a lightly floured board, into a 14-inch circle.  Transfer crust to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, and cornstarch.  Pour fruit onto the middle of the chilled crust and spread to within 3 inches of the edge.  Loosely pull the crust edges up and over the fruit, leaving an open space in the center (there will be odd folds and uneven edges - that's fine, it's supposed to be rustic looking).  Place the baking sheet in the oven.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until crust is very browned and the fruit is soft and bubbling.  Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Locally-grown strawberries are all over the Twin Cities' farmer's markets right now so get thee out to partake.

They're naughty good, except not naughty.  Very few experiences in life can claim the same.

Indulge freely as is or with a little cream (ooh).  If you're in the mood to bake, try Strawberry Shortcakes, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, or Schaum Torte.

Happy weekend!