French Peach and Plum Tarte with roasted Almonds

“This summer I spent 6 weeks working for the Mirabeau gang in Cotignac and I really enjoyed the fresh fruit and vegetables that I could buy every Tuesday on market day.  It is a real pleasure to work with the delicious fruits that are now in season and this lovely summer tarte unites ripe peaches and plums with buttery folded shortcrust pastry and crunchy roasted Almonds.  A perfect way to end a summery lunch and alfresco supper or a yummy nibble with an iced coffee in the shade under some trees in the park.” Isabella Bird

Ingredients for the pastry:

  • 200g flour
  • 50g sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 100g butter
  • 50ml milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Sprinkle of brown sugar
  • Handful of flaked almonds

For the fruit filling:

  • 2/3 fairly firm nectarines
  • 1 plum
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Sprinkle of cornflour
  • Icing sugar to dust at the end

Start by mixing together flour, salt and sugar in a bowl until combined.  Then Rub in the butter using your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (can be done otherwise very quickly in a food processor!)  Beat together the milk and egg yolk and pour gradually into the pastry mix, blending until it just forms a dough (too much and the dough will be hard to shape later!) Press the dough into a ball and chill for 30 mins.

In the meantime, thinly slice up the fruit and mix together the honey and lemon juice. Place the slices into the juice mixture and toss until covered – let them soak for 15 min.

When ready take the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface into a rough circle shape. Sprinkle cornflour in the centre and spread around, so as to soak up the excess juice from the fruit. Drain off the fruit, then arrange the plum slices in a circle in the centre, surrounded by the nectarine slices, leaving about an inch or two gap around the edge

When completed, fold over the dough around the edges, overlapping where necessary (it doesn’t have to be precise – the whole aim is to look rustic, which is great if you’re not a baking perfectionista. Press the flaked almonds into the dough around the edge. Gently brush the dough with what is left of the milk mixture.

Transfer onto a baking tray (with a baking sheet underneath!) and bake in a preheated oven and 150C for 45 minutes – the pastry should be golden brown and the fruit gently caramelised when finished!

Delicious served warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar, and goes beautifully with crème fraiche, Greek yoghurt, or vanilla ice cream on the side

I hope you enjoy this little French inspired tarte!

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