Life here is peachy! Bite into that fresh sweet peach and expect that the juice will drip down your hand. That is what happens when you have the very best peaches. You just can’t beat a local sweet peach at the height of the juicy season.
We both grew up near a huge orchard, but once Stephenson’s closed, our source for incredible peaches faded. Now, Hen House Market and their commitment to local produce, brought delicious peaches to us. This week, the CSA bag had Bader peaches, wonderful, juicy sweet peaches from a family-owned orchard in southeast Missouri. Thank you!
A quick read through this blog and you quickly see we love making pies, cobblers and desserts of all kinds from local, fresh peaches, berries and apples. Add to that, all of the fresh veggies we use in our salads, or salsas or quickly grill for dinner and you will see why we love summer cooking.
If you haven’t tasted the wonderful local foods in a CSA, the local bag we pick up each week at Hen House is a great way to do it. This week the bag was filled with local Farm To Market bread, a Good Natured Family Farms, grass-fed beef pot roast, eggs, kale, chives, Andy’s Corn (WOW), and alfalfa sprouts. Local and fresh tastes really, really good.
But peaches really are my favorite, and I shared my cobbler passion before. I often feel that peach cobbler is a part of my DNA. But this year, I branched out and made these delicious—and super easy—peach tarts. Just imagine– an amazing fresh peach, baked on a flaky, crisp crust, (maybe just like you would enjoy at the quaint little pastry shop in a little village in France–gotta dream, right?) and yet, incredibly easy thanks to frozen puff pastry.
So, now is the time! Peach season is short and summer is flying by.
Peach Tarts
3 medium ripe peaches, peeled and pitted
3 tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 (9 x 9-inch) sheet puff pastry (1/2 of a 17.3 ounce box), thawed according to package directions
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup peach preserves, divided
Confectioners’ sugar glaze (see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet, about 18 x 13-inches, with parchment paper; set aside.
Cut each peach into quarters, then cut each quarter in half to make 8 slices from each peach, each about ½ inch thick. Place the peach slices in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Pour the sugar mixture over the peaches and toss to coat the peaches evenly. Set the peaches aside to stand for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the sugar to dissolve.
Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured board. Roll into a 9 x 13½- inch rectangle. Cut the puff pastry in half lengthwise into 2 strips each about 4 ½-inches wide. Cut each strip into thirds, making 6 (4 ½-inch) squares of pastry.
Brush the outer edges of each pastry square with egg. Fold each edge over about 1/8-inch and pinch lightly to secure. Brush the folded edge with egg. Transfer each pastry square to the prepared baking sheet.
Spoon the peach preserves into a small, microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on High (100%) power 20 seconds or until the preserves is warm and melted. Spoon about 1½ teaspoons peach preserves into the center of each pastry square and spread lightly. Stir the peaches to coat again evenly. Arrange 4 peach slices over the preserves on each tart, centering them and leaving the folded pastry edge clear. Brush the top of the peaches with 1 teaspoon of the remaining preserves. Repeat with the remaining peaches filling each tart.
Bake uncovered 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the tarts to cool on the pan about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Drizzle with the confectioners’ sugar glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 6 tarts
Confectioners’ sugar glaze: Sift ½ cup confectioners’ sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon milk and ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Blend in 1 to 2 additional teaspoons milk, or as needed, until it is smooth and is the preferred consistency.
This post has been sponsored by Hen House. More information on their CSA can be found here. All opinions expressed in this post are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible.
Leave a Reply