A Simple Summer Tart

I love it when a recipe is so simple, it’s not even really a recipe.

That’s what this summer berry tart is to me.

Last week after a few too many pit stops at our favorite roadside market (it’s like a small Farmer’s Market that’s there all the time, filled with goodies from local farms and purveyors), I had an abundance of berries that were this close to going bad. I also happened to have a package of puff pastry in the freezer that had been feeling a little neglected.

A few hours of thawing later, I had a perfect little summer tart. Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients

One package of puff pastry (I like DuFour the best. Some people swear by the one from Trader Joe’s, but since it comes in a roll, mine always cracks. DuFour comes folded in a rectangle shape and doesn’t)

Assortment of berries (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries – you can use whatever you’d like – and they can be this close to going bad)

Sugar, optional

Heavy cream

Vanilla extract

Egg wash

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prep puff pastry per package instructions (i.e. if it needs a few hours to thaw, read that in advance because I usually don’t…and then get angry when I can’t make it right away).

On a lightly floured baking sheet, layer puff pastry in a rectangle shape. Lightly egg wash the perimeter.

Top with your berries, leaving a one-inch border. Fold in the edges and seal the corners with more egg wash.

Lightly sprinkle sugar over the berries. This is subject to taste but I didn’t use more than 1-2 tsps or so.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

In the meantime, make your own whipped cream because it’s embarrassingly easy and there is no reason for store-bought:

Beat 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks start to form.

Add 1-2 tbsps (again, subject to taste) and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

If you want a little extra wow in your whipped cream, add 1 tbsp of rum (it’s Ina’s idea and it’s amazing, trust me)

Beat lightly again.

Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy – and be grateful for too many summer berries!