Apricot and Blueberry Galette

- High Summer on a Plate ...

The cool of the morning won't last these days, so any baking must be done first thing ... period. The heat and the haze will return once the sun gets up over the trees, so a quick cup of coffee jolts me into action.

- Apricots and Morning -

Apricot and Blueberry Galette

Crust Ingredients:

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

6 tbsp. cold butter

about 4 tbsp. ice-cod water

Instructions:

1. Cut the cold butter into the flour and salt until it resembles tiny pebbles.
2. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, tossing in with a fork.
3. When the dough begins to ‘ball up’, add just a bit more water at a time.
4. When the dough forms a ball, turn it onto a floured rolling surface.
5. Roll into a rough circle and place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan. Don’t press it, just drape the edges gently over the sides of the tart shell. Place the pan on a larger cookie sheet and chill.
6. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fruit Filling:

10 perfect apricots, halved, pitted and sliced into 6 -8 wedges

1 c. fresh wild blueberries

1/3 c. sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

a generous squeeze of lemon juice

1 tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes

Instructions:

1. Place the fruit in a deep bowl. Add the dry stuff and toss gently. Drizzle the lemon juice and mix just a bit.
2. Turn the filling into the chilled galette shell. Fold the edges up over the mound of fruit, pinching the seams that form at the sides to keep the juices in the galette.
3. Dot the exposed top of the fruit with the butter cubes.
4. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Then, turn the oven temp back to 350 degrees F and continue baking until the top crust is golden and crisped and the juices are thickened and bubbly (about 35 minutes).

Glaze for Exposed Apricots:

2 tbsp. apricot or peach jam

2 tsp. apricot brandy

Place the jam and brandy in a small bowl. Blitz in the microwave until the jam melts. Stir and brush the apricots with the glaze when the galette comes from the oven. This shines them up and prevents them from drying out as the galette cools.

- Ready for the Oven -

- High Noon Sweetness -

This afternoon, as the heat built, I sat in the darkened living room with my computer, headphones and Youtube. In my opinion, this summer heat is good for lounging and little else. There came a knock at the back door and over the clammer of the Corgis, my neighbors, Lisa and Jenna shuffled through the dogs and into the room.  Collapsing into chairs, they'd come to check in on how my vacation went. After much chatter and sharing of photos, I mentioned that I'd baked a galette early on in the day but needed to run out for ice cream. It definitely needs ice cream. Lisa piped up, " Oh! We've got vanilla ice cream!" to which I laughed and said, " Bring the ice cream for dessert after dinner this evening !"

So, this evening, we sat in the cool of the back porch and shared dessert and a lovely sweet blueberry wine that Lisa and Jeff picked up at a Maine winery when they were on vacation. Talk ranged on the local deer population and hunting permits, the fact that a porcupine has been climbing and tearing at the branches of Jeff's apple trees (which are loaded with apples), the fact that our sweet Bee has gone missing and is most likely part of the 'circle of life' in some coyote pup's belly, an upcoming trip to Savannah that Jeff and Lisa will take to celebrate their anniversary, Mitchell's (their son) eminent departure to college for his freshman year ... you know, the small stuff of life. We wiled away a couple hours and as the sun set and the blue moon rose, we watched the dragonflies dip after mosquitoes and a lone bat swoop around the back yard.

Sweet dessert and slow, satisfying conversation ... never underestimate the value of good neighbors!